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David O Russell’s ‘American Hustle’ To Resume Boston Filming After Manhunt

By DOMINIC PATTEN | Sunday April 21, 2013 @ 3:17pm PDTTags: American Hustle, Boston manhunt, David O. Russell, Sony

Filming on David O Russell‘s American Hustle was suspended Friday amid the Boston manhunt. But the ’70s-set corruption pic is going back into production on Monday, a Sony spokesperson tells me. Pic reunites Russell with his Silver Linings Playbook stars Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, and Robert De Niro as well as The Fighter‘s Christian Bale and Amy Adams. Production began March 8 and filmed in Worcester until last Wednesday when the pic moved to the Boston area.

Related: David O Russell’s ‘American Hustle’ Halts Production Because Of Boston Manhunt

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David O Russell Named Guest Director For LA Film Festival

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Friday April 19, 2013 @ 11:15am PDTTags: David O. Russell, Los Angeles Film Festival

Silver Linings PlaybookDavid O Russell will also receive the Spirit of Independence Award at this year’s Los Angeles Film Festival, which is set for June 13-23 and opens with Pedro Almodovar’s comedy I’m So Excited!” … Read More »

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David O Russell’s Abscam Pic Titled ‘American Hustle’

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Tuesday April 16, 2013 @ 8:09pm PDTTags: American Hustle, David O. Russell

David O. Russell‘s upcoming corruption drama, formerly known as American Bullshit, has a new name. It’s now titled American Hustle. The pic has been getting a lot of buzz because of its killer cast … Read More »

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Michael Pena Joins David O Russell Pic

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Friday April 5, 2013 @ 9:25am PDTTags: David O. Russell, Michael Pena
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: Michael Pena is the latest name to join David O Russell‘s next film, which already stars Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner and Jennifer Lawrence. The Sony Pictures drama, formerly known as American Bullshit, is inspired by a true story of a notorious financial con artist and his mistress/partner in crime, who were forced to work with an overly ambitious federal agent to turn the tables on other con artists, mobsters and politicians. Russell is working with original scribe Eric Warren Singer on a rewrite, and Sony has set a December 13 release. Pena, whose recent credits include co-starring in David Ayer’s End Of Watch and Gangster Squad, recently completed voice work on DreamWorks Animation’s Turbo due out in July and also just wrapped the Diego Luna-directed Chavez. He is repped by CAA, Management 360 and Rick Genow. Read More »

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‘Boardwalk Empire’s Jack Huston Joins Killer Cast Of David O Russell Pic

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Tuesday March 26, 2013 @ 11:21am PDTTags: ABSCAM Project, American Bullshit, David O. Russell, Jack Huston
Mike Fleming

Jack HustonEXCLUSIVE: Boardwalk Empire‘s Jack Huston has just joined the cast of David O. Russell‘s untitled corruption drama, the one that has been known as American Bullshit and more recently the ABSCAM project. Huston joins Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner and Jennifer Lawrence. Huston, who plays the scarred WWI vet Richard Harrow who continues to be one of the most riveting characters in HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, will next be seen starring opposite Daniel Radcliffe, Elizabeth Olsen and Dane DeHaan in Kill Your Darlings, which Sony Pictures Classics acquired at Sundance. He also stars in the Bille August-directed Night Train To Lisbon, which screened at Berlin, and Posthumous opposite Brit Marling. Huston was last seen onscreen in the David Chase-directed Not Fade Away. He’s repped by UTA, Untitled and Ken Mcreddie Associates. Read More »

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Sony Sets Christmas Wide Release For David O Russell Untitled Film

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Tuesday March 12, 2013 @ 11:56am PDTTags: ABSCAM, Big Deals Film, David O. Russell, Sony Pictures
Mike Fleming

BREAKING: Sony will open the David O Russell-directed drama formerly known as American Bullshit in limited released December 13, with a wide opening planned for Xmas Day. The film stars Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Christian … Read More »

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Alessandro Nivola Joining Stellar Cast For David O Russell’s ABSCAM Pic

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Tuesday March 12, 2013 @ 9:16am PDTTags: ABSCAM Project, Alessandro Nivola, David O. Russell
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: Alessandro Nivola is negotiating to join Bradley Cooper, Christian Bale, Jeremy Renner, Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence in the David O Russell-directed drama on the ABSCAM scandal. Nivola will play Reggio, the federal prosecutor who tried the case in court. The Eric Singer-scripted drama is about the ’70s FBI sting operation Abscam that took down a bunch of U.S. congressmen.

