Banderas To Dabble In The Dali Arts
By George 'El Guapo' Roush on November 06, 2008
News from the trades on Antonio's latest movie:

Antonio Banderas is in final negotiations to play Salvador Dali in the Simon West-helmed indie biopic "Dali."

Media 8 Entertainment ("Monster") is producing alongside West's shingle, which has been developing the project since 2003, when West optioned the feature film rights to Jeremy Walters' spec script for low- to mid-six figures.


Film will blend music with CGI sequences in an effort to capture the inventiveness and color of the painter. Story will explore how Dali conquered America and the world with sex, sin and surrealism only to succumb later to worldwide scandal and misfortune.


At least two other Dali biopics are in the works: Al Pacino is attached to play the artist in "Dali & I: The Surreal Story," with Andrew Niccol directing; and "Twilight's" Robert Pattinson stars as Dali in the upcoming "Little Ashes," which chronicles the young life and loves of the painter as well as filmmaker Luis Bunuel and writer Federico Garcia Lorca.


West is producing "Dali" alongside Jib Polhemus ("Lara Croft: Tomb Raider"). Media 8 is handling worldwide sales, with pre-sales beginning this week at the American Film Market.


Media 8 has already sold the film in Eastern Europe to Revolutionary Releasing, which is comprised of some of the territory's leading companies, including Monolith, Blitz, Bonton, Forum and MediaPro.


West added that the project will focus not only on Dali's outrageous lifestyle but his lifelong love affair with Gala, his wife, muse and manipulative manager.


Shooting is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2009 in Spain and England. The film will be an international co-production.


Source: The Trades
Comments

Commented By: Rico Suave on 2008-11-06 13:09:59
As a latino I find it deplorable that Hollywood still casts non-latinos in latin roles. Pacino is a great actor but his latin accents for Scar Face and Carlito's Way were beyond awful! This Pattinson dude will probably butcher the role and language also. Banderas is a great choice to play Dali.
Dali
Commented By: El Cucuy on 2008-11-06 17:15:16
I also think it's pretty fucked up when they consistently cast non latinos actors in latino roles but I think I've gotten over it. The truth is that in part it's the system's fault and also it's our fault as well. If latinos want to get more roles then there needs to be better latino actors to bust down this kind of accemptance in casting. I don't think it's right but thats the name of the game. Until we can get over that we're gonna keep getting cast by Whites, English, East Europeans and even New Zealanders! Thats a crazy one but that guy actually did a pretty good job (watch Blow and Training Day). Still as a side note, Dali himself claimed to identify more with his Middle Eatern roots than his Spanish one's, go figure.