Bosnia Reverses Decision, Allows Angelina Jolie To Film Directorial Debut In The Region

Following the public and somewhat salacious news that Angelina Jolie had her filming permits revoked by Bosnian officials it looks like cooler heads have prevailed, and the actress, making her directorial debut, will now be allowed to film in the region.

News broke last week that Jolie would not be allowed to shoot following a controversy that arose around her script which was rumored to feature a romance between a Muslim woman and Serbian man who raped her. Turns out there wasn't even a screenplay attached to the permit as required, and once it was resubmitted, everything was fine.

It turns out the rape in the script is actually untrue and Jolie asks that we hold judgment until the film is finished, saying in a statement, "there are many twists in the plot that address the sensitive nature of the relationship between the main characters, and that will be revealed once the film is released...My hope is that people will hold judgment until they have seen the film."

The currently untitled film stars Zana Marjanovic, Rade Šerbedžija and a host of unknowns from the region. We would wager the film will make the festival circuit next year, perhaps unspooling at Cannes?

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James Cameron & Angelina Jolie In Talks To Make 3D 'Cleopatra'

The last we heard about Angelina Jolie and the "Cleopatra" project that surfaced earlier this year she said, "....if we can get the story right and do the real story — there's a lot her that's never been covered yet, if we can do something original, we will." And it looks like they've found a way.

Deadline reports that serious talks are underway for James Cameron to direct Angelina Jolie in a 3D "Cleopatra." The impetus for the sudden movement on the project? Brian Helgeland's adaptation of Stacy Schiff's recently published "Cleopatra: A Life" is being described as a "brilliant script deserving of epic treatment" all about "what the Romans took from Egypt." Sony co-chair Amy Pascal is eager to get this one going, well aware of the cost of such an undertaking, but willing to dive in if only to "own" the franchise that is Angelina Jolie herself (remember, the studio also released "Salt" earlier this year).

As for James Cameron, while he does have a handful of projects on his plate (including the long gestating "The Dive"), this is apparently the only project he's taking a hard look at other than the developing "Avatar" sequel. Producer Scott Rudin, who acquired the rights to Stacy Schiff's book, has been working with Jolie in developing the project.

If it goes forward, plans are to get it in front of cameras in 2011. And if it does, it mostly likely means Steven Soderbergh's adventurous, musical "Cleopatra" will have to be shelved for a long while (it was nearly made in early 2009 before Hugh Jackman pulled out causing the production to come apart like a house of cards). While dueling projects are not rare in Hollywood, Steven Soderbergh is not likely to play chicken with James Cameron (and the two are sort of buds anyway, with Cameron producing "Solaris").

So, the next great 3D achievement by James Cameron or another hugely expensive, cautionary tale (let's not forget the lurid story of Liz Taylor's "Cleopatra" which nearly bankrupted 20th Century Fox)? Guess we'll soon find out.

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Bosnian Officials Revoke Angelina Jolie's Filming Permit

Production on Angelina Jolie's still untitled directorial debut, a Bosnian war drama/romance, has hit a snag as officials in the country have revoked her filming permits citing concerns from women's war victims group.

Warning some spoilers are coming up, so if you'd rather not know details of the plot move on.

So what is causing the issue? Apparently, "the story would centre on a love affair between a Muslim woman and a Serbian man who had raped her, causing outrage amongst citizens." Yikes, that's some bold territory there Angelina. We knew it was a love story, but among the plot details that were revealed back in August, this particular bit of info casts the film in a much different light.

Culture Minister of the Muslim-Croat federation Gavrilo Grahovac doesn't mince any words saying, "They no longer have the authorisation to shoot in Bosnia. They will have it if they send us the scenario with a story which will be different from what we have been told by people who read it."

Bakira Hasecic, head of Women Victims of War adds, "This is misleading history. Among thousands of testimonies by women raped during the war, there is not a single one that tells of a love story between a victim and her rapist. We will not allow anyone to falsify our pain."