Nivola recently wrapped the Atom Egoyan-directed Devil’s Knot, the drama that stars Reese Witherspoon and Colin Firth. He plays Terry Hobbs, a stepfather of one of the three murdered children, who later became a focus of suspicion though he has denied any part in the triple murder and has not been brought up on charges. Nivola will next be seen as Elle Fanning’s anarchist father in the Sally Potter-directed Ginger And Rosa, which opens March 15. Nivola is also booked to star with Cooper in the Scott Rudin-produced Broadway revival of The Elephant Man. He’s repped by CAA and Management 360. Read More »

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David O Russell, Jennifer Lawrence Reteam For ‘The Ends Of The Earth’

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Tuesday February 19, 2013 @ 2:51pm PSTTags: Big Deals Film, David O. Russell, Jennifer Lawrence, The Ends Of The Earth, The Weinstein Company
Mike Fleming

BREAKING: The Weinstein Company acquired worldwide rights to David O. Russell’s upcoming project The Ends Of The Earth. Jennifer Lawrence, who is up for for an Oscar for Silver Linings Playbook, will star. Scripted by Oscar-nominated Argo scribe Chris Terrio, the film is produced by Todd Black, Steve Tisch and Jason Blumenthal of Escape Artists. Russell signed his deal last night, and Harvey Weinstein expects this to be close to Django Unchained in terms of the epic size and budget.

Lawrence just enlisted in Russell’s next film, the untitled Abscam film that also stars Bradley Cooper, Christian Bale, Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner.

Black and Tisch said “Jennifer Lawrence is one of the most versatile actresses we have ever seen. Her performance in Silver Linings was transcendent and was truly the heart and soul of the film. Jennifer was basically asked to play 4 personalities — depressed, sexy, romantic and a wild dancer — and did them all brilliantly. After seeing that performance we knew we had our anchor for Ends Of The Earth. Her dedication to the craft and all those who work with her is inspiring and if she is the future of our business we are certainly in good hands.” Read More »

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OSCARS: Directing Nominees On The Process

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Monday February 18, 2013 @ 5:45pm PSTTags: Ang Lee, Awardsline, Benh Zeitlin, David O. Russell, Michael Haneke, Oscars, Steven Spielberg

Michael Haneke | Amour

Oscar pedigree: He has two nominations this year for screenwriting and direction. Previously, 2009’s The White Ribbon received two noms for best foreign language film and cinematography.

Birds … Read More »

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Hot Featurette: Will Oscar Shine On ‘Life Of Pi’s Ang Lee In Strong Best Director Race?

By PETE HAMMOND | Friday February 15, 2013 @ 1:13pm PSTTags: Ang Lee, David O. Russell, Life of Pi, Oscars, Steven Spielberg
Pete Hammond

EXCLUSIVE: Whatever happens in the Best Picture Oscar race, where Argo has emerged as a strong frontrunner thanks to an unbroken string of victories in all the key precursor awards, the race for the Best Director Oscar is … Read More »

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Jennifer Lawrence Reuniting With David O Russell For Abscam Pic

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Friday February 15, 2013 @ 11:17am PSTTags: American Bullshit, David O. Russell, Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Mike Fleming

Jennifer Lawrence Movie AbscamEXCLUSIVE: Jennifer Lawrence has been tapped to star opposite Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner in the David O Russell pic formerly known as American Bullshit, the drama written by Eric … Read More »

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OSCARS Q&A: Robert De Niro

By PETE HAMMOND | Saturday February 9, 2013 @ 6:00pm PSTTags: David O. Russell, Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook
Pete Hammond

Robert De Niro hit his stride in terms of movie recognition in 1973 when both Bang the Drum Slowly and Mean Streets put him on the map. The latter remains a special favorite because it marks the beginning of his long association with Martin Scorsese. Remarkably, De Niro … Read More »

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VP Biden Meets With David O. Russell, Bradley Cooper In D.C. (Photo)

By DOMINIC PATTEN | Thursday February 7, 2013 @ 8:41pm PSTTags: Bradley Cooper, David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook, Vice President Joe Biden

Vice-President Joe Biden’s office today tweeted this photo of him meeting with Silver Linings Playbook director David O. Russell and actor Bradley Cooper. The duo, whose Oscar nominated movie is about people dealing with … Read More »

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Ben Affleck, David O. Russell & Benh Zeitlin Among Directors Set For Film Independent Series

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Tuesday January 15, 2013 @ 4:31pm PSTTags: Ben Affleck, Benh Zeitlin, David O. Russell

Others include writer-directors Ira Sachs (Keep The Lights On), Julia Loktev (The Loneliest Planet) and Jill Soloway (Afternoon Delight). The 12th annual Film Independent Directors Close-Up series will be held on five consecutive Wednesdays beginning February 6 at the Landmark West Los Angeles. Panelists will discuss specific aspects of directing, including sound, writing, cinematography, casting and eliciting compelling performances from actors. Click over for this year’s schedule and topics: Read More »

