Buried at the end of a Variety piece about the supposed death of war films at the Hollywood studios is an interesting tidbit that mentions that Michael Mann is still currently attached to direct “For Whom The Bell Tolls” under the Warner Bros. production banner Industry.
Based on the book by Ernest Hemingway, and famously adapted into a 1943 film with Gary Cooper and Ingrid Bergman, the film follows an American who travels to Spain to fight against fascist forces during the Spanish Civil War. This has been somewhat of a passion project for Mann; it’s been kicking around since 2006 and at one point was being developed as a starring project for Leonardo DiCaprio.
But will it get made? As Variety posits, war films remain a risky venture at the box office with the Oscar-winning and critically acclaimed “The Hurt Locker” and Matt Damon’s “Green Zone” bringing in very small numbers. Given that Mann’s last two films — “Public Enemies” and “Miami Vice” — were expensive but brought in middling box office returns, even with DiCaprio — one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars — attached, we don’t see studios being too eager to hand over another big budget to Mann anytime soon.
Clearly, Mann has his sights set on a WWII film as last fall he was attached to “Waiting For Robert Capa,” over at Columbia Pictures about the work and romance of war photographer Robert Capa. We’re not sure if that one is still in development, but clearly the meticulous mind of Mann has a new obsession.
Given the belt tightening and risk aversion going on at the studios — evidenced by Universal passing on the modestly budgeted, $35 million Paul Thomas Anderson Scientology film — Mann is either going to need a big star or more likely, a remarkably lean and efficient (i.e. cheap) film to get a studio to rally behind one of his projects once again. Perhaps it’s no surprise then that the director is currently busying himself over at HBO, developing the series “Luck.”