Certainly, Jolie isn't shying away from controversy with the material she's chosen for her first directing gig and it will be interesting to see how this all plays out on camera and off. Jolie is currently shooting in Hungary and had planned to wrap the film in Bosnia, but she likely be quickly scouting new locations to finish the film.

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Should This Be Made? 'Outlander' And 'Scarpetta'

Consider this a weekly look at whether these big studio project should be crowding multiplexes or not. If we had our way, everything would be French, in black and white, with Asia Argento smoking cigarettes, naked, but we often try to look at matters in the eyes of the major studios. They have feelings too, you know.

This week: two female-led best-sellers.Click here for last week's installment.
"Outlander"
Who‘s Behind It: Essential Pictures, screenwriter Randall Wallace, Katherine Heigl
What Is It?: Based on the best-selling series of books, the “Outlander” chronicles concern a British WWII nurse who is able to slip back and forth between her world and the battlefield of 18th century Scotland, where she falls for her ideal mate amidst war.

Why Should It Be Made?: The “Outlander” saga, which has just branched out into graphic novels, has sold seventeen million copies worldwide, and with seven books of material to adapt, you could reasonably age the female protagonist, Claire Randall, over the course of three movies, and perhaps a television spinoff. The books have a time travel hook that viewers will find familiar as well as the contrast between epic WWII battle and rural Scottish romance, with a little medieval action for the boys. It’s textbook four quadrant material.

The books also have a lot of roles for colorful character actors, or at least appealing male performers men and women want to see. A hardcore fan could easily imagine the men of “Grey’s Anatomy” in each lead role, with emphasis towards husband and WWII soldier Frank Randall and his evil ancestor “Black Jack” Randall, men of the same genealogy who could conceivably be played by the same actor - Gerard Butler? Russell Crowe? Or, if you’re going discount, Kevin McKidd?

Why Shouldn’t It Be Made?: These movies would need a strong anchor, so casting is everything. Unfortunately, Katherine Heigl is currently involved with the process with an eye towards playing Claire Randall. Heigl’s touch has been suspect, as her films since “Knocked Up” (which she apparently disliked) have been of substandard quality. As a box office draw, she remains a somewhat viable leading lady (though too one-dimensional to play a supporting role), but her last effort "Killers" was DOA and her upcoming "Life As We Know It" faces stiff box office competition. As a leading lady, she’s also become a brand, one that exclusively caters to female fans, which could mean men are indifferent, or (quite possibly) that they don’t like her. If “Killers” was a hit, this wouldn’t have been an issue, but Lionsgate dumped that in mid-summer with little care.

She’ll need that male audience too, because “Outlander” wouldn’t be cheap. 18th century Scotland might afford some affordable, obscure filming locations, but World War II won’t be easy to render. And battle scene extras in two time periods won’t feed themselves. With the salaries of Heigl and a strong male lead, the budget for this could conceivably run up to $60-$80 million, though a more resourceful filmmaker could tweak it back to $50. But Heigl’s taking creative control, and she and her producing partner/mother haven’t exactly been handpicking a bunch of Spielbergs and Scorseses for her films so far.

Similar Films: With the time travel and ancestor romance, “Outlander” bears a strong superficial resemblance to “Kate And Leopold,” the Hugh Jackman-Meg Ryan romance that actually almost went out to the public despite strongly hinting at an incestuous romance. The film was released in a busy Christmas period and grossed $47 million in America, $75 overall.

Final Word: It’s hard not to imagine “Outlander” not being an eye-roller with Heigl in the lead. The fish-out-of-water stuff could be pretty irritating, especially considering Claire Russell has to avoid accusations she is a witch by marrying a Scot, which results in an icky forced-marriage love. Really, the only element keeping Russell from being just another passive female protagonist in modern literature is that she is a nurse, but then you have the image of Heigl returning to her “Grey’s Anatomy” roots, this time in a British accent, and its wince-worthy. If “Outlander” is a hit, then Heigl rises to the A-List for the next five years or so, but that ship may have sailed, and considering this will cost more than the average Heigl picture, it just doesn’t seem worth the gamble.
Should It Be Made?: No.

