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Michael Douglas Prepping for Liberace, Shoots in Summer 2011

Krystal Clark — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 20:06:03 +0000

Michael Douglas has had a rough year. The Oscar award winner was in the middle of a promotional tour for Wall Street Money Never Sleeps when he revealed that he was battling cancer. The actor and producer never let the disease get the best of him, and since then he’s undergone extensive treatment. Douglas recently spoke to THR about the preparation he’s doing for his next big screen role in Steven Soderberg’s Liberace biopic.

Douglas told the trade that he’s currently a blank slate when it comes to the character and he’s got a ton of tapes that he’s been watching of his performances. Thus far everything he’s seen shows that he was a very lovely man. Liberace is set to begin production in May or June and will require Douglas to wear prosthetic makeup to get the full look of the singer. He’ll also have to undergo some serious musical training so he can believably pull off the performance sequences.

Besides Douglas, there’s been word that Matt Damon has been tapped to play Liberace’s lover Scott Thorson.

Are you ready to see Douglas get back into the swing of things? Do you think he’ll make a good Liberace?

Steven Soderbergh on Cleo, Liberace, and Limey

Mali Elfman — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 22:10:22 +0000

Last night we reported that Matt Damon would be joining Michael Douglas in the cast of Liberace, as the famous performer’s gay lover. I reserved the right to take it back in case it was not true (it was People reporting it), but it looks like I don’t need to! FirstShowing got the inside scoop from Steven Soderbergh at The Toronto International Film Festival about his upcoming bio-flick Liberace, as well as his 3-D musical Cleo and the possibility of a sequel to The Limey!

Similar to how Soderbergh shot The Informant and The Girlfriend Experience, he will be tackling Liberace and Cleo back to back…

I’m going to prep the other one while I’m shooting Knockout. So next June, I was literally talking to Michael Douglas last night, and saying I think it’s going to be June-July-August. So that’s going to be crazy.”

Is there some race for “most films directed buy a single director in one year?” Because it certainly seems that way. Either that or he is suffering from an extreme case of film-making ADD. I will give him points on creativity. None of the four projects mentioned have ANYTHING to do with one another. Although I do think that both his films this year could have used a little more of his time and attention, I’m interested to see what he’s got up his sleeve!

As for his 3-D rock-n-roll opera extravaganza Cleo, with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Hugh Jackman, he’s not clear if Jackman will still be on board. Due to scheduling conflicts, the date being pushed back, and Jackson signing on for other musicals, Soderbergh isn’t sure who will be cast in the main role…

…We have the money, we just haven’t scheduled it… He’s [Jackman] attached himself to several other musicals that I think might get made before this, so it– I’ve got to have a conversation with him about that, because I certainly don’t want to be in a situation where it’s not a fresh idea to have him in the movie.

It seems like he was trying to make waves with Cleo, and if all he’s getting is a splash, it’s not really worth it. I suggest Cillian Murphy if he’s really looking for something unexpected. I can’t picture him running around singing to Cleopatra. How about you?

As far as the sequel for The Limey goes, it’s not looking good at the moment…

It’s one of those things again like — we all would sort of like to do it, but it feels like we’re having to force it a little.

The last thing we need is another half-assed sequel and it sounds like the man is not short on ideas, so why waste his time?

What do you think about all this? Who would you like to see dancing around in Cleo? Do you want to see a sequel to The Limey? And what do you think of him tackling both Cleo and Liberace at the same time?

For the full quotes and the full interview (will be posted tomorrow) go to FirstShowing.net!

Matt Damon to Play Michael Douglas’ Gay Lover in Liberace Bio?

Mali Elfman — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 04:45:56 +0000

Something tells me this is a rumor. I have a pit in my stomach and the source of the story being People doesn’t help the matter. But oh well, here’s the “news,” I reserve the right to take it back later…

Michael Douglas is set to play Liberace in the film biography directed by Steven Soderbergh (this much we had heard before), and Matt Damon has officially “accepted the challenge” of playing Scott Thorsen his longtime lover. Who ever saw that pair coming? They are going to have Douglas playing a campy musical performer dressed in glitter and Matt Damon as the assistant/boyfriend who “outed” the entertainer in 1982 over a palimony suit for $110 million.

According to People and backed by a French Newspaper at the Deauville Film Festival (with no link), Soberbergh is already rolling ahead with the new film before his latest one The Informant hits theater. They’ve even got Michael in playing dress up already…

“We’ve already done some costume and wardrobe tests on Michael, and they’re very, very, very good…I swear to you, Michael amazed me. He crushed it.”

Writer/director Richard Lagravense penned the script and Soderbergh said “the budget will allow filmmakers to re-stage segments of Liberace’s spectacular stage act, which often involved elaborate stunts such as flying or driving to his piano bench in a Rolls-Royce.”

Can’t wait to see about that! Who thinks this is true?

ScreenCrave.com » Liberace

Michael Douglas Prepping for Liberace, Shoots in Summer 2011

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