HJ to Play Enzo Ferrari

[jo]

Another twitter post from Brazil -- re Michael Mann's next project.

Btw, Brazil is one of the most racing-mad (F1) countries. When their most famous driver Ayrton Senna had a fatal crash ( freak accident while racing) in 1994 -- over a million people came for the funeral. So, I am not surprised if they are tracking this news.


***************************************************************

So, it is old news...and nothing has been announced on a more current basis.


Jo

[jo]

Why the continuing fascination with Enzo Ferrari who passed on in 1988? This article was written early this year.


www.evo.co.uk/ferrari/203477/enzo-ferrari-the-life-of-the-man-who-built-the-brand


Hope Hugh is eventually able to immortalize some of the fascinating aspects of his life ( the tragic side, though it may be, as the film project with Mann is based on a lone year in his life when " a steady rain" of unfortunate and tragic incidents happened).

Per favore!

[jo]

www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/berlin-pre-sale-projects-of-the-pandemic-where-are-they-now


Excerpts --

Berlin: Pre-Sale Projects of the Pandemic — Where Are They Now?
5:00 AM PST 3/1/2021 by Alex Ritman


Despite the pandemic shutting down production for months on end, 2020 still saw a glut of major A-list packages announced — with bidding wars erupting across various markets. But as the industry splutters back to life, how far have these projects moved since then?
2020 may have been something of an "annus horribilis" for vast swathes of the film industry, but that didn’t stop the buzzy new packages from landing.

Even at the virtual Cannes market in June, when much of the world was still under some form of lockdown from the first COVID-19 wave and most film sets and studios were gathering dust, major A-list-heavy projects were popping in all directions (ok, mostly via Zoom pitches), with buyers not shying away.

Among the big-ticket pre-sale offerings were Antoine Fuqua’s Will Smith actioner Emancipation, Pablo Larrain’s Spencer, starring Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana, The Blacksmith, a “millennium MacGyver” from Taken helmer Pierre Morel, Run Rabbit Run, a horror-thriller re-teaming Elisabeth Moss with her Handmaid’s Tale director Daina Reid and James Grey’s partially-autobiographical coming-of-age drama Armageddon Time, with Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Robert De Niro and Oscar Isaac.

But where are these projects now? Even in Cannes, despite the back-to-back online presentations and headline sales deals, there were doubts among distributors about if and when some of the films would ever be made, not to mention growing fears of theatrical feasibility (“I don’t know if this shit is real anymore,” lamented one, who said that towards the end of the market people were cancelling meetings as they felt it was becoming a “farce”).

Checking on the major projects announced during the pandemic as the industry heads into another market, there’s a mixed bag of successes. Some have struggled to get the production wheels going due to coronavirus issues, while others have faced the usual dilemmas over casting schedules.

Among those not to have started shooting yet is Millennium's Night Has Fallen, the latest in the Gerard Butler action franchise, which was a hot pre-sale title at the AFM in November.

"We were really open about this with all our buyers, we told them this movie is happening but we're not going to promise you a delivery date," says Millennium president Jeffrey Greenstein. "We're not going to rush it because the longer we wait, the better the odds are that the cinemas will really be back when it opens."

Some, however, have managed almost the unthinkable, starting and finishing their shoot entirely under COVID-19 conditions.

In what AGC boss Stuart Ford calls “the achievement of the year,” this was the case for Moonfall, Roland Emmerich’s all-star, $140 million sci-fi epic and the biggest independent film in recent memory. Pre-sold worldwide before the pandemic, Moonfall wrapped its Montreal shoot in January 2021 without a single delay and is now in post.





Here are some of the biggest projects announced during the pandemic and their current status:

After We Fell/After Every Happy
The third and fourth films from romantic After drama series, based on Anna Todd’s book series and directed by Castille Landon.
Status: Both completed principal photography and now in post

Armageddon Time
Based on James Gray’s childhood memories and starring Cate Blanchett, Robert De Niro, Oscar Isaac, Anne Hathaway and Donald Sutherland, this was a major draw for CAA Media Finance and Wildbunch in Cannes, where Focus reportedly took worldwide rights for $15 million.
Status: Principal photography set to start fall 2021.

