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EXCLUSIVE: Less than a week after filming of the HBO Films movie Phil Spector was suspended after co-star Bette Midler had to pull out for medical reasons, the producers of the David Mamet-written and directed movie have found a replacement. And boy did they deliver. Oscar winner Helen Mirren has been tapped to star opposite Al Pacino in the film, which explores the client-attorney relationship between legendary music producer Phil Spector (Pacino) and defense attorney Linda Kenney Baden (Mirren), who represented Spector during his first trial for murder. Mamet, Barry Levinson and Pacino are executive producing Phil Spector, which had done 6 days of shooting when it suspended production last Tuesday after Midler suffered from a herniated disk. Filming is now expected to resume next week. In addition to her Academy Award for The Queen, Mirren has won 4 Emmy Awards, including one for the HBO miniseries Elizabeth I.
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Move over, Midler! Helen Mirren rocks!
Yes! Great move HBO, I will never tire of seeing Helen Mirren and will definitely check this out.
as an entertainment broadcast journalist, i covered the trial..and too much class having Helen Mirren doing LKBaddon..she is an awful, excuse me for saying it…but i do not see the casting…more like a Mama Cass type for the role, even the Divine Ms. M…is way above the class of this low brow attorney…shame…hopefully Dame Helen will wear a fat suit…
Maybe that is why Bette was the first choice.
I love Bette Midler. But I think this is an all around better choice for the part. The entire venture seems to be set on a better track with this casting.
There’s an upgrade!
Bet Bette is second guessing those “back problems” now.
Start engraving Helen Mirren’s name on another Emmy!
Very much an upgrade.
Being a fellow brit, fantastic news.
As for the news person; NEWSY2AT-It’s called acting. So you don’t embarras yourself too much, on google, look up actors and body transformations for films… LOL. Leave the film biz to us please.
News @4. lol
and when it comes to emmy time the jealous broadcast networks are gonna try to shove the category this movie would be in for the second rate emmy’s they do the night or week before because having talent like pacino and mirren on an emmy broadcast somehow hurts…
I can guarantee you the producer is now thanking his lucky stars that Midler fell out. Words can’t explain just how better of an actress Mirren is.
She made Arthur watchable. That is a miraculous accomplishment.
Wow.
I’m a little surprised at the caliber of talent involved in this project, given that both David Mamet and Al Pacino believe that Phil Spector is innocent and intend to present their viewpoint in the film. After reading Tearing Down the Wall of Sound and the Dominic Dunne coverage in Vanity Fair: Spector is wildly talented but as guilty as sin! Dunne was right to say that beautiful blondes with impeccable manners (as the victim, Lana Clarkson, was reported to have) don’t spontaneously shoot themselves in a strangers foyer.
Helen won’t be able to do the accent which would have been natural for Bette. Mirren will end up really failing in this role, which is a bad move for her career.
I don’t care who you cast in this flick the phil spector story isn’t that interesting especially his attorney which is mirrens role. The key to this movie will be the costume designer, those wigs that spector wore will tell the story
That’s like replacing Barry Manilow with Mozart.
Someone explain how they went from someone like Bette Midler to a class act like Helen Mirren?
Whatever, it’s definitely an improvement.
Take a look at The Rose and it will show you Bette’s real acting chops….don;t dismiss her so readily!
Bette rocks. So does Helen. Would have loved to see Bette rip through this plum role, but know that Helen will do the same – only differently. Sounds like a cool flick – exactly the kind of thing chicken shit studios should do more of – but won’t do any of. Thank God for cable.
Why is Helen an upgrade? They picked Bette first for a reason. They thought she would be perfect for the role. Bette is an incredible actress. Has anyone seen The Rose(which she was nominated for an Oscar and should have won), Beaches, For the Boys(again nominated for an oscar), The First Wives Club. She made a lot of money for Disney back in the late 80′s with her string of comedies that did very well at the boxoffice. I think Bette would have been better for this role. Helen Mirren may be more attractive to most people but she looks a lot older than Bette in my opinion. Don’t try to downgrade Bette. She’s a very successful star who can not only act but sing as well.
Amen Andrea!
Thanks Don! Haha this is the same Andrea that’s been commenting a lot on BLB lately in case you didn’t know. Lol.
It doesn’t matter WHO is in ANY of the roles. The ‘story’ part is lame. They will never get to the bottom of it all. They should chase down that assistant who was there in the hotel with him for like 2 weeks right after – THAT is the story I’d like to watch or read. She had the dirt on him and he sued her. I want to see more of that video she shot of Spector too. Shaky hands and all. I want to know about that, oh and Bruce Cutler – what a character he was!! LKB? Who cares? Her husband is more interesting. Too bad AJ can’t play himself!