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Tag: assassination

  • Jared Leto in Talks for JFK Thriller ‘Assassination’

    Presenter Jared Leto arrives at The 88th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 28, 2016. Credit/Provider: Phil McCarten / ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: Scott Diussa.
    Presenter Jared Leto arrives at The 88th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 28, 2016. Credit/Provider: Phil McCarten / ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: Scott Diussa.

    Preview:

    • Jared Leto is nearing a deal to join JFK thriller ‘Assassination.’
    • Barry Levinson is directing the thriller.
    • Al Pacino, Jessica Chastain and Brendan Fraser are already in the cast.

    Even as Christopher Nolan (for his mysterious new movie) and Steven Spielberg (for his) appear to be vacuuming up all the actors in Hollywood, other projects are still able to snag those remaining.

    One example? Barry Levinson’s latest movie, which will dig into the JFK conspiracy from a new perspective.

    Titled ‘Assassination,’ the new film (per Deadline) has Oscar winner Jared Leto in talks to snatch one of its lead roles.

    Related Article: Oscar Winner Jared Leto Talks New Marvel Movie ‘Morbius’

    What’s the story of ‘Assassination’?

    Taking as its inspiration the infamous slaying of President John F. Kennedy in Texas in 1963, ‘Assassination’ will dig into the issue of who truly orchestrated the killing.

    The film focuses on ground-breaking female crime reporter Dorothy Kilgallen played by Jessica Chastain.

    When she suspects that Lee Harvey Oswald did not act alone, she uses her fame and influence to find President John F. Kennedy’s real killer. Kilgallen’s journey will put her up against the CIA, mafia bosses and the FBI, all who would love nothing more than to make her and this story disappear.

    Levinson has financing for this one and is busy putting the pieces together. He’s looking to start the cameras rolling early next year in Boston.

    Who else is in ‘Assassination’?

    Oscar® nominee, Al Pacino arrives on the red carpet of The 92nd Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 9, 2020.
    Oscar® nominee, Al Pacino arrives on the red carpet of The 92nd Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 9, 2020.

    In addition to Leto –– assuming he actually locks in his deal –– and Chastain, the cast will include the starry likes of Al Pacino, Brendan Fraser and Bryan Cranston.

    And on the creative team front, the script is co-written by David Mamet, who in a rare case of collaboration, worked with Levinson and ‘Elvis’ writer Sam Bromell.

    The new movie is produced by Corey Large and Jason Sosnoff, with Large also providing financing. John Burnham, Bernie Gewissler, Pia Patatian and Jordan Nott are the executive producers.

    It’s quite a team and sounds intriguing, though it’ll have to go some to compete with the likes of ‘JFK’ and ‘Parkland.’

    What else is the ‘Assassination’ cast working on?

    'Tron: Ares.'
    ‘Tron: Ares.’ Photo by Leah Gallo. © 2024 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Leto is one of the leads in the new ‘Tron’ movie, ‘Tron: Ares,’ which will be in theaters next October.

    He’s also attached to be part of the cast for ‘Across the Spider-Verse’ co-director Kemp Powers’ new film ‘Lunik Heist’ and will be seen in Darren Aronofsky’s new horror movie ‘Adrift.’

    Bona fide legend Pacino has a number of movies on the way. He’s in the cast for Johnny Depp’s directorial debut, ‘Modi: Three Days on the Wing of Madness’ and has the likes of ‘The Ritual,’ ‘Killing Castro,’ ‘Hand of Dante,’ ‘Easy’s Waltz’ and ‘Billy Knight’ making their way through post-production.

    He’s more personally involved in his next Shakespeare-based film, starring in and producing a new adaptation of ‘King Lear’ called ‘Lear Rex,’ directed by Bernard Rose. That movie should be in theaters later in 2025 and also features Chastain.

    Talking of, she’s starring in Michael Franco’s new crime drama pic ‘Dreams’ and is a producer on a variety of other projects, including ‘Losing Clementine’ and ‘Wayland.’

    On the TV front, she’s starring in a new series called ‘Savant’ about a deep-cover investigator who infiltrates hate groups and looks to bring down the nation’s most violent men.

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    Fraser, who scored an Oscar for his performance in ‘The Whale,’ has ‘Rental Family’ on the way and is at work on new World War II drama ‘Pressure,’ in which he plays President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

    ‘Breaking Bad’ veteran Cranston is keeping busy, with a role on new Seth Rogen comedy TV series ‘The Studio.’

    He’ll also be seen in comedy drama movie ‘Everything’s Going to Be Great,’ which will be out next year.

