Wednesday, January 26, 2011 - 5:53 PM CST

What about THE TOYER!?

Wednesday, January 26, 2011 - 8:06 PM CST

THE TOYER is a project that needs to be filmed during winter in Venice, and that time is pretty much passing, so I think that would need to wait until next winter at the earliest. It's the same problem De Palma has continually had with TOYER, trying to get everything to come together at the right time.

Thursday, January 27, 2011 - 11:04 PM CST

I adore De Palma, and this is truly good news, but I am kind of getting sick of all these announcements of films that he is attached to, and then nothing happening with them.  (The) "Toyer" is the big one we have been hearing about for years, and all looked lost, until very recently when it was mentioned that he was still making the film, but what has happened to "The Boston Stranglers" project (is he still attached - I was very excited about this one), and what does this mean to the project mentioned last week, his "Parker" project?  Geoff, could you give a very brief (one or two word) update on the recent projects DePalma has been attached to?

How amazing would it be, if he had a golden period of five years that saw around five new features come out?  I hope this dream comes true.

Friday, January 28, 2011 - 1:56 AM CST

Hi, Adam-- basically, De Palma is always working on several projects, because you never know which one is going to spark interest in a distributor, studio, etc. On top of that (once you get the funding), you have the task of casting, location, etc. With TOYER, for years De Palma had his two leads commited to the project, but they could never get the schedules right to film in Venice at the right time. This time, De Palma has been trying to cast the film, and it looks like that just did not happen in time for them to go this year.

With THE BOSTON STRANGLERS, the company that was going to distribute the film ran into some financial trouble and put a freeze on all projects in development.

Now one thing you have to note with the "Parker" project is that there was no big announcement of it-- it is simply a project that De Palma has in development, working with the screenwriter John McLaughlin, and it will come together when it comes together (or if it ever has a chance to come together). That project was first noted in the press kit for BLACK SWAN at the Venice Film Festival. I only happened upon the press kit last week, although it had been distributed with that info last August, so this is a project De Palma has been developing for at least half a year now.

All that said, you can look at the details of the Variety article about PASSION, and tell that this is a project that means business-- the production company seems to know what it is doing about the funding, they've laid out a timetable, and we'll see what happens.

But this is what De Palma has always done his entire career-- if one project falls through, he's ready with another one. In recent years, with the recession, we've read about a lot of filmmakers having trouble getting money for their projects, and De Palma hasn't had a financial hit for quite a while. The promising thing about PASSION is that it is being produced in Europe, where De Palma is seen as an exemplary artist whose work can open film festivals and make a decent profit. In other words, I believe you can take PASSION to the bank as a project that will be going forward. But if not, De Palma will surely jump into something else.

Friday, January 28, 2011 - 2:01 AM CST

And this just in-- Anne Thompson at IndieWire mentions that the UNTOUCHABLES prequel, CAPONE RISING, is still in development at Paramount.

Friday, January 28, 2011 - 10:09 AM CST

Thanks for keepin us updated Geoff

Saturday, January 29, 2011 - 5:42 AM CST

Thanks for taking the time to reply Geoff, I really appreciate it.  It is sad about "The Boston Stranglers" project but here is hoping finances will come together for it in the future.

"Passion" does seem a lock that it will be completed, which is exciting and after I just watched the trailer for the original French version, I think this will fit De Palma's style very nicely.  Looking forward to it!

Saturday, January 29, 2011 - 6:01 AM CST

great news.

Alain Corneau was a great fan of brian's work.

He just passed away after "crime d'amour" was released.

i just watched it last week and i thought about De Palma because the movie is good but it lacks something to be haunting ...with the De Palma touch , no doubt it will be !

Sunday, February 20, 2011 - 5:18 PM CST

With Brian De Palma finding it difficult to get a new movie up and going a french remake of female corporate murder won't do the type of box-office that would make him welcomed in the Hollywood studio system. REDACTED was an extremely tedious movie that seemed like it was made by a first year film student. THE BLACK DAHLIA, FEMME FATALE, MISSION TO MARS where ordinary movies doing ordinary box-office. The two great missed opportunities by De Palma and the Hollywood studio system was not making THE DEMOLISHED MAN and especially AMBROSE CHAPEL. With the creative and box-office success of INCEPTION, DEMOLISHED MAN and AMBROSE CHAPEL should get green-lit immediatly with De Palma attached. These two films would easily surpass the box-office of De Palma's MISSION:IMPOSSIBLE instead of doing a french remake that sounds so familiar. MISSION:IMPOSSIBLE had an appalling script that was an absolute travesty with so any plot-holes but worked because of De Palma's skilled direction. De Palma is more suited to concepts such as THE DEMOLISHED MAN and AMBROSE CHAPEL. Films such as THE FURY, DRESSED TO KILL, BLOW OUT, SCARFACE, THE UNTOUCHABLES, CASUALTIES OF WAR and CARLITO'S WAY was De Palma at the top of his game