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News
Oliver Stone, Josh Brolin Prepare to Film Bush
No, no, no -- nothing like that. Get your minds out of the gutter.
by Jeff Giles | January 22, 2008
Discuss Article
His Pinkville may have been spiked by United Artists, but Oliver Stone isn't wasting time moving on to his next project -- one that his detractors will be happy to learn has the potential to be every bit as polarizing has they'd expect.

The film in question, titled simply Bush, will star Josh Brolin as George W. Bush. According to Variety, the script -- penned by Stone's Wall Street co-writer Stanley Weiser -- will focus on Bush's "life and presidency." Of course, as Variety points out, Stone's low opinion of Bush's foreign policy is well documented -- but the director says that will have no bearing on his film:

"It's a behind-the-scenes approach, similar to 'Nixon,' to give a sense of what it's like to be in his skin. But if 'Nixon' was a symphony, this is more like a chamber piece, and not as dark in tone. People have turned my political ideas into a cliche, but that is superficial. I'm a dramatist who is interested in people, and I have empathy for Bush as a human being, much the same as I did for Castro, Nixon, Jim Morrison, Jim Garrison and Alexander the Great. "How did Bush go from an alcoholic bum to the most powerful figure in the world? It's like Frank Capra territory on one hand, but I'll also cover the demons in his private life, his bouts with his dad and his conversion to Christianity, which explains a lot of where he is coming from. It includes his belief that God personally chose him to be president of the United States, and his coming into his own with the stunning, preemptive attack on Iraq. It will contain surprises for Bush supporters and his detractors."


Brolin, currently riding a post-No Country for Old Men hot streak that has him currently filming the role of Harvey Milk's assassin in Gus Van Sant's Milk, "won't make a formal deal until financing is sealed," but barring any last-minute setbacks, he'll be ready for Bush's April start -- despite Stone's contention that his star is "actually better-looking than Bush." Sharpen those pens, right-wing pundits!

Source: Variety

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Comments (1-20 of 23 posts) | Reply
Paralyzer
Paralyzer writes:
on Jan 22 2008 05:23 AM

i think stone should retire, the man made great films in his time but hs recent work has not come to anything close to stuff like JFk or even trueromance

(Reply to this)
Paralyzer
Paralyzer writes:
on Jan 22 2008 05:23 AM

i think stone should retire, the man made great films in his time but hs recent work has not come to anything close to stuff like JFk or even trueromance

(Reply to this)
Mackey23
Mackey23 writes:
on Jan 22 2008 05:26 AM

In reply to this comment (#1507713)
Stone didn't direct True Romance. Tony Scott did.

(Reply to this)
bethehero7404
bethehero7404 writes:
on Jan 22 2008 05:30 AM

Do you think he'll have the pretzel choking incident have George's head going BACK AND TO THE LEFT...BACK AND TO THE LEFT. What about gay undertones with Dick Cheney?

I think Comedy Central did best with THAT'S MY BUSH. That's the representation of DUBBYA that I see. I can't wait 'till he's out of office.

Oliver Stone needs to be stopped. I think Michael Moore did well enough with DUBBYA than anyone.


(Reply to this)
DarthRage
DarthRage writes:
on Jan 22 2008 05:36 AM

For a man so hated by the left, they sure are fascinated with him.

(Reply to this)
sunsaz
sunsaz writes:
on Jan 22 2008 06:42 AM

*sigh* Should've stuck to just writing, Ollie.

(Reply to this)
apostate
apostate writes:
on Jan 22 2008 07:12 AM

Yeah, because the guy I'm going to to get the straight dope on George Bush is Oliver Stone.


(Reply to this)
dracus
dracus writes:
on Jan 22 2008 07:18 AM

What would really make this interesting is if Michael Moore produced it with Olvier Stone directing. Brolin is a good choice.

(Reply to this)
dahluzz
dahluzz writes:
on Jan 22 2008 07:46 AM

if he hadn't died ten years ago, burgess meredith would have been perfect for the dick cheney role. ya know, he was the guy who played the penguin in the 60's batman show. "mraaa"

(Reply to this)
Shatter24
Shatter24 writes:
on Jan 22 2008 08:04 AM

It certainly will draw a crowd, and be perfect to release right after Bush becomes a lame duck in November (not that he isn't one right now, but technically). I'd go see it.

