Two weeks ago in an interview with the director, Noah Baumbach told The Playlist he was still intent on making “The Emperor’s Children,” a novel he had adapted a few years ago for Brian Grazer’s Image Entertainment. And so intent to make it he had evidently decided to take over the directing gig from Ron Howard for whom he had originally penned the script.
And the filmmaker, who just released his latest indie film “Greenberg” starring Ben Stiller, wasn’t kidding. Evidently the numbers the film did in its opening weekend limited release were enough to impress (the second highest per screen average of the year behind Polanski’s “The Ghost Writer”) as Baumbach has now been able to officially announce “The Emperor’s Children” as his next project.
And he has a stellar cast to boot. The Wrap is reporting that Keira Knightley, Eric Bana and Richard Gere are all attached to star in the film, and finances aside, the project is looking to start production this summer with Howard and Grazer on board as producers. That’s incredibly fast, but again, ‘Children’ was written several years ago and first announced in 2006.
What’s it about? Well, it was described as a “contemporary comedy of manners” (how perfect for Baumbach) set before in post 9/11 New York and was based on Claire Messud’s novel centering around apprehensive Ivy League grads in Gotham approaching their 30s with trepidation and anxiety. Evidently like almost all 20-somethings with naive lofty ambitions, these characters are not quite in the place of their professional and personal lives that they expected and it’s all causing existential woes. Here’s the Amazon synopsis:
Marina Thwaite, Danielle Minkoff and Julian Clarke were buddies at Brown, certain that they would soon do something important in the world. But as all near 30, Danielle is struggling as a TV documentary maker, and Julius is barely surviving financially as a freelance critic. Marina, the startlingly beautiful daughter of celebrated social activist, journalist and hob-nobber Murray Thwaite, is living with her parents on the Upper West Side, unable to finish her book”titled The Emperor’s Children Have No Clothes (on how changing fashions in children’s clothes mirror changes in society). Two arrivals upset the group stasis: Ludovic, a fiercely ambitious Aussie who woos Marina to gain entrée into society (meanwhile planning to destroy Murray’s reputation), and Murray’s nephew, Frederick “Bootie” Tubb, an immature, idealistic college dropout and autodidact who is determined to live the life of a New York intellectual. The group orbits around the post”September 11 city with disconcerting entitlement”and around Murray, who is, in a sense, the emperor. Messud, in her fourth novel, remains wickedly observant of pretensions”intellectual, sexual, class and gender. Her writing is so fluid, and her plot so cleverly constructed, that events seem inevitable, yet the narrative is ultimately surprising and masterful as a contemporary comedy of manners.
Clearly Knightley will play Thwaite and Bana will play either Minkoff or the Aussie Ludovic (he is from Oz himself, after all), which likely means another star will be added. The Wrap says Gere will have a supporting role and he’s probably not one of the characters mentioned above. It almost sounds like a continuation of the themes explored in “Kicking & Screaming,” with young erudite college students, but this is a similar group of privileged white people almost a decade later who seemingly haven’t lived up to their promise.
Apparently Ron Howard decided to direct the infidelity comedy with Vince Vaughn and Kevin James (“Paul Blart: Mall Cop” the upcoming Adam Sandler comedy, “Grown Ups”) tentatively titled , “Your Cheating Heart” instead.
Baumbach also has an adaptation of Curtis Sittenfeld’s “Prep” written for Paramount waiting in the wings as well and who knows, at this unexpected fast clip, that could be next. “Both those novels — ‘Emperor’s Children’ and ‘Prep’ — are really great and were really fun to adapt, because the voices were so particular and strong and it’s really enjoyable to work off something that’s already so solid,” Baumbach told us recently.
The Murray Thwaite character is basically described as Jeff Bridges, only more posh and intellectual, and less The Dude. If Gere gets all shaggy and professorial, he could pull it off well too. Murray is not so much "supporting" in the book, though, more of a main character.
Wish Whit Stillman had something to do with this. Seems like a perfect mixture between he and Baumbach's styles and themes.
I dunno if you saw my last Baumbach piece, the one linked to at the top, but I was essentially saying: If Wes helped out Baumbach when his career was floundering – and man, look it totally worked — can't the two of them do the same for Whit Stillman?
Clearly, they're both creatively indebted to the guy at least on some level.
That's my new campaign: Wes and Baumbach save Stillman. It's been far too long. One of these guys needs to pay it forward.
I did see that, and I totally agree. I know Baumbach tried to downplay the influence Metropolitan had on Kicking & Screaming, but come on. Throw the guy a bone. Maybe if Baumbach becomes a big enough name he can do it. I'll join your campaign! Tell me where to sign.
Where is Baumbach getting all this money to buy the rights to these novels? His movies haven't made any…Jennifer maybe?
Probably family money, but whatever, I'm just venting because I think he's overrated as a writer and, Squid aside, definitely as a director.
Baumbach didn't buy the rights, Image Entertainment did. He was hired to adapt it.
Ah, ok. Wonder how much a Baumbach adaptation goes for these days?
Everytime I see Richard Geres face I have the urge to punch something.
In this apocalyptic age, I'm ready for a fangs-out attack on the hermetic, self-congratulating children-of-the-NY-rich, with far more blood lust than Stillman seems able to muster. I'm getting a 'let them eat cake while I moon over my Belle and Sebastien-scored youth' vibe about this enclosed, insight-light scene, and it's about time somebody lanced this boil
emperor's children was a great novel. don't know if noah can summon the required gravitas or not. also, who is playing bootie?
as for the whit/wes connection
i was working the reception desk at a beverly-hills based prod co many years ago. whit stillman came in for a meeting and was flipping thru variety while he waited. He pointed to a 'for your consideration' ad for 'royal tenenbaums'. he said "this movie looks absolutely ridiculous"
lol, I kinda want to delete that comment only because i don't want anyone to ever see it. but I dunno, i still hope and pray they can rehabilitate his career, even if it's helping him get funding by sticking their names on the project as executive producers.
Think you mean "officially," not "officiously." (Every time I hear that word I think of Jack Torrance in The Shining–novel, not film–thinking, "Officious little prick" of the guy interviewing him for the Overlook job.)
Surprised by the skepticism toward Baumbach expressed in some of these comments (lacks gravitas? is this comment for real?). I just saw Greenberg, and I'm here to tell you it's a rich, mature, constantly surprising work.