Danny Boyle

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Danny Boyle mum on Asia for next film
'Slumdog' director keeps quiet on first of three-pic deal
Source: Hollywood Reporter

SHANGHAI -- Danny Boyle won't say whether his next film will be in Asia or take on an Asian angle, but the "Slumdog Millionaire" director seems to be whooping it up on his first visit to China as much as he did in India.

Boyle, who has not previously seen festival jury duty, said he accepted Shanghai's invitation to be president of its competition jury because "Slumdog Millionaire" was allowed to be widely released in China.

"I feel it as a courtesy and a responsibility," he said. "Also, the world is obsessed with this city and on a personal level I wanted to come and see."

During the festival he has been energetic, accessible and, despite seeing three films per day, has often been spotted hanging out in the lobby of the adjacent hotel.

Boyle describes the jury process as "valuable, because we are helping to build profile and careers," but he admits to being "concerned about not being too bossy. All directors have a tendency to be bossy."

So far, he has also managed to kept quiet about his next project which will come under a recent three-picture deal with Fox Searchlight and Pathe. While they have optioned rights to Suketu Mehta's "Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found," a book that also served as a reference while shooting "Slumdog," Boyle said that will not be first up.

"I'm looking forward to going back to Bombay, what a great place for a thriller, it has so many elements," he said.

Nor is Boyle put off by the tumultuous reactions within India to his picture or the media circus that has surrounded the film's treatment of the child actors. "We'll use some of it in the next pictures," he said. We've made a lot of decisions (about trusts and 10-year education plans for the kids) which we'll stick to."

En route to China's business capital he stopped off in Beijing and Hong Kong, where he met up with an old pal from school. "I've just seen three amazing Asian cities," he said. "There's an appetite for cinema in Asia that Hollywood doesn't recognize yet," he said while discussing the region's onscreen talent.

On Tuesday, Boyle and fellow jurors took time out from the screening rooms to visit the filming of period actioner "Bodyguards and Assassins," shooting an hour outside the city on a backlot where Hong Kong's Central district, circa 1905, has been rebuilt on a full scale. "The scale and ambition on display were amazing. This (set) could be the difference between getting a film made or not," he said.

Boyle said he has been little changed by "Slumdog" bandwagon. "It seems to have changed everyone else, I continue in the same vein," he said. "I was lucky to have a success. And I continue to aim to be ambitious, to promise myself 'don't be careful,' and to enjoy a spirit of recklessness."

As to the films seen he and the jury have seen at the halfway mark: "Quality simply surges out."

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Boyle, Searchlight Firm Mountaineer Tale
Source: Variety

Fox Searchlight and Danny Boyle have firmed plans to make their next collaboration "127 Hours," a film that tells the story of mountaineer Aron Ralston.

After his right forearm got pinned for nearly five days under a boulder during a climb in Utah in May, 2003, Ralston used a dull knife to amputate the limb. He then scaled a 65-foot sheer wall and hiked out before running into a family that gave him water and food. He was finally rescued by helicopter.

Boyle will direct the film, with production to begin next year for a late 2010 release. Pic is financed and distributed by Searchlight in partnership with Pathe.

The film reteams the financiers and also the creative team behind "Slumdog Millionaire," which won eight Oscars. 

Boyle has written a treatment, and Simon Beaufoy is in talks to write the script, and Christian Colson will produce. Pic marks Boyle's fifth collaboration with Fox Searchlight, following "Slumdog Millionaire" (which the distributor picked up from Warner Bros.), "Sunshine," "28 Days Later" and "Millions." Boyle directed "A Life Less Ordinary" and "The Beach" at 20th.

He's repped by WME.

Boyle is now looking for an actor to play Ralston, a plum job considering the character is alone for most of the film, much the way that Tom Hanks was during "Cast Away." Ryan Gosling had been rumored to be in contention, but sources said nobody is set at this point.

[squints]

This could be great. It feels like the coen's To the White Sea or the part that we didn't see of ddl crawling back to camp from the gold mine in TWBB. Like, i wish the coens or pta were doing this but i have absolute faith in Boyle even though i absolutely did not like slumdog. hopefully this a return to form.

