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Thursday, April 3, 2008
Who should make the Neil Armstrong film?
As you can read elsewhere on this site, the life of Neil Armstrong, the Ohio native who was the first man on the moon, will be made into a feature film.
So the logical question follows - who should star in and direct said film?
Let me brainstorm a few ideas.
Ron Howard would seem the go-to guy because he made Apollo 13, but then again, he made Apollo 13 and may not want to repeat himself (even if he is still slated to direct a prequel to his worst movie, The Da Vinci Code).
Oliver Stone, maybe? He showed he could make Americana-type stories with World Trade Center, but he’s currently prepping a feature film about W.
Clint Eastwood, who has some interstellar experience with Space Cowboys, had originally been attached to direct, but with the project not being at his home studio of WB, Eastwood may not feel so inclined.
Paul Greengrass? He’s done well with Universal, but his documentary “shaky-cam” style may not be well suited to space travel.
People will surely suggest Tom Hanks should star, but since he played Jim Lovell in Apollo 13, I’m sure he’d decline. However, I don’t think it would be such a bad idea if Hanks directed. He did direct one episode of From the Earth to the Moon, the cable miniseries he produced. Director Jonathan Mostow, a savvy helmer who made another episode of that series, as well as Breakdown, U-571 and Terminator 3, would be a solid choice too.
As for who should play Armstrong, I haven’t many ideas. The great challenge is that the man has been so infamously reclusive, it would be hard to get a handle on him. All I can say is I’m glad this is being made; I thought it was a great shame Armstrong neglected to join his fellow astronauts for last year’s documentary In the Shadow of the Moon. Maybe now the record can be more complete.
Any (other) ideas?
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What’s opening Friday, April 4?
Nature may come back to life in the spring, but movies tend to stay somewhat dead until May arrives. Tomorrow, however, actually brings us a halfway decent roster.
Leatherheads: It may be baseball season, but don’t tell Universal that. George Clooney directs and stars in this comedy about the early rule-less days of professional football, with Renee Zellweger playing the romantic foil. The film was storyboarded by Dayton-area resident J. Todd Anderson, who is known for his work with the Coens. To be reviewed Friday.
Nim’s Island: A popular author (Jodie Foster) teams up tan adventurer Alex Rover (Gerard Butler) in order to help her number-one fan (the busy little Abigail Breslin), a young girl whose father has gone missing. Jodie Foster in an adventure movie? Sounds fun.
The Ruins: A “don’t go in there!” movie set in Mexico and based on a novel by “A Simple Plan” author Scott B. Smith. Let’s see if this can do any better than Doomsday.
Shine a Light: Martin Scorsese directs a Rolling Stones concert movie. ‘Nuff said. Review also forthcoming. Playing in IMAX at Showcase Springdale, just off of I-275.
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