Needless to say, this is a fantastNIC prospect!!!! This is one film rumour that I sincerely hope becomes a reality.
Carell, Black and Cage eye Kaufman pic
Nearly a decade after landing an Oscar nom for his perf in 2002's "Adaptation," Nicolas Cage is looking to re-team with scribe Charlie Kaufman, as Cage, Steve Carell and Jack Black are attached to star in the indie musical "Frank or Francis," which will be Kaufman's next directorial effort.
Plot details remain under wraps but insiders describe the pic as a Hollywood satire about an auteur director named Frank who clashes with an online blogger named Francis.
Likely Story's Anthony Bregman is producing the pic, which is expected to start production in Jan. 2012. WME is packaging the picture and casting director Jeanne McCarthy is working with Kaufman to cast two major female roles, both of which require singing.
Cage has a quartet of films on the horizon, including Joel Schumacher's thriller "Trespass," Simon West's actioner "Medallion," Roger Donaldson's thriller "The Hungry Rabbit Jumps" and Columbia Pictures' comicbook pic "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance."
Carell, who's currently filming Mandate Pictures' "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World," next stars in Warner Bros.' "Crazy, Stupid, Love," which he also produced through his Carousel Prods. banner. The former "Office" is also set to topline New Line's magician comedy "Burt Wonderstone" and co-star in David Frankel's martial dramedy "Great Hope Springs."
Black recently toplined DreamWorks Animation's "Kung Fu Panda 2," which Kaufman had a hand in writing. Thesp next stars in Richard Linklater's dark comedy "Bernie" and David Frankel's birdwatching comedy "The Big Year." WME reps Kaufman, Black and Carell, who is also repped by Media Four. CAA reps Cage.
This is probably the most exciting Nic news I have hard in a long time, it sounds absolutely perfect for Nic! I think it might be true too, I am really hoping anyway.
Doesn't he just..and it is going to be something completely new for Nic he is always saying he likes to venture into new creative pastures! Somehow it won't seem at all unusual Nic bursting in to song in a musicalthough..in the saem way it was not strange Johnny Depp singing in Sweeney Todd (although seeing Pierce Broansn and Colin Firth sing in Mamma Mia was a bit bizarre for me! but i think that was just that film)
Is this the first musical for Charlie Kaufman too?
Hey..didnt Nic do any interview where he mentioned doing a musical? i remember it because we had such a laugh talking about it!
Lol! it so was Meg, but i loved it in a totally surreal and kind of a way! loved seeing Meryl Streep doing her thang! ( I must stress I am not making a comparison.. this film is clearly an entirely different beast! )
A bit more on Frank And Francis here..very cool premise about the director and the blogger!
Cage previously starred in the Kaufman-scripted Adaptation, giving a career-best performance. Carell worked with Kaufman as a fellow writer on the shortlived Dana Carvey Show back in 1996.
Little is known about Frank or Francis, except for the official logline:
“The film chronicles a volatile back and forth between a film director (Frank) and an online blogger (Francis), who takes delight in berating his cinematic talent.”
Kaufman revealed earlier in the year that Frank or Francis would also be a musical of sorts, featuring over 50 songs.