danny strong Tagged Articles at Cinematical
'Buffy' Alum to Pen Butler-Led White House Film
Filed under: Drama », Deals », Scripts », Politics »
Several years ago, when Buffy the Vampire Slayer was going strong, there was a little episode called Superstar. In it, Danny Strong's Jonathan cooked up a pretty powerful mojo that allowed him to be a superstar at everything. In this alternate universe, he did everything from act in The Matrix to fighting vampires better than the slayer. Everyone loved him -- there were billboards, saucy calendar shoots, well, you get the idea. Now it looks like Strong is getting a taste of that, at least as far as political projects are concerned (not so much playing Robin in Losing Lois Lane).Having tackled Recount for HBO, Empire reports that Strong is now penning a new film called The Butler, based on the Washington Post story: A Butler Well Served by This Election. The story outlined the life of Eugene Allen, an African-American butler who worked at the White House for over three decades, serving eight presidents, and then got to see times change as President Obama was sworn into office. The story has it all -- changing times and attitudes, insight into the world behind the public political face, and even tear-jerking love -- his wife Helene died the day before the election.
Empire mentioned the O-word, and they could just be on to something. Can you imagine: Jonathan, Academy Award-winning writer? It's certainly better than "Gurkin" in Sydney White.
Kevin Spacey Demands a 'Recount'
Filed under: Drama », Casting », Scripts », Home Entertainment », Politics », HBO Films »
I was talking with a friend the other day about the shocking decline in the quality of Kevin Spacey's films. It seems as though that Oscar for American Beauty was some sort of horrific curse, sending him into a long run of ill-advised, disastrous movie projects. Look at the man's filmography pre and then post Beauty. It's distressing! But Variety is reporting on a flick that sounds like it might turn things around. HBO Films' Recount will tell the story of the Florida results in the 2000 election, one of the most controversial political events of recent years. As Monika recently told you, Sydney Pollack was supposed to direct but dropped out due to "an undisclosed illness." Jay Roach, a director primarily known for broad comedy (Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Meet the Parents, and their lesser sequels), will now direct. Danny Strong wrote the screenplay. The film will document "the legal and political maneuvering from the point of view of both the Bush and Gore camps."Spacey will star as Ron Klain, "former chief of staff to vice president Al Gore and one of the lead attorneys who challenged the voting results in Florida." In addition to Spacey, Recount has lined up one hell of a supporting cast: Laura Dern will play Katherine Harris, the Florida secretary of state who certified that George W. Bush had won the state. Denis Leary (what went wrong on this season of Rescue Me, DL?) plays Michael Whouley, a Democrat pollster. John Hurt plays Warren Christopher, a key player for Gore. Tom Wilkinson plays James Baker, brought in by the Republicans to see that the disputed results held up. And two Christopher Guest alums will duke it out in the courtroom. Ed Begley, Jr will play David Boies, the lawyer who appealed the results and argued for the Democrats. Bob Balaban plays Ben Ginsberg, head attorney for George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. See what I mean about that supporting cast? You won't have to demand a Recount -- look for the film on HBO during the 2008 presidential election.
Sydney Pollack is Out of 'Recount'
Filed under: Drama », Celebrities and Controversy », Politics »
It looked like Danny Strong was going to hit it out of the park for his first written feature (or heck, film of any kind), the made-for-television Recount. Yes, I'm talking about the same Strong who played uber-geek Jonathan on Buffy, and Paris' main man Doyle on Gilmore Girls. In April, Sydney Pollack, of Tootsie fame, had signed onto direct the feature, which delves into the infamous Florida recount during the 2000 federal election. The plan was to begin shooting this fall, but now the project has lost its famed director.Reuters has reported that the 73-year-old Pollack has withdrawn from the film, citing an undisclosed illness. While he will stay on as an executive producer, Leslie Dart is quoted as saying: "He's got some medical issues. He's not feeling well right now. It would be unrealistic for him to go into production right away." The project is a political drama that will focus on the "personal stories of ordinary people caught up in the acrimonious ballot recounts in Florida." Like The Queen, Recount will use archive footage to further the story. Considering the fact that the film will not focus on the headlining names, it'll be interesting to see what Strong has cooked up. Should no further challenges slow the project, we should expect the film just in time for next year's election.
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