As Lee Daniels' adaptation of The Paperboy prepares to make its Cannes debut in just a few days, word has been building on his follow-up for weeks. He'll next direct the civil rights drama, The Butler, based on the true story of Eugene Allen, an African-American man who served as the White House butler for more than three decades and watched the civil rights movement shift from a unique inside perspective. With a celebrity cast already in place, and likely many more to make cameos, we're learning that Nicole Kidman, who plays the sexy seductress in The Paperboy, will be coming along for the ride as well.
Kidman has been making some interesting choices in her career lately, taking on roles that don't necessarily put her at the top of the bill, but as part of an ensemble. That would certainly be the case with The Butler as well, even though her role is undefined at this point. Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, David Oyelowo, Matthew McConaughey, Terrence Howard, Alan Rickman, Jane Fonda, and Cuba Gooding Jr. are all part of the cast, with other big names circling.
Production is set to begin in July, and clearly The Butler is a film that seems destined for Oscar consideration. As for The Paperboy....well, after a promising first clip a couple of weeks ago, this newly released one reminds me just how bad of a director Daniels truly is. Tell me this doesn't look like something from a first year film student with all the hazy, cheap transitions? Ugh. Not feelin' this footage at all....[Screen Daily]