    Perhaps most excitingly, he’ll reprise the role of Hal in a limited series revival of sitcom ‘Malcolm in the Middle,’ with co-stars Frankie Muniz and Jane Kaczmarek also returning for a four-episode update of the family’s story from original series creator Linwood Boomer.

    The new episodes will appear on Disney+, but a date has yet to be set for that one.

    When will ‘Assassination’ be in theaters?

    Despite having funding in place and a shoot date, the film is still locking in a distribution home and has yet to secure a release date.

    Director Barry Levinson. Photo: Golden Globes.
    Director Barry Levinson. Photo: Golden Globes.

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  • New JFK Movie ‘Assassination’ Lands Barry Levinson To Direct

    Director Barry Levinson.
    Director Barry Levinson. Photo: Golden Globes.

    Preview

    • Barry Levinson is going to direct ‘Assassination,’ a new film about the murder of President John F. Kennedy.
    • Writer David Mamet was initially set to direct the picture himself before stepping aside.
    • Starring Al Pacino, Viggo Mortensen, and others, the movie will focus on the theory that JFK was taken out by members of the Mafia.

    The murder of President John F. Kennedy, along with one of the major conspiracy theories about who was behind it, is coming back to the big screen for the first time in over 30 years.

    Announced earlier this year at the Cannes Film Festival, the movie ‘Assassination’ has landed a director in Barry Levinson, according to Deadline.

    David Mamet, who wrote the screenplay with Nicholas Celozzi, was slated to direct the film, but has now stepped away from that role and turned it over to Levinson. The latter is known for films like ‘Good Morning, Vietnam,’ ‘Bugsy,’ and ‘Rain Man,’ as well as more recent efforts like the Hulu miniseries ‘Dopesick,’ on which he executive produced and directed two episodes.

    Who is in the cast?

    Al Pacino at the 94th Oscars® at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, CA, on Sunday, March 27, 2022.
    Al Pacino at the 94th Oscars® at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, CA, on Sunday, March 27, 2022.

    Levinson will oversee a cast that includes Al Pacino, John Travolta, Viggo Mortensen, Shia LaBeouf, and Courtney Love. Pacino will play Tony Accardo, a powerful figure in the Mafia’s Chicago organization, known as the Chicago Outfit.

    And yes, in case you didn’t get the hint from that casting, ‘Assassination’ will focus on the theory that the Mafia, specifically Chicago boss Sam Giancana, was behind the murder of JFK in Dallas on November 22, 1963.

    According to speculation, the Mafia wanted revenge after supposedly helping to get Kennedy elected, only to see his administration go after organized crime with increased fervor.

    Related Article: 20 Best John Travolta Movies of All Time

    Standing in the shadow of ‘JFK’

    Kevin Costner as Jim Garrison in director Oliver Stone's 'JFK.'
    Kevin Costner as Jim Garrison in director Oliver Stone’s ‘JFK.’

    The last major American motion picture to chronicle the assassination of President Kennedy and present it as the result of a massive conspiracy was Oliver Stone’s 1991 masterpiece, ‘JFK.’

    The film, which was nominated for Best Picture, starred Kevin Costner as New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison, who attempted to prove that alleged lone gunman Lee Harvey Oswald did not shoot the president and was instead the fall guy for a plot – a coup d’état — that reached into the upper echelons of the CIA and the U.S. military.

    Stone’s movie downplayed the involvement of the Mafia, suggesting that organized crime was at best a supporting player in the conspiracy. The controversial film launched a debate and outcry that actually led to the release of nearly all classified files related to Kennedy’s murder by 2017.

    Since the release of ‘JFK,’ only a few fleeting films, such as ‘Ruby’ (1992), Stone’s own ‘Nixon’ (1995), and Martin Scorsese’s ‘The Irishman’ (2019), have touched on the idea that others beside Oswald were behind the death of Kennedy.

    As for ‘Assassination,’ this marks the third time that Levinson and Mamet have worked together, with Levinson directing 1997’s ‘Wag the Dog’ from Mamet’s script and executive producing the writer-director’s 2013 HBO movie ‘Phil Spector.’

    Levinson has also directed Pacino in three earlier pictures, including ‘The Humbling,’ ‘You Don’t Know Jack,’ and ‘Paterno.’ There’s no word yet on when filming for ‘Assassination’ will begin, pending the resolution of the current SAG-AFTRA strike, and no release date or distributor has been set.

    Oscar® nominee, Al Pacino arrives on the red carpet of The 92nd Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 9, 2020.
    Oscar® nominee, Al Pacino arrives on the red carpet of The 92nd Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 9, 2020.

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    Buy Barry Levinson Movies On Amazon