Update (09/06): Coming Soon report that Fassbender has officially signed on to the project.
“Jane Got a Gun,” the small-scale western starring Natalie Portman that recently attached “We Need to Talk About Kevin” filmmaker Lynne Ramsay as a director, could be getting some added firepower in the form of a white hot leading man, sex addict and occasional robot (in the movies, at least) Michael Fassbender. Vulture reports that the actor is in early talks for the film, which could start lensing early next year.
A member of the coveted Hollywood Black List, the script by Brian Duffield concerns a woman (Portman) who reaches out to a hard-ass ex-lover (the role Fassbender would play) after her outlaw husband is left for dead. The bulk of the movie would have Portman and Fassbender defending her home against her husband’s marauding ex-partners as they come back to finish what they started. Even with a tiny budget (under $20 million) and Ramsay’s occasionally obtusely arty directorial style, this sounds like it could be ridiculously cool.
As the Vulture report notes, the film is being financed by Portman’s handsomecharlie films production shingle, which in turn is backed by 1821, an outfit that also backed the Richard Kelly/Cameron Diaz vehicle “The Box,” which despite having the infamous distinction of the only movie in history to receive an F from Cinemascore, is a pretty interesting and argumentatively weird little thriller. We expect similar strangeness from “Jane Got a Gun,” especially after Ramsay’s triumphant return to the big screen with last year’s profound (and profoundly disturbing) “We Need to Talk About Kevin.” After a nearly ten year absence between ‘Kevin’ and her previous film “Morvern Callar,” the idea that we’ll be getting Ramsay films at regular intervals tickles us to no end.
While Fassbender hasn’t signed on the dotted line, Vulture is reporting that he is incredibly close. The actor is currently filming Cormac McCarthy‘s “The Counselor” for his “Prometheus” director Ridley Scott, which recently suspended production for a week while Ridley dealt with the tragic suicide of his brother, Tony Scott. Ramsay had previously said that she wanted to tackle a sci-fi retelling of “Moby Dick” next, but that will undoubtedly follow “Jane Got A Gun.” Hey, if Portman could make a hit out of “Black Swan,” maybe she could do it for a gritty low budget western, too, which would certainly enable Ramsay’s more ambitious and complex “Moby Dick” project.
Ugh. Apparently this is a false report.
There is nothing about that headline that's not exciting.
Will Brad Pitt trying to buy himself another cameo in THIS movie as well. Seems to me he's following Fassbender around these days trying to cash in on his star power.
Whoa I follow Duffield on twitter!!!!!!!
@Chris i understand films like Jonah Hex, Centurion but you can hardly say Hunger, Shame, Inglorious Basterds, Haywire, Prometheus are bad choices…come on. I will give you that Gosling is amazing at selecting projects (Drive, Blue Valentine, Crazy Stupid Love, Ides of March). Hardy with TDKR, Warrior, Tinker Tailor and Lawless is getting some good ones in the bag too. Although I wouldn't say JGL is good as these guys, he's been in some good films.
@RXXB this could be quite interesting given Ramsay's approach, especially in a Western setting. Add on Fassy and Portman and I'm in…as long as its executed well.
Also, since when is "under 20 million" low fucking budget you fucks? It's a BIG stretch to call something like Beasts of the Southern Wild, which cost .5mil, "low budget." You guys are fucking obnoxious as all get out, and have ZERO taste. The only reason I read this infuriating site non-stop is because I like the simple layout and near constant stream of relevant film news. As for the copy itself, it is garbage, almost no one on the staff can write — or spell (just fucking saying) — your opinions are never well argued, nor do they hew to anything resembling logic or intelligence: their only ordering value is LACK OF TASTE amd JUDGEMENT
"…this sounds like it could be ridiculously cool." This sounds incredibly, agonizingly flat. Haven't we seen enough of this kind of stuff? 3:10 to Yuma, Straw Dogs, etc. It's lame. Good for the length of its runtime, if that (in the case of 3TY, not even). Ramsay and Fassbender are the only reasons this is remotely worth keeping tabs on, while the schematic, played-out-decades-ago premise is cause for deep lament at the state of cinema — in which the number of filmmakers trying to get in touch with something sublime and really cinematic can practically be counted on one hand. FUCK
I think Fassbender is bad a choosing projects. Look at Gosling, Hardy, Gordon-Levitt – they're better at choosing more wisely. Fassbender is better than most of the stuff he is in.
After that bullshit Assassin's Creed announcement and reading The Counselor script (awful & a terrible lead character), I was getting nervous about Fassbender's judgement and career goals. This project, however, sounds incredibly interesting and a perfect fit for him.