After a long absence, I've finally reached a very great prospect for my return to the recast fold.
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Deciding that they want to solely return to family-friendly material, Disney folds their Touchstone Pictures imprint and solely lets DreamWorks be on its own.
Meanwhile, the Touchstone library ends up in limbo until Alexander Payne eyes a specific film in their catalog ripe for remaking at Fox Searchlight, which he'll follow up his long-awaited next project, The Descendants, with.
RutHLe$s
People
Written by Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor
Based on the screenplay by Dale Hauser, inspired by the short story The Ransom of Red Chief by O. Henry
Directed by Alexander Payne
Paul Giamatti as Sam Stone
Melissa McCarthy as Barbara Stone
Jason Segel as Ken Kessler
Christina Hendricks as Carol Dodsworth
Michelle Williams as Sandy Kessler
Kurtwood Smith as Chief Henry Benton
Wendell Pierce as Lt. Bender
Dermot Mulroney as Lt. Walters
with Thomas Haden Church as The Bedroom Killer
and Chris Pine as Earl Mott
A few notes: The property almost ended up at Universal with Ben Stiller directing and Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr. eyed for the role of Sam.
Reese Witherspoon was considered for the role of Barbara Stone.
James Franco was originally sought after to play Ken, but had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts. Chris Evans, Bill Hader, Ben Foster, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Armie Hammer were also considered for the role.
Payne originally sought Matthew Broderick, his Election co-star, as Chief Benton, but had to bow out. Instead, Kurtwood Smith, Payne's Citizen Ruth co-star who was much older than Broderick, took the role.
Evans and Foster, as well as James Franco, were considered to play Earl Mott; Payne wanted to have a fairly known name play the small but important role.
Edited by HunterTarantino - 6/28/11 at 9:24pm
