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Yet another Spielberg project: "The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara"


mrbellamy

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Dreamworks has partnered with The Weinstein Co. to adapt the David Kertzer novel The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara as a religious period drama.

Steven Spielberg and screenwriter Tony Kushner, who worked on Lincoln and Munich together, are looking to reteam for the film.

Kushner was brought on board to adapt the project back in 2008, but switched his focus to Lincoln when Spielberg decided to make the Oscar-nominated film his next project. This project is being made with Spielberg in mind to direct, but it's not likely to be his next project. His other options include Fox's sci-fi tentpole Robopocalypse, and the ambitious Aztec drama Montezuma.

Kertzer's novel, which came out in 2008, tells the tale of a 6-year-old Jewish boy who, in 1858, was seized by the police and removed from his parents' home. He was raised as a Catholic and became a priest in the Augustinian order.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/steven-spielberg-weinstein-adapt-kidnapping-697454

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Interesting... Let's just hope that when Scorsese's Silence is released, Steven doesn't get too discouraged about his own pic.

I'd personally prefer if he took Moctezuma over Robo, I fear the latter will end up sounding too much like WOTW -which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but Moctezuma offers something new to Williams, and if the script is by Trumbo is so ideal for Johnny. He tends to "get" that kind of old-school films more than anyone else.

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  • 1 year later...

Spielberg to film 'The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara' in between Ready Player One and Indiana Jones 5.

 

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Tony Kushner, who worked on Spielberg’s Lincoln and Munich, wrote the script adapting the David Kertzer novel, which has been in development with the filmmaker since 2008.

 

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Mark Rylance will star as Pope Pius IX.

 

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Sources say the filmmaker is looking to shoot in early 2017 and turn the pic around in time for a release during awards season.

Just in time to conflict with Episode 8! 

 

Damn you Spielberg!!!

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I'm trying not to think about how awesome it would be if Williams ends up being able to do this, Star Wars 8, and Ready Player One and getting all of those in the span of like 3-4 months....

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Wow! Totally suspected he'd fit in a drama between RPO and Indy 5 but thought it would be IWID or Montezuma. His choice in writer has my attention!

 

Just think, in the next 3.5 years we might have JW scores for BFG, SWVIII, KOEM, RPO, Indy V and SWIX! The only scheduling conflict appears to be SWVIII and KOEM, but it's the same situation as TFA and BOS when you think about it (yeah, I know it didn't work out but the intention was there to do both).

 

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2 hours ago, crumbs said:

Wow! Totally suspected he'd fit in a drama between RPO and Indy 5 but thought it would be IWID or Montezuma. His choice in writer has my attention!

 

Just think, in the next 3.5 years we might have JW scores for BFG, SWVIII, KOEM, RPO, Indy V and SWIX! The only scheduling conflict appears to be SWVIII and KOEM, but it's the same situation as TFA and BOS when you think about it (yeah, I know it didn't work out but the intention was there to do both).

 

 

IMHO, there's so much stuff on the plate for JW. If he feels healthy and fit enough, I'm sure he will try to do as many as he can. But in all honesty, I see the chance he will gently slip away from SW more than anything else. Just a hunch.

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23 minutes ago, TownerFan said:

 

IMHO, there's so much stuff on the plate for JW. If he feels healthy and fit enough, I'm sure he will try to do as many as he can. But in all honesty, I see the chance he will gently slip away from SW more than anything else. Just a hunch.

 

Given the choice, I believe he'd favour SW over Spielberg's projects. I think he's resolute in maintaining his legacy in the franchise.

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4 minutes ago, Drax said:

 

Given the choice, I believe he'd favour SW over Spielberg's projects. I think he's resolute in maintaining his legacy in the franchise.

 

Could be. He's surely fond of Star Wars, but I guess he's also aware that the franchise will continue well beyond his lifetime, so one day there will be other composers writing music for those films. But I'm sure he's as fond of his partnership with Spielberg. I hope he will be able to do everything, of course!

