A Walk in the Woods Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Two weeks ago, we learned that Paul Newman has lung cancer (or may have lung cancer). And my first reaction was: will he still be able to do A Walk in the Woods with Robert Redford? Or whatever that long-ago confirmed final film is, if not that Bill Bryson adaptation? A couple years back the Oscar-winning actor said he's retiring after one "last hurrah," and it was speculated that he'd be re-teaming with Redford (his partner in both Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and The Sting). Unfortunately, the last we heard about A Walk in the Woods, there was no mention of Newman being involved.

Over at MTV Movies Blog, meanwhile, Shawn Adler's first thought was more like: "Is Cars really going to be his last acting role?" And thanks to MTV News, he somewhat received the answer. Apparently, the fine folks at Pixar (who are releasing their latest, Wall-E, this Friday) are including Newman's character, "Doc Hudson", in the script for Cars 2, which is set to hit theaters in 2012. Cars co-writer/director John Lasseter says they're "just waiting to see" if Newman will be able to reprise the role. If Newman can't do it, though, the sequel will be doubly sad, since it will also be missing Joe Ranft, who co-wrote, co-directed and voiced two characters in the first movie. The longtime Pixar collaborator died tragically in a car accident the year before Cars came out.

Would you still want Doc to appear in Cars 2 if not voiced by Newman?

With Sundance wrapped, it's time for Robert Redford to get going on his next movie. According to Yahoo/Associated Press, his next project will be an adaptation of Bill Bryson's bestseller -- A Walk in the Woods. He will produce and star while Barry Levinson is planning on directing. Nothing like Into the Woods or Into the Wild, this book focused on Bryson's return to the U.S. after 20 years in England, and how he decided to reconnect with his homeland by hiking the 2100-mile-long Appalachian Trail with a college friend. The account details their struggles with self-reliance, and the people they meet along the way.

Redford says: "It'll be fun. I don't know when I've read a book that I laughed so loud. Also, it's a chance to take a look at the country... The backdrop is pretty terrific, if you stop to think of all the visuals that are possible as they go along that trail." It's about flipping time, I say. The family favorite Charlotte's Web aside (he was Ike the Horse), Redford hasn't acted in a comedy since 1996's Up Close & Personal. The last time he was in a good comedy, well...

Of course, the drama master can't go without some heavier fare as well. After hiking the Appalachians, Redford says he will take on the story of how Branch Rickey helped Jackie Robinson get into major league baseball in 1947. "What Rickey had to do, what Robinson had to go through, and the partnership they had to form, that's a story nobody knows. It's just a fascinating story."

Now that it seems that Paul Newman is quitting acting after one more film, everyone is dying to find out what that film will be. And will it be the talked-about adaptation of Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods, starring Newman and Robert Redford? Well, Newman hasn't announced his final project yet, but he has said that he hopes it will indeed be a reunion with his old co-star (they've paired-up twice before, in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and The Sting). Newman said they're "working on something but it's not by any means a slam-dunk." Redford jokingly added that, "The real question is whether he can remember his lines or not."

Know what I think would be funny? The two should do a really awful comedy where they have to dress up like women or something. That would end their careers on a shocking note. I mean, sure it would be great to watch the duo walking around in the woods together, but imagine how much more interesting it would be for them to work with the Farrellys. Either that or they should remake The Sting II as a good film.

For the last fifty years, Paul Newman has been what I consider to be a perfect screen actor. He has never lost his sex appeal, going from young pretty boy to older, distinguished gentleman. He has never lost his talents, having earned 10 Oscar nominations, the first for one of his earliest starring roles and the last for his most recent on-screen performance (only one of the noms led to a win). Additionally he has always been, to me, the epitome of what a classy movie star is, particularly due to his extremely generous charity work.

Now the 81-year-old actor is calling it quits. After one more film, that is. "The last hurrah," he says. Though he hasn't appeared in a feature film since The Road to Perdition four years ago, he can currently be heard voicing a '51 Hudson Hornet in Cars. "It's time. When it's time to get out, it's time to get out," he told the Associated Press. Newman is pretty sure of what his last film will be, but he isn't saying just yet. I'm wondering if it might be the adaptation of A Walk in the Woods that has been discussed as a reunion project for him and Robert Redford.

If you were in charge of picking his last role, what would you choose?