The Director's Chair > Martin Scorsese

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

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MacGuffin:
Scorsese eyes 'Hugo' for next project
Helmer to reunite with 'Departed' producer King
Source: Variety

Martin Scorsese is eyeing a trip back in time to 1930s Paris.

The helmer is in talks with GK Films to direct Brian Selznick's best-selling children's book "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" for what he hopes will be his next project. Pic would reunite Scorsese with his "Departed" producer Graham King.

Story centers on a 12-year-old orphan named Hugo, who lives in a train station and must finish what his late father started by solving the mystery of a broken robot. Project would mark Scorsese's first foray into kid lit -- a genre that is attracting a number of high-profile directors including Wes Anderson ("The Fantastic Mr. Fox") and Spike Jonze ("Where the Wild Things Are"), whose films are resonating with adult audiences.

"Hugo," which won the Randolph Caldecott Medal in 2008 for the most distinguished American picture book for children, is a mammoth tome at 533 pages. More than half of the pages contain elaborate pictures that the New York Times described as looking like movie storyboard frames. "Ice Age" helmer Chris Wedge was previously attached to direct "Hugo Cabret," which was a long-running Times best-seller.

GK Films will independently produce the live-action feature and is in discussions with a number of studios including Sony and Paramount about distributing "Hugo Cabret." Currently on the fast track for a June 1 start in London, pic is also being produced by Scorsese, Tim Headington and Johnny Depp's production company Infinitum Nihil, which is run by Christi Dembrowski.

John Logan, who wrote Scorsese's "The Aviator," adapted the screenplay.

Gold Trumpet:

--- Quote from: MacGuffin on January 21, 2010, 07:37:24 PM ---John Logan, who wrote Scorsese's "The Aviator," adapted the screenplay.

--- End quote ---

I think this has been Scorsese's problem. He's allowing writers to carry over and define each of his decades. It was Nicholas Pileggi in the 90s and now it is John Logan and William Monahan in the 00s. It's easy to say his early career is better than his later career, but he's technically gotten better at directing as he has gotten older. A movie like After Hours would be more elaborate stylistically if it was made today, but the simple likelihood is that his early films (excluding After Hours and some others) are better because of the writers. Paul Schrader needs to come back and do more than adapt a limited novel for Scorsese (aka Bringing Out the Dead).

It's disappointing because I want to be excited, but if it's Aviator all over, I can only expect to like parts of the movie at best.

Alexandro:
Yes, but Logan doesn't have the personality of schrader or pileggi. I'm not familiar with the material but this is an odd and exciting choice for Scorsese, to say the least. Certainly more than the sinatra biopic. i doubt this will get actually get made with him as director though...

modage:
More Scorsese: 'Hugo Cabret' Not In 3D? Also Chats About Two More 'Down And Dirty Street Movies'
Source: ThePlaylist

Once you get Martin Scorsese going, the director is more than happy to talk about anything cinematic under the sun. Earlier today, we reported more details on the director's long gestating Sinatra biopic, but digging through the same interview with ShortList, there were a few more interesting nuggets that we overlooked.

Back in February, Variety casually mentioned that Scorsese's upcoming children's film, "Hugo Cabret" was going to be a "3D adaptation." While many assumed that meant Scorsese was jumping on the latest Hollywood bandwagon, when asked directly by ShortList if he would ever like to make a film in 3D the director answered: "I would like to. I’m very excited by 3D. I was always excited by 3D. I was 10 years old when the first 3D wave occurred in 1953. Why should we be limited? I mean, I’m seeing you and the space is real. Time isn’t real. Time is abstract. Space is real." He goes on to say that he would ideally only use 3D for "dramatic purposes – not just throwing spears at the audience." It certainly sounds like the director, who is usually very candid about his projects, isn't planning on shooting "Hugo Cabret" in 3D or visiting the format any time soon. So we're going to scratch that rumor for now.

But that's not all, adding to the growing list of projects on Scorsese's menu are two more, currently secret projects. ShortList asked the director if he would ever like to get to his roots and shoot a "low-budget, down-and-dirty street movie" and he replied, "Absolutely. I’m dying to. And there are two projects that I have in mind that way." Ever the tease, Scorsese said the can't really talk about them right now (probably because they are way too early in the game) but it's certainly exciting news, especially for those who haven't warmed to the director's bigger budgeted work of recent years.

Damn. That's two more features on top of "Hugo Cabret," the forthcoming Jesuit priest drama dream project "Silence," the mob hitman pic "The Irishman" aka "I Heard You Paint Houses" with Robert DeNiro and the still in development Frank Sinatra biopic. And let's not forget the handful of documentaries in various states of the completion that the director also has going on the side. We wish we had a quarter of his energy.

MacGuffin:
Kingsley, Baron Cohen Joining Scorsese
By MIKE FLEMING; Deadline Hollywood
 
EXCLUSIVE: Director Martin Scorsese is in talks with Sacha Baron Cohen and Ben Kingsley to star in The Invention of Hugo Cabret, the director's next film. Graham King's GK Films is financing and still working out distribution.

The film is based on Brian Selznick's childrens book, about the 12-year old title character, an orphan who lives in the walls of a Paris train station in 1930. I'm told that Baron Cohen will play the role of the station inspector.  Kingsley will play George Melies, the famous silent filmmaker who plays a pivotal role in the film.

Sir Ben just worked with Scorsese on  Shutter Island. Baron Cohen most recently starred in Bruno.

The book was originally acquired for Scorsese by Warner Bros and King right after The Departed rained Oscars.  John Logan wrote the script, but Scorsese stepped out. Ice Age's Chris Wedge jumped in, but exited to make another movie. Warner Bros put it into turnaround, but after Scorsese's plan to film Silence didn't come together, he rejoined the project.

King is considered likely to run the film through the overall distribution deal he made with the Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions deal he made last year.

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