Levinson & De Niro to Pair Up for Tinseltown Satire
Variety brings news of an intriguing project that's being described as "Wag the Dog" of the moviemaking world." Robert De Niro will play the lead character in "What Just Happened?," which is based on the memoirs of veteran Hollywood producer Art Linson. Barry Levinson will direct.
De Niro will play a Linson-like producer who is going through two weeks of hell as he tries to get a picture made. Sean Penn is expected to play himself, and other famous faces are slated to take part in a comedy the filmmakers hope will do for moviemaking what "Wag the Dog" did for politics. Levinson directed that political comedy, Rosenthal produced it, and De Niro starred in it.
It was at De Niro's behest that Linson turned his book into a script. Linson, who produced such De Niro vehicles as "The Untouchables," "Heat" and "This Boy's Life," gave the actor the book, and De Niro saw a character he wanted to play. Levinson said that while the script is funny, it is spot on in its depiction of the eccentricities of a peculiar business. Linson's book was subtitled "Bitter Hollywood Tales From the Front Line," after all."
De Niro will play a Linson-like producer who is going through two weeks of hell as he tries to get a picture made. Sean Penn is expected to play himself, and other famous faces are slated to take part in a comedy the filmmakers hope will do for moviemaking what "Wag the Dog" did for politics. Levinson directed that political comedy, Rosenthal produced it, and De Niro starred in it.
It was at De Niro's behest that Linson turned his book into a script. Linson, who produced such De Niro vehicles as "The Untouchables," "Heat" and "This Boy's Life," gave the actor the book, and De Niro saw a character he wanted to play. Levinson said that while the script is funny, it is spot on in its depiction of the eccentricities of a peculiar business. Linson's book was subtitled "Bitter Hollywood Tales From the Front Line," after all."
Related Items
| Celeb: | Robert De Niro |
| Sean Penn | |
| Barry Levinson | |
| Art Linson | |
| Movie: | Heat |
| The Untouchables | |
| This Boy's Life | |
| Wag the Dog |
(1-3 of 3 posts) | Reply
 on Oct 27 2005 11:35 AM [b]Together again.[/b] Robert De Niro and Sean Penn in the same film since the 80's. Watching them act is the greatest special effect ever. (Reply to this) |
 on Oct 27 2005 02:20 PM Sounds good, I'm always up for seeing anything De Niro does. (Reply to this) |
|
on Oct 28 2005 08:11 AM Sean Penn never seems like he is having any fun (even in interviews) I dont think he or Harrison Ford has smiled in the last 20 years (Reply to this) |
Related Links
Related Articles
- De Niro Looking for More Good Shepherds 5
- Pacino, De Niro Take Lumps for Recent Choices 20
- De Niro, Barrymore top Fine cast 0
- Writers Guild Totally Rejects Nu Image/Millennium 17
- Box Office Guru Preview: Five New Films Fight For Holiday Cheer 9
- Mann to Direct De Niro in Frankie Machine 33
- The Weekly Ketchup: Natalie Portman, Sacha Baron Cohen's Next Roles, Big Projects in Montreal 2
- De Niro, Pacino Get Company in Righteous Kill 31
- RT-UK's What to Watch at the Edinburgh Film Festival 3
- Critical Consensus: Rush Hour 3 Runs On Fumes; Stardust Shines; Daddy Day Camp Is Laugh-Free 20
Most Discussed
- Holy Box-Office, Batman! Dark Knight Makes $66M On Record-Breaking Opening Day 144
- Golden Tomatoes: The 10 Best Movies for each of the Last 10 Years 116
- Box Office Guru Wrapup: Kapow! The Bat Slams The Box Office 74
- Review Revue: The Dark Knight vs. ABBA, Chimp Flicks 59
- Total Recall: It's the Bat! 50
- Box Office Guru Preview: Dark Knight Set For Gargantuan Grosses 41
- Critics Consensus: The Dark Knight Is One Of The Year's Best-Reviewed 37
- XXX3 to Revive Vin Diesel 26
- Weekly Ketchup: Wanted, Monster Squad, and the New Watchmen Trailer 21
- Transformers 2 Scribe Sets Record Straight 21
Latest News
- Exclusive: Death Race International Poster Revealed 7
- RT on DVD: Geek Alert! Spaced Exclusive, Robot Chicken Star Wars 14
- Transformers 2 Scribe Sets Record Straight 21
- Brush Up On Your Shakespeare With Our List Of The Bard's Best Films 0
- Brendan Fraser Geeks Out Over G.I. Joe Cameo 10
- XXX3 to Revive Vin Diesel 26
- Clone Wars Series Details Revealed 16
- Win Tickets to the London X-Files: Fight the Future Premiere 0
- Box Office Guru Wrapup: Kapow! The Bat Slams The Box Office 74
- Holy Box-Office, Batman! Dark Knight Makes $66M On Record-Breaking Opening Day 144
Latest Interviews
- RT Interview: Ben Barnes on Taking on the Journey of Prince Caspian 0
- RT Interview: William Moseley on His Last Narnia Adventure in Prince Caspian 2
- RT Interview: Jack Black on Kung Fu Panda 6
- RT Interview: Skandar Keynes on the Action Challenge of Prince Caspian 1
- RT Interview: Anna Popplewell on a Different Side to Narnia in Prince Caspian 10
- RT Interview: Keira Knightley on Welsh Accents and Life After Pirates 15
- RT Interview: Sienna Miller on Dylan Thomas, G.I. Joe and Nottingham 2
- RT Interview: Ben Affleck Goes After the Critics for a Change 34
- Interview: Uwe Boll Talks Postal, Kevin Costner, and Answers Reader Mail 43
- RT Interview: Joan Cusack on War, Inc., the Unofficial Sequel to Grosse Point Blank 6
Latest Features
- Exclusive: Ben Burtt's WALL-E Sound Masterclass 1
- Exclusive: The Storyboards of WALL-E 6
- Exclusive: The World of WALL-E 10
- Exclusive: Inside Pixar - A Photo Tour 13
- Exclusive: Pixar's and Stars' Favourite WALL-E Moments 23
- Guillermo del Toro - RT's Dinner and the Movies Interview 28
- Edinburgh 2008: What to Watch 6
- Total Recall: The 25 Best Action Heroines of All Time 124
- Exclusive: Hellboy II Edit Suite Visit and Concept Art 7
- Total Recall: The Best of Stan Winston 14
IGN RSS Feeds