Miles Teller probably wishes he could go to sleep right now, and wake up on Monday, so this week could finally be over. If starring in the what is turning out to be one of the worst reviewed movies of the summer, “Fantastic Four,” wasn’t enough (read our take here) his not so flattering Esquire profile is also earning lots of attention. But buried within the interview is an interesting little nugget from the actor about “Whiplash” director Damien Chazelle‘s upcoming musical “La La Land.”
The project was supposed to have starred Teller and Emma Watson, with the pair signing up last summer. However, fast forward to this pat April, and the movie got a high profile upgrade with Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone taking over the lead parts instead. And Teller reveals how he learned he was let go from the movie.
“…I got a call from my agent, saying, ‘Hey, I just got a call from Lionsgate. Damien told them that he no longer thinks you’re creatively right for the project. He’s moving on without you.’ ” Ouch. That’s a bit cold following a hot awards season for “Whiplash” (and it should be noted J.K. Simmons landed a role in “La La Land”). So, it’s perhaps not surprising that the magazine suggests a not so pleasant text message from Teller to Chazelle followed.
Perhaps this makes a lot of sense given that Chazelle’s movie, which is now shooting, follows a young couple — actress, Mia and jazz pianist, Sebastian — who try to keep their relationship together in a city of cutthroat careerism. Seems a bit of art reflecting life there…
