We saw this as our opportunity to make the modern-day Little Rascals.”Ī unique combination of childlike wonder and tragedy, as families are ravaged by poverty, the film emerged from Baker’s typically unorthodox casting process, with Moonee’s mother Halley (played by Bria Vinaite) found on Instagram. “I’d always wanted to make a film about kids. “He was sending me news articles about what’s happening -that’s how it came to my attention,” Baker said, in conversation with Deadline’s Anthony D’Alessandro. With a title inspired by Walt Disney’s original name for his Florida property-intended to keep his big 1972 project “down low, so they didn’t have to compete with competitive land buyers,” The Florida Project stemmed from an idea brought to Baker by his co-writer, Chris Bergoch. Set at a rundown motel in the shadow of Walt Disney World, the film follows six-year-old Moonee and her ragtag pals, who get into all kinds of trouble over the course of the summer, becoming close with motel manager Bobby (Willem Dafoe). It’s sort of becoming who you already are.”Īlso appearing at A24’s The Contenders panel today were The Florida Project writer-director Sean Baker, and his young star, Brooklynn Prince, whose moving and gorgeously rendered drama is in theaters now. “It’s both this supreme confidence in herself, and it also means she thinks who she is on her own is not enough, which is an interesting dichotomy. “In a way, it’s almost like a rock star renaming themselves,” she explained. At The Contenders, Gerwig discussed the process of finding her characters in conjunction with her actors, also revealing the reasons behind Christine’s chosen name. Starring Saoirse Ronan as the titular Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson, the film follows an adolescent girl in her last year of high school, through her combative, complicated relationship with her mother and her pursuit of a new life in New York.

Knowing Wiseau’s predilection for James Dean-and coming to recognize the actor’s “reverse body dysmorphia,” fancying himself a James Dean type-Franco came to feel that he and Wiseau “were sort of destined for each other.” Franco played the iconic actor in a 2001 film of the same name, and he later found out that Wiseau had watched that film countless times. The actor discussed the project’s transition from New Line to A24 as an act of generosity on the part of New Line execs, who released their claim to the film, feeling at the time that they were not in the best position to release this particular film.”I think they were coming off Kong, and they were actually protecting the movie,” Franco said. Based on Greg Sistero’s best-seller, The Disaster Artist follows Tommy Wiseau (Franco)’s making of The Room, a cult classic regarded as one of the worst films ever made-a film so bad, it’s good.Ĭoming off a number of “literary, artsy” adaptations of Faulkner and Cormac McCarthy, The Disaster Artist was a palette cleanser for Franco and the right project to finally bring his brother, Dave Franco, into the fold. As part of A24’s participation in Deadline’s The Contenders, The Disaster Artistdirector James Franco appeared today to discuss the genesis of the project at New Line, why he felt compelled to make the film, and the bizarre process of directing in character.

Greg dalesandre jotspot