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Franco to Star in Boyle's 127 Hours
Source: Production Weekly

James Franco ("Spider-Man" films) will star in Fox Searchlight Pictures' 127 Hours, to be directed by Oscar winner Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire).

The film tells the story of mountaineer Aron Ralston, whose right forearm got pinned for nearly five days under a boulder during a climb in Utah in May 2003. He used a dull knife to amputate the limb, then scaled a 65-foot sheer wall and hiked out before running into a family that gave him water and food.

Filming is set to begin early March in Utah.

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'Slumdog' director to stage 'Frankenstein'
Source: AP

LONDON - "Slumdog Millionaire" director Danny Boyle is lined up to mount a stage adaptation of "Frankenstein" at Britain's National Theatre.

The theater announced the production Thursday as part of its 2010-2011 schedule.

Boyle got his start in theater in Scotland before making films including "Trainspotting" and "28 Days Later." He won a best-director Academy Award for "Slumdog," one of the movie's eight Oscars.

The play, adapted from Mary Shelly's Gothic horror story, will be staged late this year or early in 2011.

Other new productions announced by the National include a production of "Twelfth Night" with Peter Hall directing his daughter Rebecca Hall, and a series of events next year to mark the 400th anniversary of the King James version of the Bible.

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Danny Boyle lined up to direct 2012 Olympics opening ceremony
Source: The Independent

When the Chinese film director Zhang Yimou was enlisted to orchestrate the inaugural ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, the world waited with excitement and later praised the breathtaking results.

Now, Britain appears to have adopted China's tried and tested method, as speculation mounted yesterday over the claim that the Oscar-winning British film director Danny Boyle would be overseeing the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Organisers are believed to have approached Boyle, who directed the international box-office hit Slumdog Millionaire, to direct the opening ceremony, which will take place at the newly constructed Olympic stadium in Stratford.

Ever since the spectacular opening of the Beijing Olympics in 2008, directed by Yimou, British organisers have hoped to emulate it with their own production in two years' time.

A spokeswoman from the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Locog) said she could not confirm Boyle's involvement, or the rumour that organisers were in logistical talks with him.

She added that no contracts had yet been signed and that they were in talks with a number of people about availability. "A lot of talented people would like to be involved that may have other commitments," she said.

However, there is a mounting belief that Boyle is seen as the answer to organisers' dreams. An unnamed senior source was quoted as saying: "We want the most imaginative ceremony the world has ever seen".

Another insider added: "Nothing has been signed yet, but we do fully expect him [Boyle] to do it."

Boyle, 53, has spoken of his admiration for the Games in the past and issued no denial over this latest claim. The director, who lives near the site of the Games in east London, praised the competition. "It feels like it's a project that will bed itself in the East End and do a lot of good," he said.

When asked if he had been approached by Locog, he reportedly answered: "I can't say any more. It would be lovely, wouldn't it?"

Many see Slumdog Millionaire, which was set in Mumbai, as proof of his ability to bridge cultures, which would help to portray Britain as an open, diverse society in 2012.

The film dramatised the transformation of a poverty-stricken Mumbai boy by the Indian adaptation of the television quiz show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and was described by critics as "visually astonishing".

However, it is a moot point whether London can match the immense scale of the inaugural ceremony in Beijing. London's ceremony is expected to attract a live audience of about 80,000 and be seen around the world on television.

Meanwhile, further speculation is growing over whether the 13-strong acrobatics group Spellbound – who won the reality television competition Britain's Got Talent on Saturday night – will also be involved in the opening ceremony of the Games.

[Pubrick]

i have no doubt he can do a good job, he's a workaholic and always gets things done, but it's kinda sad that Britain looked up its big list of local directors and DANNY BOYLE was the best they could find that would compete with EPIC specialists like Yimou (and Spielberg before he pulled out).

i bet they wish David Lean was still around.. i can't even think of any living british director who is used to grand cinematic set pieces on an epic scale.

maybe nolan.

[Ravi]

http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/07/13/early-buzz-danny-boyles-127-hours/

Early Buzz: Danny Boyle's 127 Hours
Posted on Tuesday, July 13th, 2010 by Russ Fischer

We've got some brief news about Danny Boyle's film 127 Hours, which is in post-production now, and some very good early buzz to deliver. The news is casting-related — thanks to the official film synopsis from Fox Searchlight (reproduced after the break) we know that Clémence Poésy from In Bruges is playing the girlfriend of mountain climber Aaron Ralston (James Franco). Previously, we'd heard that Amber Tamblyn had the role, but she instead plays another hiker.

