It seems that whatever went down on the horribly plagued shoot of “Nailed,” David O. Russell’s political satire that was cursed with production stops, actors walking off-set and dire money issues, is not falling on the head of the controversial director.
O. Russell’s difficult reputation is old hat now, and we’re always expecting him to get thrown in director jail, but again, as maligned as the “Nailed” shoot went, he seems to have survived and is now in talks to direct a Matthew McConaughey comedy called, “Grackle.”
Described as a “Southern-fried” comedy by the Hollywood Reporter, the film is to be set in New Orleans and focuses on a barroom brawler who helps his clients settle legal arguments with fisticuffs.
Apparently the spec-script for “Grackle,” was received with universal praise and then a bidding war began over it which New Line eventually won (it was said to be seven figures). New Line folded so the project is now at Warner Bros. Is this O.Russell taking on a studio picture to clean up his rep and prove he can tackle bigger projects and audiences or is it just a director the studio thinks would fit the material? The reverse skeptic in us is inclined to go with the latter.
