What Happened to the Bobby Darin Movie

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Author Message   sbenois Supporter Username: Sbenois Post Number: 13339 Registered: 10-2001 Posted on Thursday, March 10, 2005 - 8:57 pm:        Is it headed for DVD already?   Innisowen Citizen Username: Innisowen Post Number: 616 Registered: 3-2004 Posted on Thursday, March 10, 2005 - 9:24 pm:        I think it may already have headed to the trash heap, bypassing most cinemas, VHS, and DVD. Seriously, for such a hyped film from Kevin Spacey, it had the life span of an amoeba, it seems. Too bad, as Darin's music is great, and Spacey always seems to provide a good performance.   Duncan Supporter Username: Duncanrogers Post Number: 3964 Registered: 12-2001 Posted on Friday, March 11, 2005 - 9:22 am:        Here is what happened to it. With a 24 Million dollar budget and an opening weekend of 45K????   Duncan Supporter Username: Duncanrogers Post Number: 3965 Registered: 12-2001 Posted on Friday, March 11, 2005 - 9:26 am:        Some more fun facts.. Trivia Kevin Spacey does his own singing. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The lead role was offered to Tom Cruise who rejected the script. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In 1987, Bruce Willis was set to played Bobby. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Initially, Barry Levinson was set to direct. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 'Paul Schrader' (qb) was also once attached to direct the movie. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The lead was offered to 'Leonardo di Caprio' who chose to do The Beach instead. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- At one point, Barry Levinson wanted Johnny Depp for the lead role. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When the film was in being planned by Paramount, executives thought that Kevin Spacey was too old to portray Bobby Darin, who died at 37, and wanted Leonardo DiCaprio instead. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The project took 17 years to be realized during which time six A-List writers and 20 producers were involved at one point or another. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Writers Guild of America, after sorting through the mess of writes, rewrites, and re-rewrites, decided that the screenplay is credited to Kevin Spacey and Lewis Colick who worked on it back in 1987 when Warner Bros. hired him. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Many writers have requested WGA not to associate them with credits for the screenplay. Some of them include Tom Epperson and James Toback who worked with Barry Levinson. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The James Toback draft which followed an earlier draft by Paul Attanasio concentrated on Sandra Dee's alcoholism and childhood molestation by her stepfather. This draft was then given to Lorenzo Carcaterra. His draft, the last before Warner Bros. and 'Barry Levinson' left the project, was 164 pages long.   Madden 11 Citizen Username: Madden_11 Post Number: 638 Registered: 12-2003 Posted on Friday, March 11, 2005 - 2:34 pm:        quote: With a 24 Million dollar budget and an opening weekend of 45K???? Hey Duncan-- Looks like it only opened on 6 screens, hence the paltry box office. Unfortunately, when they went wider, they halved their per-screen average. Not good. It further looks like they opened just shy of New Year's, most likely in a bid to get Kevin Spacey an Oscar nod...my people have a word for that: chutzpah.   Parkbench87 Citizen Username: Parkbench87 Post Number: 1808 Registered: 7-2001 Posted on Friday, March 11, 2005 - 3:13 pm:        Splish Splash "It Looks Like This Movie Took A Bath"   Duncan Supporter Username: Duncanrogers Post Number: 3969 Registered: 12-2001 Posted on Friday, March 11, 2005 - 3:36 pm:        yea. LA + NY only for the Oscar nod. Most movies slated for a Jan/early Feb release have a limited one in Dec in LA/NY for just that reason. But the per screen average may be less important than the stats from the individual markets. But I would still be interested in seeing how the sales are. It is occuring to me that certain types of "studio" films are doing this a lot. Sort of getting made, and literally dipping their toe in the water and if they dont like the temperature getting right back out. That way they can recoup on the European distribution and DVD/Cable rights. Which is where something like "Beyond the Sea" is going to make some of that money back. Or the studio will stuff it and write it off and Kevin will continue being the Artistic Director of the National Theater in London. No shabby job by itself.   nan Citizen Username: Nan Post Number: 1871 Registered: 2-2001 Posted on Saturday, March 12, 2005 - 7:12 am:        Ok, we now know about the budget, viewing metrics, studio politics and Sandra Dee's personal demons. Has anyone actually seen the movie?   Ukealalio Citizen Username: Ukealalio Post Number: 1873 Registered: 6-2003 Posted on Sunday, March 13, 2005 - 12:08 am:        I saw it in London 2 months before it came out in the US. They hated it there also. I think I was 1 out of 3 people in the theatre. While I didn't think it was a great movie, I thorougly enjoyed it. Spacy hasn't got Darin's voice down perfectly but it was pretty close. It was kind of a throw back to an old school musical. A little corny but enjoyable. The reviewers in London kept on harping on the fact that Spacey was too old to play Darin who died in his 30's, this didn't bother me at all. It was a little campy and I suspect it may grow some wings once the DVD gets released.   Joe Citizen Username: Gonets Post Number: 732 Registered: 2-2004 Posted on Sunday, March 13, 2005 - 8:47 pm:        During a PBS funddrive a few months back, my wife and I saw a live performance he gave shortly before he died. I had no idea the guy had such a range of talent. I only knew his 2 most famous hits. He played all sorts of instruments during the show, danced, did comic bits, just incredible. Also, he did some real, rocking jams. Stuff that you might hear the Allman Brothers do. I had know idea. I don't think it's so bad that Spacey played him, because in that performance Bobby Darin looked like a man well over the age of 37.