Beyond that, some reports have surfaced from the first test screening, and they are overwhelmingly positive. Keep in mind that these reports are based on a version of the film that is not finished — the sound, music and FX were are not done, and the edit will almost certainly change — but if the basic impressions can apply to the finished cut, 127 Hours may be a very interesting picture when released this coming winter.

From The Film Stage comes one reaction:

In telling the true story of a climber who is forced to amputate his arm after being trapped for five days, Boyle and James Franco certainly do a lot with a little. The cinematography by Boyle regular Anthony Dod Mantle and Enrique Chediak is beautiful and inventive. The score by Slumdog Millionaire composer A.R Rahman is strong as are a few well selected pop songs. The presence of supporting players is kept to a minimum as Franco aptly commandeers what is essentially a one man movie. The intensity of his situation is tempered by a good sense of humor, including a wonderful reference to Scorsese's The King of Comedy.

A selection of short comments culled from Facebook and IMDB is also available, and they collectively praise the performance of James Franco, the choices made by Danny Boyle and the work of his paired cinematographers. The intensity and claustrophobia of the film come up, as does the fact that Franco holds most of the movie on his own, split between footage that shows him trapped by a boulder, and footage that Franco, as Ralston, "shoots" of himself talking to his camera.

Don't put too much weight on any qualitative analysis of the film at this point, but the early word is certainly encouraging. We've been quite interested in the film since it was announced, and reports suggest that Danny Boyle and his cast and crew may live up to the potential inherent in the story.

The official synopsis:

127 HOURS is the true story of mountain climber Aron Ralston's (James Franco) remarkable adventure to save himself after a fallen boulder crashes on his arm and traps him in an isolated canyon in Utah. Over the next five days Ralston examines his life and survives the elements to finally discover he has the courage and the wherewithal to extricate himself by any means necessary, scale a 65 foot wall and hike over eight miles before he is finally rescued. Throughout his journey, Ralston recalls friends, lovers (Clemence Poesy), family, and the two hikers (Amber Tamblyn and Kate Mara) he met before his accident. Will they be the last two people he ever had the chance to meet? A visceral thrilling story that will take an audience on a never before experienced journey and prove what we can do when we choose life.

Read more: Early Buzz: Danny Boyle's 127 Hours | /Film http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/07/13/early-buzz-danny-boyles-127-hours/#ixzz0xOXiG700

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Danny Boyle Will Return To Direct The '28 Days Later' Franchise; Alex Garland Says The Franchise Is "Frozen"
Source: The Playlist

With Rights Issues Pardon our old banner image, yes, we realize the next installment of the "28 Days Later" series will not be called, "28 Months Later." Danny Boyle's on-again, off-again flirtation with directing this third film (an unknown title that Boyle hasn't revealed), is apparently back on again. In 2008, our last update, he said, "I mean, it's absolutely not written yet, but there's a prospect of an idea and the way these ideas start is you just suddenly get a little glimpse." In 2007, Boyle told MTV that yes, he really thought directing the film would be a possibility. Then he said the same in September of 2008. Then in October, it looked like Boyle would again hand over the reigns to another director like his did with, "28 Weeks Later," and just deliver the idea and executive-produce again. Then in November 2008, he once again said, "I'd certainly like to [direct it again]. "I feel the idea is quite a strong idea, and it could well involve directing it. Yeah, absolutely." Now DreadCentral are boasting a pretty benign "exclusive" that touts nothing other than the fact that Boyle is "planning to return to direct" the picture with no other details. We'd love to see it, but frankly, we'll believe it when we see it. At this point in Boyle's career —an Academy Award winning director for "Slumdog Millionaire" with another nomination for "127 Hours" on the way —it seems like he has bigger fish to fry rather than return to a series in a genre he has already tackled. Fairly omnivorous in taste, unless the scope is gigantic... well, we'll believe it when we see it is our take on all this. As for the 2nd installment, "28 Weeks Later" it doesn't break a lot of new ground, but it is entertaining and a if you want to see some up-and-coming actors before they became stars --Jeremy Renner, Rose Byrne, and a very early Imogen Poots appearance, who yes is not a star yet, but will be --you could do a lot worse. An interesting update by way of a reader (thanks for the fyi). Apparently just last week, screenwriter Alex Garland commented on this proposed third film and he said it's in a tangle of rights issues at the moment. "When we made '28 Days Later,' the rights were frozen between a group of people who are no longer talking to each other. And so, the film is never going to happen unless those people start talking to each other again. There is no script as far as I'm aware." Maybe something changed very recently?

