TheLincolnLawyer Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Tommy Lee Jones Ditches Matthew McConaughey's 'Lincoln'
Filed under: Drama », Thrillers », Mystery & Suspense », DIY/Filmmaking », Newsstand »
A mere month ago, it seemed like Michael Connelly's The Lincoln Lawyer was set for a top notch adaptation thanks to the arrival of Tommy Lee Jones. Jones was interested in directing and costarring in the film, which gave us all hope that he could help makeover Matthew McConaughey into something serious and shirt wearing. But alas, it's not to be. Variety reports that Jones has departed The Lincoln Lawyer, leaving it idling and spitting fumes.Jones departed for that vague and all-encompassing reason "creative differences." Variety reports that he had issues with John Romano's script, and neither Jones nor Lakeshore Entertainment were willing to budge. The studio is currently on the hunt for a new director, and hopes to be shooting by spring.
So, feel free to speculate on just what script issues there might have been. I know we have some Connelly fans who were looking forward to this, and who know more about the book than I do. Given that it is a star vehicle for McConaughey, and the character is a bit of a legal freewheeler, I wonder if the script is more of a comedic departure from the book. We've cracked a lot of jokes about bongo drums and shirtlessness, but could that actually have been what Jones departed over? It's sleazy and easy to jump to that conclusion, and I can't really believe a Connelly book could be adapted into Fool's Gold. But this is Hollywood. Stranger things have happened.
Tommy Lee Jones to Direct 'The Lincoln Lawyer'
Filed under: Action », Thrillers », Casting », Deals », Mystery & Suspense », DIY/Filmmaking », Newsstand »
I don't think there's enough Tommy Lee Jones on cinema screens, and I'm not alone in hoping he'd jump right back behind the camera again after his 2005 debut The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada. But it looks like he's going back behind the camera, as Variety reports that he's in talks to direct and costar in The Lincoln Lawyer. At first glance, The Lincoln Lawyer might be a startling choice for Jones' next directing foray because it would appear to be Matthew McConaughey's attempt at a serious makeover. McConaughey is set to play Mickey Haller, a aimless lawyer who works out of the back of his Lincoln, and defends low rent criminals. One shiny day, he ends up with a case defending a Beverly Hills playboy against a murder charge, but it isn't all easy peasy and high paychecks. It's a Michael Connelly book, after all. Look elsewhere for bongo drums and shirtlessness. If it actually threatens to bubble over, just trust that stern glare of Jones to nip it in the bud.
No one knows what role Jones is interested in playing. Variety notes that "the playboy character" is the most logical choice for his stature, but Connelly's book paints him as younger and more hard-partying. They may rewrite it, or Jones may be eying a smaller part and spending most of his time behind the camera. It might take all his energy just trying to remind us of the days when McConaughey was just that Young Turk in A Time to Kill, and not the running gag of the gossip scene.
Matthew McConaughey Puts His Shirt Back On for New Thriller
Filed under: Thrillers », Casting », Deals »
Holy crap... Matthew McConaughey has got a new film on the way, and it doesn't require him to be topless, nor does it require him to busy himself with sports and women! Instead, he's tapping into the old days of A Time to Kill and loving law once again. Empire reports that McConaughey has signed on to star in a new legal thriller called The Lincoln Lawyer, based on Michael Connelly's book.McConaughey will play Mickey Haller, a "Lincoln lawyer" who is so low on the law totem pole that he works out of the back seat of his Lincoln Town Car and defends drunk drivers, con artists, and the other stellar parts of humanity. Then a rich Beverly Hills playboy gets arrested for attacking a woman and he chooses Haller to defend him. The lawyer, in turn, thinks it will be a piece of cake until the usual thriller fare bubbles up -- someone Haller knows is murdered, and he has to make sure he isn't next on the chopping block.
This is one of those star-before-the-meat projects that hasn't even been adapted yet, and doesn't have a director, so we've got a long way to go until a fully dressed McConaughey hits the big screen. This sounds better than much of his recent fare ... but I still want him to tap into more retro Wooderson. The man doesn't only need clothes -- he needs a good indie.
Jeremy Renner Wants To Be An Avenger
Directors We Love: Jim Jarmusch
Indie Roundup: 'Sweetgrass,' 'Clarkworld,' 'Broken Embraces'
Shelf Life: Fight Club_thumbnail.jpg)
Watch: Famous 'Matrix' Scene Re-Created with LEGOs
_thumbnail.jpg)