"Scarpetta"
Who’s Behind It?: Angelina Jolie who signed on in 2009, but then cautioned this summer that the project is, "still in development."
What Is It?: Kay Scarpetta is a crafty medical examiner in Richmond, Virginia, always able to crack the case, even if the culprit ends up in her backyard.

Why Should It Be Made?: The Scarpetta books, from author Patricia Cornwell, have spanned eighteen entries and consistently ranked at the top of the best-seller list. It’s safe to say there’s a fan base. The books in question combine the “CSI” medical examiner action with more traditional suspense thriller tropes and an ongoing romantic saga, as Scarpetta finds herself getting involved with a series of men as she ages. It’s arguably the most viable un-adapted literary property for a female lead, so of course Jolie would be everyone’s first choice to star in the films.

For Jolie, this is a role where you’d match her naturally aggressive, action film appeal with a softer, more feminine approach. Scarpetta isn’t a wallflower, but she isn’t a kung-fu master like “Salt” either, so it would be a change-of-pace for her, but not so different as to alienate her core. Of course, her movies are also much bigger overseas, so signing or not signing her is the difference between a $200 million worldwide gross, and a $50 million score. Which is nice if you have multiple movies.

Why Shouldn’t It Be Made?: The stories in the Scarpetta novels are pretty standard boilerplate crime narratives, not any different than what you’d see on an average episode of “CSI.” It’s not exactly stretching the medium or defying the genre. Hire the wrong director, and these will be stage-bound TV-movies, where you won’t be able to tell the difference between Jolie in an $80 million studio offering, or Dana Delany in a $4 million Lifetime movie.

And there’s always the moviestar gamble. With Jolie, when gunfire erupts, the audience can’t be left wondering why she doesn’t start dropkicking fools. She has to play Italian as well, which could be questionable, though it won’t involve an accent, thankfully. Furthermore, studios struggle to cast her next to strong leading men, which is why she’s usually sharing the screen with either a softer, more feminine lead (James McAvoy) or another movie star significantly de-glammed (Johnny Depp, “The Tourist“). “Mr. And Mrs. Smith” differed in that she wasn’t the face of that film, but she is most definitely the face of “Scarpetta.”

Similar Films: James Patterson’s superstar creation Alex Cross featured in two films, “Kiss The Girls” and the prequel “Along Came A Spider.” “Girls” was a hit, with $60 million domestic tally, while “Spider” was even bigger, collecting a $100 million global take. For some reason, the franchise lay dormant for years, but Idris Elba is set to take on the mantle in “Cross.”

Final Word: If you can get Jolie, you get Jolie, it’s as simple as that. And if it involves putting her in some airport novel garbage, as long as she’s willing, it’s an easy decision to make. The “Scarpetta” movies wouldn’t cost much, as there are rarely big action sequences, nor are there complex big city shooting locations. Jolie onboard means you can juice at least two profitable, mediocre movies from this property at worst, a decent-sized franchise at best. With Jolie’s robust salary, that’s a $60 million budget at least, and considering Jolie’s global popularity, there’s no way to say no.
Should This Be Made?: Yes

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Angelina Jolie To Star With Brad Pitt In Darren Aronofsky's 'Tiger'? Film To Shoot In 2011?

Geez, speak of the devil. While we posted an open letter to Darren Aronofsky earlier today imploring him to think long and hard before signing on to "X-Men Origins: Wolverine 2," news arrives that one of the more interesting projects on his plate might be close to getting in front of cameras.

In an interview with Quien, screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga ("Babel," "Amores Perros") reveals that his previously announced adaptation of John Vaillant's forthcoming non-fiction book "The Tiger" for director Darren Aronofsky and star/producer Brad Pitt is set to begin location scouting later in the year.

"These days I'm traveling to New York to lend clarity to the last detail, in November would be doing a tour of Siberia to check locations," Arriaga said. However, most intriguingly, he indicates that the the film will shoot next year and Angelina Jolie will co-star with her partner, Brad Pitt.

