Ron Howard

[jasper_window]

Does anyone know of the chances of Parenthood being released, hopefully with a nice 2 disc special edition?  Great movei.

[MacGuffin]

Howard Takes Flight with EAGLE
Story centers on Hernando Cortez and the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs in 16th century Mexico.
Source: FilmStew.com

Oscar-winning helmer Ron Howard is heading back to 1500s Mexico for the epic The Serpent and the Eagle for Paramount Pictures. Brian Grazer, Howard's partner in Imagine Entertainment, will produce the project.

In a deal worth a near $2 million, the studio has brought on Brian Helgeland to rewrite a script originally penned by Hans Beimier and Robert Wolfe. Focusing on the Spanish conquest of Mexico, the story more specifically centers on conqueror Hernando Cortez and how he worked with an Aztec princess-turned-slave to dominate the native tribe.

The project was originally set up at Universal for Howard after he left The Alamo, which was later helmed by John Lee Hancock. Still interested in Mexican history, Imagine then picked up the Beimier/Wolfe script.

Donald De Line and Alli Shearmur will oversee the project's development and production for Paramount, with David Bernardi shepherding for Imagine.

[MacGuffin]

Crowe & Howard Crack Open DUFF

Russell Crowe and Ron Howard, who recently teamed on the upcoming boxing drama Cinderella Man, may get back together for the Universal drama The Power of Duff. Universal picked up the spec script for $900,000 against $1.25 million earlier this month, and DreamWorks will serve as a co-production partner on the film. Crowe has begun negotiations to star, while Howard is negotiating to go behind the camera.

Penned by Stephen Belber, Duff would star Crowe as a local newscaster who is absolutely devastated by the death of his father. His grief leads him to start praying during his newscasts, and when his prayers begin getting answered, he becomes one of the nation's most highly controversial television figures.

Marc Platt, who originally brought the script into Universal, will produce with Brian Grazer, Howard's producing partner in Imagine Entertainment. There is no start date for the project as of yet. Howard is busy working with Tom Hanks on an adaptation of The Da Vinci Code, which Sony will release on May 19, 2006.

[Ultrahip]

Howard should definitely hire or at least consult Dan Castellanata (sp!) for this thing.

Also, Parenthood is terrible. Magnolia lite, decaf, dickless.

[Fernando]

The Heavyweight.
He's an Oscar-winning director, but gets flak for being a softie. With 'Cinderella Man,' it's time to rethink Ron Howard.

By Devin Gordon
Newsweek

May 2 issue - Many directors have said it's a pleasure working with the famously mercurial Russell Crowe. Ron Howard is not one of them. "Directing Russell is like shooting on a tropical island," he says. "The weather is going to change several times a day, but you're shooting there for a reason. Sometimes those dark clouds are just what you need. And sometimes"—he laughs—"you wish it would stop raining so you can do the sunny scene." Still, Howard insists that he adores Crowe, and if he's lying, he must be a masochist. The men are already planning a third collaboration even though their second, "Cinderella Man," the true story of boxer Jim Braddock's improbable rise to glory during the Depression, doesn't open until June. It's a curious pairing. Howard, 51, is known as one of the most genial guys in Hollywood; Crowe is not. But it works. Crowe gets a director unfazed by his Vesuvian blasts and unintimidated by his talent. And Howard gets from the actor something that his movies, even the very good ones, have often needed: an edge.

