Taylor Hackford to direct Tennessee Williams Biopic, "Tenn"

[BustopherPhantom]

Posted: 8/12/08 at 1:24pm

Taylor Hackford is prepping to direct "Tenn," a drama about the formative years of playwright Tennessee Williams, whose dysfunctional family life fueled some of his most acclaimed stage works.

Robin Shushan has written the screenplay.

Infinity Media's Michael Ohoven ("Capote") is financing development and will produce with Dan Halsted.

Pic focuses on how Williams' tumultuous upbringing -- complete with a scornful father, depression, conflicts about sexuality and watching his beloved sister institutionalized and lobotomized -- fueled the conflict in such plays as "The Glass Menagerie" and the Pulitzer Prize-winning "A Streetcar Named Desire."

Ohoven said the script was a close parallel to "Capote," which turned the "In Cold Blood" author's relationship with two murderers into a riveting drama...

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117990393.html?categoryid=13&cs=1

[Gothampc]

Posted: 8/12/08 at 1:38pm

The formative years sound boring. Do a movie about when he is in NYC and everything after he becomes successful

[keen on kean]

Posted: 8/12/08 at 2:41pm

uh-oh. No mention of LEAP OF FAITH? Does that mean what I think it means?

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 8/12/08 at 2:43pm

If he purportedly wasn't doing a good job with the show anyway, why would you want him to stick with it? I don't see the point of wanting to preserve the original/status quo if it isn't what's best for the work.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 8/12/08 at 2:54pm

Regardless, Playbill's release indicates that he's still attached. Their article on the film is titled "Leap of Faith's Hackford to Direct Film About Life of Tennessee Williams," and begins:

Taylor Hackford ("Ray"), who is attached as director of the forthcoming Broadway musical Leap of Faith, will direct a new film based on the early years of the American playwright Tennessee Williams.

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/120366.html

Updated On: 8/12/08 at 02:54 PM

[humbugfoto]

Posted: 8/12/08 at 9:08pm

The article on Broadway.com mentioned Leap of Faith, but basically just repeated what Riedel said a few weeks ago:

"Hackford had been attached to direct a Broadway musical version of the film Leap of Faith, featuring a book by original screenwriter Janus Cercone, music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Glenn Slater. After a May workshop of the piece featuring Raul Esparza and other theater stars, published reports indicated that Hackford would not continue developing it, though no official notice of its status has been announced."
Taylor Hackford to direct feature film bio of Tennesse Williams

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 8/12/08 at 9:24pm

Wonder who they are thinking of getting to play the role. Williams had such an interesting sex appeal when he was younger, but he wasn't particularly cute or anything, definitely not Hollywood-actor cute.

Updated On: 8/12/08 at 09:24 PM

[CapnHook]

Posted: 8/12/08 at 9:27pm

Of course it'll be Johnny Depp.