As excited as we were at the prospect of “Before Sunset” with two old guys in the woods (no really!), it has been confirmed that the director of “A Walk in the Woods” will now be Robert Redford and not Richard Linklater, as we previously reported.
There’s no word on exactly why, although Linklater is probably going to be pretty busy with the big promo push for “Before Midnight,” and Redford has already spoken about wanting to get back in front of and behind the camera in a serious way since stepping down from Sundance. Redford will direct himself and Nick Nolte in the story of a veteran ex-pat writer who, in a bid to rediscover the America he left behind as well as his joie de vivre, heads off on the perilous Appalachian Trail with an out-of-shape, ex-alcoholic friend.
It’s a project that’s been kicking around for a while and it’s easy to see why; whilst Bill Bryson’s book is undoubtedly a terrific read, its light-hearted and contemplative tone doesn’t exactly scream cinematic gold. It has the potential to be a fine film in the right pair of hands though, particularly with a script from Michael Arndt, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of “Little Miss Sunshine,” so time will tell if Redford proves to be that pair of hands.
It’s reported that IM Global (whose Cannes basket includes Martin Scorsese’s “Silence,” Lee Daniels’ Janis Joplin biopic “Get It While You Can” and the crime story “Gotti” starring John Travolta) will launch sales at Cannes where Redford also stars in JC Chandor’s out-of-competition premiere “All Is Lost.” [LA Times]