(Reply to this)
arendr
arendr writes:
on Jan 22 2008 08:34 AM

That's actually very interesting casting. It could work. But then again, it is modern Oliver Stone...soooooo...who knows.

(Reply to this)
renodc
renodc writes:
on Jan 22 2008 09:07 AM

I'm about ready for Hollywood to get out of politics.

(Reply to this)
calbear526
calbear526 writes:
on Jan 22 2008 10:31 AM

In reply to this comment (#1507729)
Because the right wasn't fascinated with Bill Clinton, right?

This has nothing to do with a trait exclusive to the left and everything to do with human nature.

If you're going to comment, next time try and make it intelligent.


(Reply to this)
RottenRob
RottenRob writes:
on Jan 22 2008 11:13 AM

Isn't Bush still alive? Why couldn't he play himself?

(Reply to this)
thereign
thereign writes:
on Jan 22 2008 11:51 AM

I want to see a scene...

Where Bush is dancing in victory around a pyre with Indians that aren't really there, on the evening that it's announced the Taliban have been routed in Afghanistan.

I want to see a scene...

Where investigators are discussing the fact that some chads in the 2000 election didn't fall properly, while some fell "Back...and to the left. Back...and to the left..."

I want to see a scene...

Where Condelezza is giving Bush a blowjob in a sound booth while he records his statements about the preemptive strike against Iraq.

I want to see a scene...

Where Bush orders the elmination of Jack Bauer, because the super-agent has proof that he stole the original election.

I want to see a scene...

Where Cheney dies in a bathtub after a drug overdose.

I want to see a scene...

Where Bush, on the eve of his finally leaving office, recalls Colin Powell to a private meeting and screams at him "You're not the voice of the people, I'm the voice of the people! Now you put your hand on that god**mn scanning screen, or I'll hack it off and put it on there for you!"

Too much to ask for?


(Reply to this)
The Great One
The Great One writes:
on Jan 22 2008 12:15 PM

JFK was great...maybe if Stone can channel some of that, this will be too

(Reply to this)
Matanuki
Matanuki writes:
on Jan 22 2008 12:21 PM

In reply to this comment (#1508857)
I wanna see a scene where...

like Tony Goldwyn in "Ghost", Bush is dragged down into hell by two wraiths the spitting image of his parents. And then, just before the final credits, that damn condescending dazed and confused smirk is wiped off his face once and for all. I'd pay to see that $hit! But the whole "I have empathy for Bush as a human being" take? Pass. Sounds too much like bad science fiction.


(Reply to this)
Brad 3000
Brad 3000 writes:
on Jan 22 2008 01:05 PM

Really? Who the hell is interested in a biopic about Bush? I for one am sick to death of him and will do everything in my power to avoid watching this film. I just don't need it. Bush is on the news, in the papers, covered in every political magazine, yapped about endlessly on the internet and joked about on every talk show. Why the hell would I possibly want to spend even MORE of my time with the guy? Ahhhggghh. I predict a total Box Office take of 7 mil.

(Reply to this)
TombstoneLawDog
TombstoneLawDog writes:
on Jan 22 2008 01:19 PM

This is a great thread!

I want a scene where...

Brandon Lee as the original Crow fights Bush on a dark and rainy rooftop and then, right when it looks like Bush is about to win and stab the Crow --while muttering some inane, 1984esque horsesh#t about freedom-- the following scene happens:

Crow: "I have something for you. I don't want it any more"

Bush: [dumbas# smirk, looks confused]

[Crow makes desperate lunge, grabs Bush's head, and an eerie green glow passes from the Crow's hand to Bush's head as Bush convulses and makes sounds of indescribable agony]

Crow: [Demonic voice] "8 YEARS OF PAIN. ALL AT ONCE. ALL FOR YOU."

[Cut to Bush falling off the roof, we track his face on the way down which, for once, registers wisdom and sorrow. Cut again to scene of Bush having crashed on his back into a gargoyle, his blood mixing with the rain pouring out of its mouth]

*Any similarities between the above and the final scene from 'The Crow' (1994) are entirely coincidental.


(Reply to this)
Matanuki
Matanuki writes:
on Jan 22 2008 01:37 PM

In reply to this comment (#1509162)
LOL!! Hey, I say you, thereign and I should put our heads together and write the script for this one. Call it "Fall of the Sith". I smell box office gold.

(Reply to this)
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