The Blacksmith
A $30 million thriller billed as a “millennial MacGyver” from Taken director Pierre Morel, this was announced in Cannes with Nick Jonas and Laurence Fishburne attached, with AGC all but selling out.
Status: A scheduled 2020 start date was postponed due to difficulties with Jonas’ schedule, with Jonas recently leaving the project on amicable terms. The movie is in the process of recasting the lead role.

Emancipation
One of the hottest projects in the virtual Cannes market, Antoine Fuqua’s Cival War-era thriller starring Will Smith was launched by CAA/FilmNation, with Apple winning a bidding war for a figure believed to be above $75 million.
Status: Principal photography is set to start March 2021.

Ferrari
Another Cannes virtual market heavyweight, this time for STX/CAA, Michael Mann’s passion project about motoring icon Enzo Ferrari snared Hugh Jackman for the lead.
Status: Still in development

Please continue reading from the link.

Why had Michael Mann done other work (although he was already contracted to do Tokyo Vice, his current project, even before the Ferrari project was up at Cannes film market), if the Ferrari project is in development. Was the delay due to the unexpected prolonged pandemic crisis? Is the Ferrari project still a potential GO?

Recently, the NYTimes did a retrospective on Michael Mann's 40 years as a filmmaker, featuring insights on 11 of his movies.

www.nytimes.com/2021/03/26/movies/michael-mann.html

Jo

[jo]

Why was the project listed on one of the reliable subscription service on film production project status?

productionlist.com/production/ferrari/

[jo]

Why was the film project listed as starting production on April 30 on one of the most prominent subscription services for film production status?

productionlist.com/production/ferrari/

Ferrari (Feature Film)
In Development/Pre-Production • Last Updated on 02/22/2021

Shoot Date: April 30, 2021
Locations: Italy

Project Summary:
The film will chart the summer of 1957 when all the forces in Enzo Ferrari’s life, which were often as combustible and volatile as the iconic race cars he built, collided.

[jo]

Translated by Google

The director of "Heat" or "Collateral" will tell the story of the famous pilot and entrepreneur who created the legendary car brand. Do you think the role is going to #HughJackman ?

Picked this up from a Twitter Exchange in early September --

Sept 5, 2021 23:27:17 GMT -5 jo said:

Picked this up from some Twitter exchange --

Who knows?

*The project needs full greenlight
*When will Hugh be available? The outdoor scenes are supposed to happen during the Italian summer, as that is when the Road race happens ( this is not F-1 racing). Will Hugh extend his MusicMan engagement beyond the July 31, 2022 date, indicated currently as the end of the present selling periof?

Jo

[jo]

Is Paramount Studio interested in this project? I thought it was Amazon that had shown strong interest.
Re Paramount - it is sad that Jim Gianopulos is leaving the studio after returning it to profitability during his short term? It could be that it was he who had expressed interest in this project? Btw, the rumor is that Paramount is now trying to catch up with other streaming services...but that Jim G is a firm believer in theatrical screenings before home video/streaming. Sad!

The quoted photo is under the banner of Paramount Network

Btw - "Paramount Network is an American basic cable television channel owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of ViacomCBS Domestic Media Networks. The network's headquarters are located at the Paramount Pictures studio lot in Los Angeles."

We'll see how this goes?

Jo

[jo]

deadline.com/2021/09/paramount-communications-boss-chris-petrikin-exiting-after-jim-gianopulos-departure-1234838805/#comments

Excerpts --

EXCLUSIVE: We are hearing that Chris Petrikin, EVP of Global Communications and Corporate Branding, is leaving Paramount. The news comes in the wake of Jim Gianopulos’ planned departure from the Melrose Lot as Chairman and CEO, and Brian Robbins adding oversee of the motion picture studio to his growing portfolio. A Paramount spokesperson could not be reached.

Petrikin has served in the post for four-plus years and followed Gianopulos over to Paramount from 20th Century Fox where he previously spent ten years with the former studio boss as Chief Communications Officer...
>
>
>

There are a handful of former 20th Century Fox execs still left at Paramount who worked with Gianopulos including President of Motion Picture Group, Emma Watts; President of Domestic Distribution, Chris Aronson; and President of Worldwide Marketing & Distribution Marc Weinstock.

Despite what is perceived as a severe pivot for the studio under ViacomCBS from motion picture to streaming, we heard earlier this week that Paramount will remain on course with theatrical releases in the future; just not as many; and believe it or not, they’ll respect a window.