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2015 – Bridge of Spies

2016 – The BFG

2017 – The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara

2018 – Ready Player One

2019 – Indiana Jones 5

 

Spielberg is on a roll.

And if Williams is doing all of these including Episode VIII (2017) and IX (2019) we have a lot to look forward to.

Even if he's just doing some of them - at the very least we know he is the first choice for at least one or two movies every year the next four years.

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Even though the released date of Episode VIII was pushed back to December, the production schedule for that project remains more or less the same as it were a May release. So I get a feeling WIlliams could start working on it (if indeed he does it) much sooner than the release date might suggest. He began working for TFA back in December 2014, when film has just ended and the movie had a year of post production ahead. Episode VIII will likely finish shooting in June

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16 minutes ago, Romão said:

Even though the released date of Episode VIII was pushed back to December, the production schedule for that project remains more or less the same as it were a May release. So I get a feeling WIlliams could start working on it (if indeed he does it) much sooner than the release date might suggest. He began working for TFA back in December 2014, when film has just ended and the movie had a year of post production ahead. Episode VIII will likely finish shooting in June

 

Great point. I'm not familiar with Rian Johnson's post-production process, but I don't see how Disney wouldn't be expecting his first rough cut within 2 or 3 months of production wrap. VIII is significantly more advanced on where TFA was 20 months pre-release, and from memory JW was writing themes quite soon after TFA's shoot ended (with an intended 10 week gap around February for BOS).

 

It really just depends on whether Williams wants to do it to himself. There would probably still end up being little downtime between each score... though the short interlude between TFA and BFG didn't stop him! I think he enjoys keeping himself pre-occupied!

SW: Late 2016-Aug 2017?

KEM: Sep/Oct/Nov 2017

RPO: Dec/Jan/Feb 2018

 

 

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8 hours ago, crumbs said:

Wow! Totally suspected he'd fit in a drama between RPO and Indy 5 but thought it would be IWID or Montezuma. His choice in writer has my attention!

 

And here I thought that Jennifer Lawrence movie WAS the small film he'd do in between Ready Player One and Indy 5.  Is that project basically dead now, then?

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3 hours ago, crumbs said:

 

Great point. I'm not familiar with Rian Johnson's post-production process, but I don't see how Disney wouldn't be expecting his first rough cut within 2 or 3 months of production wrap. VIII is significantly more advanced on where TFA was 20 months pre-release, and from memory JW was writing themes quite soon after TFA's shoot ended (with an intended 10 week gap around February for BOS).

 

It really just depends on whether Williams wants to do it to himself. There would probably still end up being little downtime between each score... though the short interlude between TFA and BFG didn't stop him! I think he enjoys keeping himself pre-occupied!

SW: Late 2016-Aug 2017?

KEM: Sep/Oct/Nov 2017

RPO: Dec/Jan/Feb 2018

 

Ready Player One comes out in March 2018 so I think he would have to pretty much fit all three of these into 2017. Also RPO will be shot later this year before Edgardo Mortara, so it could probably be scored earlier as well.

 

The question is how early can he start on Star Wars and how long will it take him to go through the process. He was working on TFA all year, right up until the last minute, but clearly he didn't really need that much time with all those sessions spread out. JJ was just taking the opportunity to hog Williams, basically :P

 

It'll depend on what Johnson's process is and how much music the Spielberg movies need, and whether or not they can work around the schedules. Ready Player One will probably have plenty of music, but this Edgardo Mortara movie is bound to be smaller. That said, while it'll ultimately be down to Williams' preference, I feel like Spielberg would be the first to insist on him doing Star Wars if another conflict came up. Hopefully it shakes out.

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Man, next year is gonna be a nail-biter with all these potential score assignments crammed together. I guess we'll see if the old man still has it in him to crank these things out.

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27 minutes ago, mrbellamy said:

 

Ready Player One comes out in March 2018 so I think he would have to pretty much fit all three of these into 2017. Also RPO will be shot later this year before Edgardo Mortara, so it could probably be scored earlier as well.

