Michael Clearis one of the smartest producers I’ve met in Hollywood, and before he began working alongsideJames Wan, he was an executive atScott Stuber’s Bluegrass Pictures. I remember being in his office one day, and there was a box of books on the floor. He picked one up and handed it to me, and said, “read this. It’s going to be big.” That book was calledBird Box, and his boss Stuber was smart enough to hang on to that project when he left Universal to take the top job at Netflix, which turned it into a true streaming event that was watched by 80 million accounts in its first four weeks.
So you shouldn’t necessarily be surprised when I tell you thatSandra Bullockhas signed on to star in her second-straight Netflix movie, one that will have her reciting the words of fellow Oscar winnerChristopher McQuarrie. Hailing fromGraham King’s GK Films, the long-gestating is an adaptation of the British miniseriesUnforgiven, and if it rings a bell, it’s because it was once developed as a starring vehicle forAngelina Jolie.
Nora Fingscheidt, who made her directorial debut with Germany’s current Oscar entrantSystem Crasher, will direct the untitled feature, which is likely being renamed to avoid confusion withClint Eastwood’s Best Picture winner. King will produce alongside Bullock and her Fortis Films banner, as well as Veronica Ferres via Construction Film. Executive producers includeNan Morales,Nicola Shindler,Sally WainwrightandColin Vaines.
Suranne Jonesplayed the lead in the miniseries, which was written bySally Wainwrightand directed byDavid Evans. The new film will find Bullock shedding her America’s Sweetheart image to play Ruth Slater, a woman who’s released from prison after serving a sentence for a violent crime, only to re-enter a society that refuses to forgive her past. Facing severe judgment from the place she once called home, Ruth’s only hope for redemption is finding the estranged younger sister she was forced to leave behind.
That sounds like the kind of juicy role that could offer Bullock the chance to return to the awards race. It would likely arrive in time for next year’s Oscar race, which would be a decade after she won Best Actress forThe Blind Side, and seven years since she was last nominated forGravity. The protagonist seems like a complex character, one darker than those Bullock typically inhabits, and the actress must have approved Fingscheidt herself to put her trust in a rising young filmmaker – something she hasn’t done in a decade.
King recently producedBohemian Rhapsodyin addition to Best Picture winners such asArgoandThe Departed. Meanwhile, Ferres runs Construction Film withFrank Buchs, and the company’s credits includeWerner Herzog’s 2016 thrillerSalt and Fire,Nicholas Jarecki’s addiction dramaDreamland, andCharles Shyer’s upcoming remake ofThe Cakemaker.
And speaking of Netflix, find out what you should bother watching on the streaming service this month byclicking here.
