Several reports have circulated over the past few months regarding Damien Chazelle’s next film, a biopic on American stunt performer Evel Knievel. Chazelle’s last film, the 2022 three-hour epic Babylon, was a critical and commercial failure, grossing only $63 million and failing to make back its budget of $110 million. Following the unfortunate lack of success for the sprawling and ambitious film, there was plenty of uncertainty about what film Chazelle would tackle next. Previous reports indicated that Leonardo DiCaprio was circling Chazelle’s Evel Knievel on Tour project, but now one of the newest Oscar winners is also in talks for a role in the film.
According to Deadline’s latest report, Adrien Brody
is in early talks for a role in Chazelle’s Evel Knievel on Tour. Interestingly, Deadline isn’t specific about what role Brody would play and emphasizes that any discussions are still in the initial stages with nothing set in stone. According to the trade, DiCaprio’s interest in the film hasn’t dwindled either, though a deal hasn’t been close with that high-profile actor either. Whatever the case, Chazelle’s next movie is already attracting high-profile names, showing that the filmmaker’s talent is still one to look out for despite recent bumps in his career.
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Whether Brody ends up starring as Evel Knievel or playing a surprising role as the first in what could be an ensemble cast, the actor’s attachment to the project would be a big deal. Brody recently won the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role for this character in Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist, which will undoubtedly get the actor plenty of attention and career opportunities moving forward.
Damien Chazelle is No Stranger to Biopics
DreamWorks Pictures
The upcoming Evel Knievel movie won’t be Chazelle’s first biopic, with the director previously tackling the life of Neil Armstrong in the 2018 film First Man. Ryan Gosling played Armstrong in a movie that was much more subdued and slow-paced than Chazelle’s two films before it, 2014’s Whiplash and 2016’s La La Land. The movie received plenty of positive reviews and proved that Chazelle could direct both fantastical musicals and historically accurate period pieces.
Evel Knievel on Tour could be a return to form for Chazelle, becoming another biopic that allows the director to provide an intimate look at such a fascinating real-life figure. Paramount seems to still trust the director despite the failures of Babylon, though the director won’t be tackling any projects as massive as that one anytime soon. As Chazelle would say in the Talking Pictures Podcast, “Certainly, in financial terms, ‘Babylon’ didn’t work at all. You try not to have that affect what you’re doing [next] creatively. At some level, it can’t help but affect it. But maybe that’s OK?”
All that remains to be seen is whether DiCaprio or Brody end up signing onto the project and what the production schedule for the film could look like moving forward. Both actors are incredibly talented, and seeing either of them work with Damien Chazelle on his next movie is certainly an exciting prospect.
Source: Deadline
Birthdate
April 14, 1973
Birthplace
New York City, New York, USA
Bio
Born on April 14 1973 in New York City Brody was raised in Queens The son of a schoolteacher and a celebrated photojournalist he was drawn to acting from an early age Brody s first taste of show business came when he was 12 years old and performed as a magician at children s parties with his mother s encouragement he subsequently enrolled in acting classes attending both the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and the High School for the Performing Arts He found his earliest work in off Broadway productions and made his television debut in 1998 with a PBS movie and a turn as Mary Tyler Moore s son in the comedienne s ill fated sitcom Annie McGuire Following his professional debut the actor returned to school and attended a year of college before being cast in Steven Soderbergh s 1993 Depression era drama King of the Hill The film which cast Brody as its protagonist s delinquent mentor met with wide critical acclaim and presented him with new opportunities He won roles in several films including 1994 s Angels in the Outfield and 1997 s The Last Time I Committed Suicide a paean to the beat generation that co starred Keanu Reeves Gretchen Mol and Claire Forlani Brody thought that fate smiled kindly upon him when Terrence Malick cast him as Corporal Fife a lead role in The Thin Red Line 1998 But destiny scowled at him instead when most of his scenes were spliced into a marginal nearly speechless character This was to be Brody s hard earned lesson in career disenchantment But Brody would not let himself join the ranks of hundreds of other Hollywood also rans With dedication and talent to spare his pivotal role was that of bisexual punk rocker Richie in Spike Lee s Summer of Sam 1999 Though wildly acclaimed the industry s big heads still failed to grab this young talent That is until cinematic legend Roman Polanski saw Brody and decided he was to star as the protagonist of The Pianist a movie about the Warsaw ghetto during the Nazi occupation of Poland Polanski had Brody live the loneliness and desperation of pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman whose life serves as the focus of the film Brody was left isolated and starving in Poland having nothing but emptiness and hunger to help him concentrate He lost 30 pounds and learned to play classical piano in seven weeks And thanks to his talent and chilling portrayal he won the Oscar for Best Actor challenging four former award winners like Jack Nicholson and Michael Caine A Hollywood first
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