 

The question is how early can he start on Star Wars and how long will it take him to go through the process. He was working on TFA all year, right up until the last minute, but clearly he didn't really need that much time with all those sessions spread out. JJ was just taking the opportunity to hog Williams, basically :P

 

It'll depend on what Johnson's process is and how much music the Spielberg movies need, and whether or not they can work around the schedules. Ready Player One will probably have plenty of music, but this Edgardo Mortara movie is bound to be smaller. That said, while it'll ultimately be down to Williams' preference, I feel like Spielberg would be the first to insist on him doing Star Wars if another conflict came up. Hopefully it shakes out.

 

Interesting point. Spielberg's as much a Williams' fanboy as us, even if they're co-workers. If he knew one of his films might create a scheduling conflict that prevented Williams from continuing Star Wars, I imagine he'd insist Williams finished Star Wars. There didn't appear to be much angst or deliberation with Newman's appointment to BOS, albeit under different circumstances. Not to mention how far Spielberg and Kennedy's partnership goes back, and she'd want him on Star Wars for the entire trilogy just as much as Spielberg would want him doing his films.

 

All that said, I'd probably rather Williams was able to do VIII in exchange for one of the Spielberg films, but I selfishly hope he can manage all 3!

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10 hours ago, Drax said:

Sounds like a good fit for Thomas Newman.

Yep.

 

Spielberg could have been more active when williams was younger...he took too many 2-3 year hiatus(es?) (or hiata???) between his 'several films in one year' releases.

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Spielberg may think that after Bridge of Spies, it's not a complete disaster if JW doesn't score all his future films. I really don't think JW would have written anything dramatically superior to what Newman did for BOS

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16 minutes ago, alextrombone94 said:

Spielberg may think that after Bridge of Spies, it's not a complete disaster if JW doesn't score all his future films. I really don't think JW would have written anything dramatically superior to what Newman did for BOS

 

I agree.  We've seen that a Spielberg film can survive without Williams music (although it depends on the genre of the film).  In any case, I'd rather have Williams give up a Spielberg film for Star Wars.  I know many will disagree, but I don't think an episode film would survive as well without his music.  I mean, is there anyone who could have created a better score for TFA?

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Seems a waste to let JW establish some musical ideas for a new trilogy and not have him on board for all 3. But I suppose it is up to him at the end of the day.

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1 hour ago, Luke Skywalker said:

Spielberg could have been more active when williams was younger...he took too many 2-3 year hiatus(es?) (or hiata???) between his 'several films in one year' releases.

 

I wish that Spielberg had been more active as a director from 2006-2010. What an awful dry spell that was. Crystal Skull, a few concert works, Sunday Night Football, Air and Simple Gifts, wondering if they'd ever let him back on Potter. Meanwhile Spielberg's off making Transformers movies and giving Steve Jablonsky work...

 

2 hours ago, crumbs said:

It'll be interesting to see which film gets scored first out of RPO and Mortara, considering they're releasing in reverse production order. I'd probably rather Williams was able to do VIII in exchange for one of the Spielberg films, but I selfishly hope he can manage all 3!

 

Yeah, I mean, there are different ways you can look at it. Whether it's better for him to do another Star Wars sequel or something different with Spielberg. To me, now that Williams is 84 it's hard not to look at these projects in terms of his overall legacy....Spielberg's always got something in the pipeline. I want as much Williams as I can get and these sound like they could bring interesting scores, but it doesn't matter anything to me specifically that he adds Ready Player One and The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara to his filmography. What are the odds that we get a masterpiece vs anything else he's done this decade, or to blow away what Tommy could contribute?

 

There's all this extra baggage that comes with Williams finally missing out on a Star Wars episode. 7 scores, now with new themes and characters in tandem with the old ones....TFA proved that Williams still knows all this material, he understands the tone and language of this thing, he knows how to approach it with a fluency and continuity that I can't imagine anybody else doing. Plus a new director who is the type of independent-minded obsessive cinephile that Williams hasn't really worked with since Cuaron, which could bring a unique approach. I know that eventually there'll be Star Wars without Williams, they're bound to make 10-12 when Daisy Ridley hits middle age, but I just think it's valuable to see him continuing to add to this thing that he created and has lasted 40 years, at least to hit the next "checkpoint" with Episode 9.