Paramount recently, due to the pandemic, moved its remaining theatrical releases out of 2021, i.e. Top Gun: Maverick, Jackass Forever and Clifford the Big Red Dog. The first two were respectively re-dated for Memorial Day weekend 2022 and Feb. 4 while Clifford is waiting for a new date.

Currently Paramount has 13 features dated for 2022: Scream, Jackass Forever, Rumble, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Lost City of D, Top Gun: Maverick, Transformers Rise of the Beasts, Under the Boardwalk, Secret Headquarters, Mission: Impossible 7, untitled Paramount release, untitled Bee Gees movie, and Babylon — that is if ViacomCBS doesn’t change their minds on those pics’ distribution plans.

If the project is under consideration by Paramount - will the remaining team ( Emma Watts, who is currently President of Motion Picture Group) handle this? If they leave, will Paramount continue any interest in the Ferrari Project. This seems to be along their lineups of action-oriented movies ( even if the proposed Ferrari project has a dramatic slant) especially if Michael Mann is directing it ( he is known for action movies, some of which have become legendary).

Questions, questions!!

Jo

[jo]

Emma Watts oversaw many Jackman films under the FOX aegis -- including LOGAN and THE GREATEST SHOWMAN.

Jo

[jo]

Hugh Jackman will NOT be doing the Enzo Ferrari film project.

He will be replaced by Adam Driver in the film.


deadline.com/2022/02/adam-driver-penelope-cruz-shailene-woodley-ferrari-michael-mann-1234929563/

Heat director Michael Mann is getting closer to the start line on his passion project Ferrari thanks to some strong new cast and a big domestic deal with STX.

We can reveal that Oscar nominee Adam Driver, Oscar winner Penélope Cruz and Emmy nominee Shailene Woodley are newly aboard for the big-budget biopic of racing mogul Enzo Ferrari.

Star Wars and House Of Gucci actor Driver is replacing Hugh Jackman in the title role while Parallel Mothers star Cruz will play Enzo’s wife Laura. Big Little Lies star Woodley will play mistress Lina Lardi. Four-time Oscar nominee Mann is gearing up for a May start in Italy.

Presumably, the delay in the staging of THE MUSIC MAN may have been the reason why Hugh is unable to be in the project, which is due to start filming in May,2022. As there will be outdoor racing scenes that needed to be filmed, the project could not wait until Hugh is free from his Music Man commitment. The other factor could also be the age of Michael Mann who is presently 79 years old?

Sad to know Hugh is unable to do the role, as this story is not as racing-driven as Ford V Ferrari but dwells more on a difficult and emotional episode on the life of a much older Enzo. It could be an award-winning role!

Jo

[jo]

Hmmm...

The story is fact-based - it happened right after or during a tragic 1957 road race and had a dramatic & emotional impact on the 59-year old Enzo Ferrari. It also happened after Enzo's beloved son Dino (who was 24) died.

Adam is only 38 yrs old.

[jo]

How ironic -- the lead Ferrari driver in F-1 racing even looks a little like Hugh. They even call Charles Leclerc "Young Hugh"

[jo]

[jo]

1h
Replying to
@rkylesmith
I have very high hopes for Michael Mann's "Ferrari" starring Driver. Although I would've preferred Hugh Jackman had he not dropped out.




JoAB
@joab46466753
Replying to
@brystr06
and
@rkylesmith
Mann could not wait for HughJackman to complete his commitment to the show
@musicmanbway
. The show, like all other shows, was delayed due to the pandemic&Hugh had signed up for a year(tickets already sold). A pity because I follow Jackman's career&the F-1 racing team Ferrari 😢



9:48 AM · Feb 13, 2023
·
28
Views
View Tweet analytics

JoAB
@joab46466753
·
29m
Replying to
@joab46466753

@brystr06
and 2 others
Been to 3 F-1 races (MonteCarlo/Montreal)&have been a long time"tifosa"(fan) of thePrancingHorse.The film is not really about racing but a tragic year in EnzoFerrari's life.Btw,the current Ferrari driver CharlesLeclerc is often teased as"BabyHugh" because of a slight resemblance.




JoAB
@joab46466753
·
23m
Replying to
@joab46466753

@brystr06
and 2 others
The racing tragedy that triggered off the unfortunate year in Enzo's life happened when he was about 59. The current casting seems too young for the roles. Jackman would have been the right age and also the right strong personality for the role of the Commendatore!

[jo]