While details of Oscar-nominated director David O. Russell’s next project remain frustratingly tight, we now know that the film will be full of excellence. It has been confirmed that Robert De Niro, Mike Myers, Timothy Olyphant, Michael Shannon, Chris Rock, Anya Taylor-Joy, Andrea Riseborough, Matthias Schoenaerts and Alessandro Nivola have joined the impressive ensemble. Does anyone else have stars in their eyes?
These starry cast additions follow Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Rami Malek, and Zoe Saldana in the currently unnamed project, which is reportedly based on an original idea invented by the five-time Oscar-nominated filmmaker. Although official details of the film’s plot are not yet known, it is believed to be an “unlikely partnership between a doctor and a lawyer,” with the working title previously announced Amsterdam.
The mysterious O. Russell film is currently being shot in California. New Regency’s Arnon Milchan will produce with Matthew Budman and Anthony Katagas. New Regency will also distribute the film through contract with 20th Century Studios.
Russell has become known for his regular work with certain actors, as well as his ability to bring together some of the most talented actors on Hollywood’s A-list. The director hasn’t released a film since the 2015 biographical comedy drama. joyJennifer Lawrence played Joy Mangano, a self-made millionaire who started her own business empire. While the film wasn’t as well received as some of its earlier efforts, joy Lawrence received an Oscar nomination for best actress.
The film will also be the third time David O. Russell and Oscar winner Christian Bale worked together. The first collaboration of the acting / directing duo, the biographical sports drama 2010 The fighterThe focus is on the lives of professional boxer Micky Ward, played by Mark Wahlberg, and his older half-brother, Dicky Eklund, played by Bale. Amy Adams plays Mickey’s friend Charlene Fleming alongside Melissa Leo, who portrays Mickey and Dicky’s mother Alice Eklund-Ward. The story was inspired by the 1995 documentary that featured the Eklund-Ward family with the title Up on Crack Street: Lives Lost in Lowell.
The cast received widespread praise for the performances, with Christian Bale reaffirming his commitment to the craft with a full transformation, including his patented dramatic weight change, to play Dicky Eklund, who struggled with a crack cocaine addiction for years would have. His hard work paid off, awarding the actor an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
The second feature by Bale and Russell, 2013 American bustle, shows the actor transformed once again thanks to a strong physical change. This time, Bale grabbed Irving Rosenfeld, a con man who is forced by an FBI agent to carry out an elaborate stabbing operation against corrupt politicians, including the Mayor of Camden, New Jersey. Next to Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner and Jennifer Lawrence American bustle received ten nominations at the 86th Academy Awards, including “Best Picture”, “Best Director”, “Best Original Screenplay”, “Best Actor (Bale)”, “Best Actress (Adams)”, “Best Supporting Actor” ( Cooper) and “Best Supporting Actress” (Lawrence).
With such a stacked cast, David O. Russell’s new project is sure to reach similar heights. That comes to us from Deadline.