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56 minutes ago, alextrombone94 said:

Spielberg may think that after Bridge of Spies, it's not a complete disaster if JW doesn't score all his future films. I really don't think JW would have written anything dramatically superior to what Newman did for BOS

 

It certainly depends on the project.  BOS was not a score-centric movie, or one that leaned on the score in any serious way for its impact.  Ready Player One, Indy, or Montezuma on the other hand....sorry Tom.

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I'm glad that STAR WARS and Spielberg projects alone will probably keep Williams busy enough at the tailend of his career (not counting concerts, concert works etc.), but I can't help but desire that 'off beat' assignment by someone else in his presumably last decade, something a la THE BOOK THIEF, only a bit more interesting (both filmically and musically).

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I agree, I would love a project like that, but it seems like either nobody's asking or he's just not accepting. But that to me is why Episode VIII may be the most interesting thing he's got going, because even though it's blockbuster action/adventure at least he'd be working with a writer/director who has more offbeat tastes and normally runs outside of Hollywood circles. Obviously nobody ever pegged Rian Johnson as somebody who would ever get a Williams score for his movie, and he could bring in the kinds of new influences and sensibilities within a familiar soundscape that made Azkaban so intriguing. It was unique to see a guy like Alfonso Cuaron suddenly get his hands on John Williams. Rob Marshall, Brian Percival, JJ Abrams....less interesting, even though the scores are lovely.

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9 hours ago, mrbellamy said:

It was unique to see a guy like Alfonso Cuaron suddenly get his hands on John Williams. Rob Marshall, Brian Percival, JJ Abrams....less interesting, even though the scores are lovely.

 

Yeah it was such a unique thing that Williams actually walked away from the franchise after working with Cuaron.

 

 

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4 hours ago, Stefancos said:

 

Yeah it was such a unique thing that Williams actually walked away from the franchise after working with Cuaron.

 

 

 

Well he did have 4 other films on his plate in 2005... I'm pretty sure that's the only reason he didn't continue with GOF.

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Gotta say, this film sounds really dull.

 

And another quiet Williams score where the OST will probably bear only a passing resemblance to the 15 minutes of music that ends up in the film.

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I don't think this sounds dull at all. Quite the contrary, a very intriguing story with lots of audiovisual potential. And my heart burns after another religious-style score by Williams.

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1 hour ago, Richard Penna said:

Gotta say, this film sounds really dull.

 

And another quiet Williams score where the OST will probably bear only a passing resemblance to the 15 minutes of music that ends up in the film.

I agree. It will be a fine film I'm sure but the appeal will be limited. 

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1 hour ago, Drax said:

Dust-collector potential. Most of us only listen to SW, Indy, JP, HP, Hook and maybe Superman anyway.

 

Speak for yourself (assuming you're not being sarcastic, hard to tell on the Internet).  I listened to War Horse all the way through just last night. That one grows on me more with each passing year.

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3 hours ago, Drax said:

Dust-collector potential. Most of us only listen to SW, Indy, JP, HP, Hook and maybe Superman anyway.

 

He, he...you summed up my impression right there!

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Really? I loved Lincoln, the score and the film.  The score may veer a little too closely to Aaron Copland but to me the movie is essential Spielberg, a modern classic!

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Lincoln didn't serve non-American audiences well, or at least my family and the showing we were in. We just didn't know enough American political history to understand what was going on.

 

I was half interested, half bored for most of it, and apparently I was by far the most engaged, with my brother and parents. My co-worker understood it only having read an online article concerning what non-US audiences needed to know.

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Ah that would make sense.  I think it's essential for all Americans to see Lincoln to understand how our imperfect legislative process can be used to effect positive change.  So yeah I could see why that wouldn't necessarily be of interest to non-Americans!

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