The project, which will be Arriaga's first time writing a screenplay based on someone else's work, takes place in 1997 and follows an animal activist who must protect the small Siberian town he is in when a tiger begins attacking its inhabitants. "I decided to adapt this story because it is a great privilege to work with dedicated film like Darren Aronofsky and Brad Pitt," he said.

So, could this be why, despite offers for both 'Wolverine 2" and Warner Bros. "Tales Of The Gangster Squad," noise from the Aronofsky camp is quiet? We would guess that Aronofsky is probably getting the full picture of what shooting the "The Tiger" will require and more importantly, if he can put it all together, before making any decisions on the studio projects. "The Tiger" has been developing for a while and is set up as a co-production between Focus Features and Random House's film division.

At any rate, if Angelina Jolie is involved, and if it goes forward, she probably won't be able to commit to the film until late spring/early summer next year; she has already started shooting her untitled directorial debut. At the very least, what this indicates is that Aronofsky is still exploring one (and probably more) of the projects on the table at Protozoa before making his next move.

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New Trailer & Photos Of 'The Tourist' With Depp & Jolie

It's not the most exciting things you'll see in your lifetime or even today, but some new photos and a second trailer for Florian Henckel Von Donnersmarck's "The Tourist" have arrived.

Truthfully, the new trailer isn't that much, different from the first one; it's a romantic spy drama that looks a little bit more thrilling and serious than it did on paper (various versions were a little fluffy). The picture stars Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie and well, at least the trailer and photos are more remarkable than the recent poster. But with A-list talent like that, the Sony-thinking is probably just put them up their front and center and who cares what the rest of the movie is about.
Directed by Von Donnersmarck (the German filmmaker behind "The Lives Of Others"), "The Tourist" is on the 2005 French film "Anthony Zimmer," that follows a bumbling American tourist (Depp) as he finds himself romantically involved with an international spy (Jolie) in this quasi-Hitchcock-ian tale of a man in the wrong place at the wrong time. While those that called this picture an awards season contender certainly now have egg on their face, this should still be a breezy antidote to that stuff-serious Academy-fare when it's released right in the thick of it on December 10, 2010. More below the jump.

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No Brainer: 'The Tourist' Poster Features Johnny Depp & Angelina Jolie And Nothing Else

How do you sell a movie with Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie in it? You make a poster with Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie on it. Columbia Pictures aren't trying to reinvent the wheel here, and this first poster for "The Tourist" puts its two biggest assets right there for the world to see. Though we have to say, the airbrushing of their features is beginning to freak us out.

Directed by Florian Henckel Von Donnersmarck (the German helmer behind "The Lives Of Others"), "The Tourist" is a romantic spy drama based on the 2005 French film "Anthony Zimmer," that follows a bumbling American tourist (Depp) as he finds himself romantically involved with an international spy (Jolie) in this quasi-Hitchcockian tale of a man in the wrong place at the wrong time.

While we had minor issues with the trailer, it looks like breezy enough fun and it will surely be a nice antidote to the steady stream of serious, awards season fare when it's released right in the thick of it on December 10, 2010.

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Zana Marjanovic Reportedly Lands Lead Role In Angelina Jolie's Bosnian War Film

Update: Marjanovic has confirmed to the Associated Press that she has been cast in the film

According to Croatian outlet Dalje, Angelina Jolie has cast largely unknown actress Zana Marjanovic as the female lead in her directorial debut.

The project, officially described as "a love story set during the Bosnian war, the film focuses on a Serbian man and a Bosnian woman who meet on the eve of the war and the effect the war has on their relationship" already has Croation actor Rade Šerbedžija in a confirmed role. Marjanovic apparently came to Jolie's attention after she requested from the director of the Sarajevo Film Festival a copy of the 2008 film "Snow." The film, Bosnia and Herzegovina's official submission to Foreign-Language Film category for the 2009 Academy Award, stars Marjanovic in a story about the psychological after-effects of the Balkan war. You can watch the trailer below.

The casting stays true to Jolie's word to hire actors from the region, forgoing more well-known talent. Production on the film is scheduled to begin this fall in Sarajevo and Budapest.

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