Sorry Comic-Con (and the currently ongoing “Tintin” panel), you just got served. At least for now.
We’ll keep this brief because we have to turn our attention back to San Diego in just a moment, but hold to on your pants, boys and girls, because this fucking rules: Steve Carell, Jack Black and Nicolas Cage are now all attached to Charlie Kaufman‘s long-brewing “Frank or Francis.” Despite Deadline asserting that details are under wraps, savvy Kaufman fans know that his one has been cooking for a while. Previously set up at Sony, earlier this year the project was being shopped around again, looking for financing. The film is an intriguing one that finds Kaufman sticking to Hollywood in a story that follows “a volatile back and forth between a film director (Frank) and an online blogger (Francis), who takes delight in berating his cinematic talent.” No word yet on who is playing what role. Variety also notes that there are two female lead roles yet to be cast, but here’s the catch: they will require singing.
Kaufman wrote the script and if everything falls into place it will be his next directing project (his first since 2008’s “Synecdoche, New York“). The picture still doesn’t have financing, but with these three names attached — particularly as it marks a re-team with Kaufman and his “Adaptation” star Cage — that problem should be remedied pretty damn fast. Shooting will begin in early 2012.
This marks another big move for Kaufman this year as his other (currently untitled) project that he wrote, with Spike Jonze directing, recently found a star in Joaquin Phoenix and a home at Warner Bros. Now back to the comics and tentpoles…