Menno Meyjes Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Yeah, I was kind of thinking the same thing after reading that headline: "Ryan Phillippe? In a Viking epic?" Is someone playing a cruel joke, or is this thin-as-tissue-paper pretty boy really going to try to pull off playing a tough-as-nails Viking? Well, according to The Hollywood Reporter, it would appear as if the latter is indeed true -- Phillippe, Sean Bean and Abbie Cornish have signed on to star in writer-director Menno Meyjes' Viking tale Last Battle Dreamer. HR describes Phillippe's role as being a "seventh-century Viking warrior named Thorfinn (sorry, I need to pause for a chuckle ... carry on ... ) who, along with his older brother, the battle-scarred Hakon (Bean), invades Britain." Maybe I'm totally mis-judging the guy (and, to be fair, I've sort of warmed up to Phillippe over the past two years), but no part of me sees him playing "a seventh-century Viking warrior."

But I digress. Bean and Cornish, on the other hand, I'm really starting to dig. I can certainly see them starring in a film like this, which Meyjes says is "a love story written in fire and blood." Back when this film was first announced, Variety said Meyjes was looking for an American to star as the Viking and a British woman to co-star as the noblewoman with which our heroic Viking falls for. Monika suggested Brad Pitt for the role. Well, I guess they're both blondes. Phillippe and Cornish will also star alongside one another in the upcoming Stop Loss, while Meyjes (who's completing post production on his matador biopic Manolete) has the John Cusack flick Martian Child (a film in which practically everyone at Cinematical wanted to review for some reason) due out this October, courtesy of New Line.

Menno Meyjes is not only back, but he's making a big splash of things. If you don't think you're familiar with his work -- you are to some degree. He's the guy who adapted The Color Purple, his pen had a hand in Empire of the Sun and he helped George Lucas come up with the story for Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. He also helped create the story for Ricochet, but I doubt that's as recognizable to you. Me, I am ever-thankful because it saved me from Tom Berenger's Shattered -- the only movie I ever walked out of. Although Meyjes has been out of the spotlight, he is now in post-production on Manolete -- an Adrien Brody/Penélope Cruz film that Martha mentioned last year. Now he wants to use the same format -- U.S. actor and foreign woman -- and move the drama over a little bit to the west.

After heating up with Spanish bullfights, Meyjes is cooling off with some Viking action. Variety has reported that the Dutch, U.K.-based writer/director is now working on Last Battle Dreamer. Set in 9th century England, the film will be the love story between an invading Viking and an English noblewoman. He wants to cast an American as the Viking (Brad Pitt?), and a British actress as the noblewoman. According to Meyjes: "When I moved to England 10 years ago, I was struck by the countryside, how verdant it was and how tempting it must have appeared to invaders, what a ripe piece of fruit it was." Yes, I'm sure there will be "ripe fruit" in the film. Anyway, he continues: "I thought it would be amazing to do a film about a guy who comes from a barren, flinty landscape, and who falls in love with a woman and at the same time with a certain idea of civilization." Now, I already wondered about Brad Pitt in the role, since he wants an American star (otherwise, there are lots of Swedes who would, funnily enough, make good Vikings), but is there anyone else you have in mind? Perhaps Jason Lewis, as he's the right look, but he's probably not enough of a star. And who for the English noblewoman?

Like many of you, I've been a huge John Cusack fan for many a decade. From Better Off Dead and Say Anything to High Fidelity and The Ice Harvest (hey, I liked it), I've been known to enjoy a mediocre flick just because of Cusack's performance *koff* Con Air. (And just wait till you see John go in Grace is Gone!) Having said all that, John's next flick, the sappy-looking Martian Child, looks might it test my well-founded faith in the actor. (It's not just that the movie looks to be extra sugary, but also that there's not one scene in the trailer we haven't seen before!)

Based on the novel by David Gerrold, the movie is about a nice guy who takes a shine to a local "weird kid" who a) believes he's an alien and b) spends most of his time inside a cardboard box. The adaptation comes from a pair of first-time scribes (Seth Bass and Jon Tolins) and writer-turned-director Menno Meyjes, who not very long ago worked with Mr. Cusack on Max. Co-starring in the PG-rated New Line release are Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt and Richard Schiff. Ah, and it looks like John will be reunited with his sister Joan once again. (I believe this marks the ninth time they've appeared in the same movie.) Martian Child opens on June 29; Cusack also has 1408 on the way in addition to the aforementioned (and very excellent) Grace is Gone.