Warren Beatty Readies Howard Hughes Movie at Paramount
Big news today but under-reported: Warren Beatty has indeed signed to make a movie at Paramount Pictures. He’ll write, direct and star. But what hasn’t been said: Beatty will finally deliver his Howard Hughes biopic, in the works for at least 25 years. Beatty first got involved with a Hughes project in the mid 1980s. He even had a script back then, written with Elaine May–with whom he’d endured the interminable “Ishtar.”
But Beatty, the perfectionist, moved on to other things–like “Bullworth,” “Love Affair,” and “Town and Country.” Now he’s ready. I had even heard a story recently that he was offered a chance to act in a romantic comedy that sounded very promising. But Beatty declined, saying he was embarking at last on “Hughes.”
At least two studios were interested. But I do think Warren made a great choice with Paramount–he’ll need a big, organized studio to pull off this ambitious film. He could have another “Reds” on his hands–one of the great films of all time, and one for which he won an Oscar.
PS The casting for “Hughes” should be pretty competitive. The script would call for a younger Hughes to be cast at least for flashbacks, if nothing else. A young Warren Beatty–that’s a tall order for any actor!
I’m looking forward to the new biopic of Howard Hughes. Hopefully there will be more truths told about him. Even though it has been written that he was not able to walk or that he had long hair and long finger nails or that he never returned to Las Vegas is that really true? I will agree that he had long hair down to his shoulders and his finger nails were from 1/4 to 3/8″, but I don’t agree with him not being able to walk or that he never returned to Las Vegas after leaving on November 20, 1970. The reason why is because I witnessed a photograph being taken of him in front of the Mint Hotel in Las vegas in March of 1971. Howard Hughes with Levar B. Myler, (a senior penthouse aide) to his left and John H. Meier, (his business manager who is better known for his involvement in Watergate) standing to his right. In the front passenger seat of the black Cadillac Limo that was parked at the curb sat John M. Holmes Jr.,(another senior aide). Hopefully this photo will be found so the stories about Mr Hughes can be corrected. For more details on how I know can be found with a search search under Levar B. Myler.
Too bad it probably won’t be even near as good as Scorsese’s “The Aviator”.
Oh my. I love Beatty’s movies and this one’s gonna be good. I love the lines “Did you think you could steal from me and get away with it?” or “bend your knees”. Love Affair was simply magical but in hard reality as an independent I now belong to a large consortium of those wanting Hollywood to get back to making a quality product for all and to keep art as separate from politics as religion. Hollywood has effectively disenfranchised and insulted over half its customer base and were getting a little tired of folks who can afford a $100,000 neighborhood poker buy in then telling us how bad our own judgment is and as they try to relate to the rest of America, they cant. Sooo, no purchases of any kind in perpetuity. As an IT Software “Rails” and “C” Code Professor, we’ll have products that will give folks the entertainment experience they are looking for with remunerations commensurate to the actual value. Stay tuned as there is a black list in Hollywood, a big one collated by the consumer group which in final disposition will result in dimes as opposed to $100 bills paid to Hollywood, et al. And yes they will go for it. They will have no choice as what else would they do?