To date, Ron Howard has made 17 films—a diverse portfolio of thrillers, dramas, comedies and zero sequels—that have grossed more than $1.3 billion in the United States alone. His fee is about $10 million per movie, which is just down the street from Mr. Spielberg's neighborhood. He's an Oscar winner (for 2002's "A Beautiful Mind," his first film with Crowe) and a two-time Directors Guild award winner. But among critics, cineastes and even some in Hollywood, he can't seem to shake his rep as a cruiserweight—one division shy of the big guns, more artisan than artist. "It's a bummer that it doesn't compute the way it should," says Brian Grazer, Howard's longtime producer at Imagine Entertainment. "There are many directors who get fussed over a lot more than Ron and who have had significantly less impact. But he's just such a no-fuss guy. He doesn't wear all black clothes. He's not Paul Thomas Anderson—he doesn't have three names. Maybe he should." "Cinderella Man," which costars Renee Zellweger, who won an Oscar for "Cold Mountain," and Paul Giamatti, whom we're prepared to nominate right now for his supporting role as Braddock's corner man, is a vintage Ron Howard film. Make that a vintage Ron William Howard film: a humble crowd-pleaser with more intensity and elegance than at first appears. Just like the guy who made it.

Full article here.

[SHAFTR]

The Heavyweight.
He's an Oscar-winning director, but gets flak for being a softie. With 'Cinderella Man,' it's time to rethink Ron Howard.

I guess Cinderella Man won out over "Peter Pan Boy"

[Pubrick]

The Heavyweight.
He's an Oscar-winning director, but gets flak for being a softie. With 'Cinderella Man,' it's time to rethink Ron Howard.

By Devin Gordon
Newsweek

Howard gets from the actor something that his movies, even the very good ones, have often needed: an edge.

"It's a bummer that it doesn't compute the way it should," says Brian Grazer, Howard's longtime producer at Imagine Entertainment. "There are many directors who get fussed over a lot more than Ron and who have had significantly less impact. But he's just such a no-fuss guy. He doesn't wear all black clothes. He's not Paul Thomas Anderson—he doesn't have three names. Maybe he should.".

that makes me sick. that is typical ron howard thinking: "hey why doesn't everyone love me! all my friends love me? i'm using up my $10million paycheck to get liza minelli to love me! why isn't everyone saying YES TO ME??!!!"

he surrounds himself with yes-men and can't accept that sum ppl see through that shit. yes, this is about Arrested Development, the show is overrated exactly because of the hype. thank god it's going to be cancelled and thank god he is still pining for the elusive "formula" that will gain him a place among the gods. it's not always who u know, ronny.

[Gamblour.]

Watch that Arrested Development blasphemy, bite your tongue. What is overrated about it?

[Pubrick]

it's no curb.

[Ravi]

Well, if you don't like it, you don't like it.

[Pubrick]

Well, if you don't like it, you don't like it.

yep. that observation is totally consistent with the post i just linked to.  

anyway my main point was the obvious flaw in brian grazer/ron howard's mentality. that's what i was getting at..

[Fernando]

that makes me sick. that is typical ron howard thinking: "hey why doesn't everyone love me! all my friends love me? i'm using up my $10million paycheck to get liza minelli to love me! why isn't everyone saying YES TO ME??!!!"

he surrounds himself with yes-men and can't accept that sum ppl see through that shit.

Exactly, they realized winning an oscar didn't do much in that department, I guess cause their flims are never mentioned by their pears among the best thing to come out since the last one; they must get over the fact that they'll never hear David Lynch (a two name director nonetheless!) or some other major player say: Ronny's awesome, he has influenced my work deeply, he tha bomb!

[Alethia]

instead, pt anderson refers to him as "little ronny howard" in an interview right after his oscar win...shitty...ha

[Redlum]

If Ron Howard made his films in the fifties he would be beloved right now. But I guess there is just something about his films, a lot of which I really like, which stop him from being a big player. I watched The Paper for the first time recently and it was really enjoyable. In fact (although I suppose it could be said for most 'newspaper' films) the dialogue was very Hawks-like, particularly Michael Keatons telephone scenes.

I'm glad he's doing his thing, though and that hes got his leading man - it is an interesting combo. However, although I really enjoyed Seabiscuit, I hope Cinderella Man offers something different and more substantial than the trailer suggests.

[Ravi]

Howard is what could be considered a "solid" director.  He doesn't have any particular vision or style, but he can be depended upon to direct his films with simple clarity.