Articles
A Joaquin On The Wild Side
October 20, 2000
(LOS ANGELES) - Scott Glenn is in final negotiations to join the cast of FilmFour's dark comedy 'Buffalo Soldiers' for writer-director Gregor Jordan. Glenn would join Joaquin Phoenix, Ed Harris and Anna Paquin in the $15 million-budgeted project, which is slated to begin shooting Nov. 3 in Germany. Based on Robert O'Connor's cult novel of the same name, the story deals with the criminal subculture of a group of young U.S. soldiers in West Germany during the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. The film centers on an Army clerk (Phoenix) who uses his street smarts to swing deals and manipulate the system to create a relaxed atmosphere in which to spend his two-year military stint. Unbeknownst to him, Army investigators operating through his enemy, Sgt. Lee (Glenn), are zeroing in on him. Meanwhile, the clerk is falling in love with Lee's daughter (Paquin). Harris will play Col. Berman, Glenn's superior officer. (The Hollywood Reporter)
Thank you Maja for this report!
www.hollywoodreporter.com/
LOS ANGELES (The Hollywood Reporter) -- Ed Harris is set to star opposite Joaquin Phoenix in FilmFour/Odeon Film's dark comedy "Buffalo Soldiers," sources said.
Based on Robert O'Connor's cult novel of the same name, the $15 million-budgeted film directed and co-written by Aussie Gregor Jordan is the story of a group of young U.S. soldiers in West Germany during the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Production starts Nov. 3 in Germany.
Harris will play Col. Berman in the project, which centers on Army Sgt. Ray Elwood (Phoenix), a clerk to the battalion commander who uses his street smarts to swing deals and manipulate the system. Unbeknownst to Elwood, Army investigators operating through his enemy, Sgt. Lee, zero in on him as he falls in love with Lee's daughter, Robyn.
Thanks to Raphaela for this report!
www.filmfour.com
FILMFOUR LTD � NEWS
BUFFALO SOLDIERS
FilmFour advances with Buffalo Soldiers.
FilmFour has boarded as majority financier of Buffalo Soldiers, a project which was hotly pursued by US companies, it was announced today by Paul Webster, Chief Executive of FilmFour Ltd. Directed and co-written by Australian director Gregor Jordan, the film is a
Gorilla Entertainment/Odeon Pictures Production.
Buffalo Soldiers is based on the critically acclaimed, cult novel of the same name by Robert O Connor described as "an M1 tank of a novel, fast and powerful and dangerous... way nasty and blindingly funny". The film is the blackly comic story of a group of young US soldiers in the West Germany of 1989. Lacking an enemy, but little else in the way of sex, drugs and military hardware, it follows their misadventures against the backdrop of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Principal photography will commence in Autumn 2000 in Germany.
Gregor Jordan's first short film Swinger won Best Short Film at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival. His debut feature Two Hands picked up five gongs at the 1999 Australian Film Institute Awards, including Best Film, Best Director and Best Writer.
Producers are Rainer Grupe and Ariane Moody for Gorilla Entertainment. Executive Producers are James Schamus for Good Machine (US) and Reinhard Klooss, Chairman of Odeon Film AG (Germany).
FilmFour will co-finance the project together with Odeon Film AG. Odeon take German rights and FilmFour Distributors distribute in the UK. MFG, the German subsidy board of Baden/Wuerttemberg, will co-finance the picture.
Good Machine International are selling the rest of the world on behalf of FilmFour. Good Machine's Amy Kaufman serves as Associate Producer.
"I read this script on the 'plane down to Cannes" commented Paul Webster. "Two hours later we were shaking hands with the filmmakers and David Linde at Good Machine. That's how much I love this film. It's MASH for the new millennium. Gregor is a firecracker of a director. A true original."
Rainer Grupe said " FilmFour, Odeon Pictures and Good Machine are the perfect partners for us to bring Buffalo Soldiers on to the big screen"
Bobby Allen, Head of Acquisitions, brought the project into FilmFour and will oversee the production with Deputy Head of Production James Wilson. The agreement was brokered by Douglas R. Stone of Stone, Meyer and Genow LLP for Gorilla, Kai May for Odeon Pictures and Andrew Hildebrand for FilmFour.
Thanks to Ruthie for this report!