Posts Tagged ‘Paul Greengrass’

In journalism class, the topic of how to write a great “lede” is endlessly discussed, analyzed and rehearsed. Today, Memphis Commercial Appeal reporter John Beifuss shares a shining example of this art form in connection with rumblings of a new Hollywood project about the life of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Writes Beifuss:

Judging from Hollywood’s success rate, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream of brotherhood and racial equality might be achieved before the first definitive King biopic gets to the screen.

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Ben Stiller, who has no relationship to Chicago whatsoever other than having shot a movie or two there, may take the directing reins of Aaron Sorkin’s script “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Stiller has had prelim meetings with DreamWorks about the project, though DreamWorks sources confirm that they’re very early.The project covers the 1968 riots at the Democratic Convention and their aftermath.

Stiller is the latest among a cadre of Hollywood somebodies who have shown interest, including Steven Spielberg (you know who he is) and Paul Greengrass.

Sorkin’s film was being eyed by DreamWorks executies for a Spring ’08 shoot, which obviously will be translated to a spring ’09 shoot.

DreamWorks is hot to put it in production as it would be the first of its independent post-Paramount-split projects.

MySpace Memorial Redux: What a lovely story about how kids use MySpace as memorials for friends lost. What a lovely nine-month-older story about how kids use MySpace as memorials for friends lost. Remember when the Column One was referred to as a “Non-Dupe,” as in non-duplicated?

Raise High The Fences, Minuteman: The foreigners are flocking to Hollywood. Looking for an angle — any angle — in this boring as all get-out award season, the LAT alights on the fact that

“The plots of three best picture nominees (Babel, The Queen and Letters From Iwo Jima) unfold overseas and four of the five women competing for the best actress Oscar (Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench, Helen Mirren and Kate Winslet) are not American. Britain’s Paul Greengrass (United 93) and Stephen Frears (The Queen) were nominated for best director, as was Mexico’s Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (Babel).

We congratulate the LAT on finding a story in this dull heap.

Going For Gold? It would be uncouth for Paramount Pictures Chairman Brad Grey to lobby for producers credit for the Warner Bros. film The Departed. And no one in Hollywood ever acts uncouth. Right?