Slowly coming together over the last 10 months or so, it looks like the Elmore Leonard adaptation, “Freaky Dreaky,” is finally moving full steam ahead. The project first started picking up steam during TIFF last year when William H. Macy signed to the film. A number of names then followed, rumored to be circling the project, but not until now has the full crew for the twisty crime tale been assembled.
Variety reports that Matt Dillon, Brendan Fraser and Craig Robinson have all come aboard joining the aforementioned Macy. The plot centers on an ex-couple with radical politics who reunite to trick Woody Ricks (Macy), alcoholic hard-partying movie mogul out of his money for a score worth millions, while Chris Mankowski, a cop with bomb squad experience (Dillon), tries to take them down. Fraser will play the activist Skip Gibbs, a pyrotechnics and demolitions expert with Robinson in the role of former Black Panther Donnell Lewis, who is Woody’s assistant. But there’s one big question mark here.
What happened to Sienna Miller? We confirmed with her reps just days ago she was attached in the female lead role, but the trade says casting is still ongoing for the part. Guess we’ll find out what happened soon enough but perhaps scheduling was an issue. This one is moving fast with summer shoot in Michigan in the works and with good reason since Robinson will have to head back to “The Office” in the fall.
Charles Matthau—son of Walter Matthau—is set to direct the film and in case you missed it, here’s the official synopsis:
Former radical ROBIN has had it trying to make it as a romance novelist and tracks down her old partner in crime, movie special effects man SKIP for one last score.
Their target: wealthy and alcoholic WOODY, who Robin blames for sending her to prison.
But Robin isn’t the only one after Woody. He’s recently made an enemy of CHRIS, a cop who was suspended for investigating Woody on a shaky “rape” charge. Woody’s nursemaid and former Black Panther DONNELL, who’s been trying to get into Woody’s will, also wants in on the action.
Bringing to life many of Elmore Leonard’s greatest characters and featuring all of his trademark menace, razor sharp dialogue and deadpan humor, FREAKY DEAKY is a funny, sexy and dangerous look at the dark side of the 1970’s that ends just like it begins – with a bang.