When Bill Condon decided to take the “Twilight: Breaking Dawn” directorial gig, we had to ask, what did that mean for “Salmon Fishing In Yemen,” the script penned by “Slumdog Millionaire” writer Simon Beaufoy and such a good one that it made the 2009 Brit List (the U.K. equivalent of the Blacklist)?
Well, we’ve received our answer. Condon has moved on and Lasse Hallström is now in the directors chair. Oh yeah, and according to THR there’s already a cast attached which includes Ewan McGregor, Emily Blunt, and Kristin Scott Thomas. Not too shabby, Condon can keep his tween vampires.
Now, if this were 1993 and “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” had just come out we’d be even more excited. Hallström’s 1985 pic, “My Life As A Dog” (Criterion Collection approved), is another favorite, but man, it’s been hard times for the director quality wise since 2000’s “Chocolat” (which you’ll be totally excused if you think it’s intolerable). Almost every work since then has been incredibly heavy handed and treacly (which made him a weepy Academy fave with “The Cider House Rules”), but we suppose we’re always rooting for a former auteur to get his mojo back (let’s not forget the Swedish director is known more for “Dear John” than his well-emotionally balanced early work).
The gist of this one? It’s the adaptation of Paul Torday’s bestselling novel, about a henpecked civil servant sent to, yes, introduce salmon to the Yemen. It’s also an experimental tome told entirely in e-mails, letters and interviews. THR doesn’t say who plays who, but they make us shudder when they describe it as a “rom-com,” because frankly, we thought it was something entirely different.
Also, this picture would be tremendously more exciting if it were 1996 and Ewan McGregor was just coming off “Trainspotting,” and dazzling us a potentially amazing leading man and hadn’t yet trainwrecked his career with the “Star Wars” prequels, booze and bad casting choices.
But again, we have a soft spot for the guy even though he’s butchered the last few roles he’s been in (here’s hoping Steven Soderbergh makes something out of him in the action thriller, “Knockout”). Anyone have a time machine out there?
Lionsgate U.K. and BBC Films are partnering to make this one happen and Lionsgate Int. is trying to sell this one to buyers at Cannes which sorta screams to us, “this is a tentative package” as in, not all the actors are 100% committed, but we’ll see.
So, what does this mean for the sex-change drama, “The Danish Girl” that Hallström took over from Tomas Alfredson (“Let The Right One In”), once set to star Nicole Kidman and Gwyneth Paltrow (Paltrow dropped out recently)? Last we heard, there was Production Weekly call sheets out there for a May start, but the Goop actress’ exit may have further delayed the project (feel free to send us info, we’re interested).
We guess this probably also means that Hallström’s “My American Lover” with Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis has to wait too, but with Depp’s hectic, tentpole-friendly schedule, it’s likely a few years away, regardless. Glibness aside about some of the talent’s recent work, we’re thankful. At least someone’s funding these kinds of pictures…