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Danny Boyle To Squeeze In 'Trance' Before Summer Olympics
BY MIKE FLEMING | Deadline

EXCLUSIVE: Director Danny Boyle will follow his Oscar-nominated 127 Hours with Trance, a thriller that will shoot in London this September. I'm told it's an art heist gone wrong, and it's got the dark, sexy, hard-edged tone of Boyle films like Shallow Grave and Trainspotting. The film reunites Boyle with his 127 Hours and Slumdog Millionaire producing partner Christian Colson, and they are in talks with Fox Searchlight and Pathe for funding and worldwide distribution. It wasn't clear whether Boyle would make a film before directing the opening ceremonies of next summer's Olympics in London. Here's how he'll handle it. The film will be shot in September --Boyle and Colson have begun talking up British and U.S. talent --and after the film's shooting is completed, Boyle will put it on a shelf. He'll devote himself exclusively to the Olympics beginning next January. Next August, he'll return to the film, and cut it with the anticipation that Trance will be ready for theatrical distribution in March 2013. The film will be in the mid-teen-budget range, which has proven to be Boyle's wheelhouse. Slumdog Millionaire cost $15 million, while 127 Hours cost $18 million. Those films grossed $450 million or so between them. Boyle's repped by WME and UK-based Independent Talent.

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Danny Boyle to Direct Feature Adaptation of 'Smash and Grab' Documentary (EXCLUSIVE)
Fox Searchlight and Pathe will co-finance
Source: Variety

Danny Boyle seems to enjoy the heist genre as he is attached to direct a feature adaptation of the documentary "Smash and Grab: The Story of the Pink Panthers" for Pathe and Fox Searchlight.
 
Pathe and Fox Searchlight will co-finance the movie with Boyle's longtime producing partner Christian Colson, who will produce through his Cloud Eight Films banner.

The documentary, released this past summer, revolves around the world's most successful diamond thieves who take the audience into the dark world of the international jewel trade. The footage for the doc was captured using real-life surveillance footage as well as interviews with several of the gang.

Boyle most recently directed "Trance," which dealt with the heist of a famous painting and has since been looking for his next project. There were rumors that Warner Bros. was interested in Boyle for "American Sniper" before putting Clint Eastwood on it.

Sources say Boyle saw "Smash and Grab" and became very interested in turning it into a movie, which led his long-time distributor making a push to come on board. Searchlight has been home to most of Boyle's films going back to "28 Days Later" so it makes sense that the film landed here.

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Danny Boyle in Talks to Direct Steve Jobs Movie, Leonardo DiCaprio Eyed to Star (Exclusive)
"The Beach" director is said to want to reteam with DiCaprio on the Aaron Sorkin-penned biopic of the iconic Apple co-founder.

Moving fast to replace David Fincher on its highly anticipated Steve Jobs movie, Sony Pictures is in talks with Danny Boyle to direct the biopic of the late Apple Computer co-founder. Boyle is said to have approached Leonardo DiCaprio to star.

As The Hollywood Reporter revealed earlier this month, Fincher fell out of the project due to his aggressive demands for compensation and control. Fincher had wanted Christian Bale for the title role, though the actor was not signed.

The film is to be produced by Scott Rudin and written by Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network), based on the best-selling biography of Jobs by Walter Isaacson. Film 360's Guymon Casady and Mark Gordon are also producers on the film.

The Jobs film could mark a reteaming of DiCaprio and Boyle, the star and director, respectively, of 2000's The Beach. Neither has previously worked with Sorkin.

Sources caution that deals are not done. And DiCaprio has committed to star in Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's thriller The Revenant for New Regency starting in September. 

The departure of Fincher dashed hopes of reuniting the team behind Social Network, which grossed $225 million worldwide in 2010.