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The Migratory Habits Of 800-Pound Gorilla Oscar Directors And The Films They Make

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Thursday January 10, 2013 @ 1:27pm PSTTags: Ang Lee, Christopher Nolan, David O. Russell, Steven Spielberg
Mike Fleming

Scoop hounds like myself love to lock filmmakers into projects and move on in search of the next splashy headline. A look at some recent big director developments, and at the tortured road several directors traveled before getting Oscar nominations this morning, shows that good movies really do find their way into the right hands, even if it takes forever to  happen.

Related: OSCARS: 85th Academy Award Nominations

Among today’s Best Director nominees, Steven Spielberg only found the handle on Best Picture nominee Lincoln after he trashed an earlier version and labored more than a decade; David O Russell got Silver Linings Playbook because Sydney Pollack could not figure out how to meld humor with mental problems; Ang Lee got to crack the challenging Life Of Pi — which recently became the highest-grossing film in his career — after previous tries by Dean Georgaris and M. Night Shyamalan ended in futility. None of this is as dramatic as, say, when Spielberg traded Martin Scorsese Cape Fear in exchange for Schindler’s List, but it is intriguing how the moves of one major director impacts another, how the right guy for the picture usually ends up in the director’s chair, and why patience can be a virtue. Read More »

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Awards Race Moves To Palm Springs: Foreign Film Contenders, Glitzy Gala And Lots Of Oscar Talk

By PETE HAMMOND | Monday January 7, 2013 @ 5:15pm PSTTags: Bradley Cooper, David O. Russell, Helen Mirren, Les Miserables, Meryl Streep, Palm Springs International Film Festival, Sally Field, Silver Linings Playbook, Tom Hooper
Pete Hammond

Even as Oscar nomination polls were closing Friday afternoon, the awards season action was already shifting to the Southern California desert as the 10-day Palm Springs International Film Festival kicked off, not only with its highly publicized Saturday night gala where enormous statuettes are handed out to Oscar hopefuls looking for a boost in the race, but also as a genuinely impressive public showcase for world cinema.

42 of the 71 official Oscar foreign entries are on display at the Fest (which runs through January 13) including 8 of the 9 finalists which made the shortlist. Many of those filmmakers nervously awaiting results, of which of the 9 become the 5 nominees, were at the fest all weekend, even as a select group of about 30  high-profile Academy members (including  Meryl Streep, who told me last year she had a great time on this uber committee) in New York and Los Angeles were viewing the finalists and making their choices (to be announced with other Oscar nominees on Thursday morning). Read More »

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Hot Featurette: ‘Silver Linings Playbook’

By PETE HAMMOND | Wednesday January 2, 2013 @ 5:15pm PSTTags: Bradley Cooper, David O. Russell, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook
Pete Hammond

EXCLUSIVE:  Silver Linings Playbook continues on its awards roll this season with a Best Picture nomination from the Producers Guild to add to its many other laurels to date including 4 SAG award nominations, 4 Golden Globe nods, 5 Independent Spirit mentions and 10 Critics Choice Movie … Read More »

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Robert De Niro’s ‘Silver Lining’: After 21 Years He Could Be Back In The Oscar Game – Interview

By PETE HAMMOND | Monday December 31, 2012 @ 5:31pm PSTTags: Bradley Cooper, David O. Russell, Martin Scorsese, Raging Bull, Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook
Pete Hammond

Between 1974 when he won Best Supporting Actor for his turn as the young Don Corleone in The Godfather Part II and 1991 when he was contending for Best Actor in Cape Fear, Robert De Niro was nominated six times and won two Oscars (1980′s Raging Bull was the other one) in a span of 17 years. But remarkably it has now been 21 years since that last Academy Award shout-out in ’91, a long Oscar dry spell for the man many consider our greatest living film actor. With the release in November of David O. Russell’s critically acclaimed Silver Linings Playbook, De Niro is genuinely contending for his first Oscar nomination in over two decades as the obsessive compulsive, sports-betting  Philadelphia Eagles fan, and father Pat Sr.

Related: OSCARS Q&A: David O. Russell

Already nominated for Critics Choice Movie Awards and SAG Best Supporting Actor honors,  De Niro is favored to repeat the feat on January 10th when Oscar nominations are announced, and although he is pleased about the buzz for his performance, he isn’t getting his hopes up as he told me when we spoke over the weekend in a rare interview. “Of course I am happy about it all and the reception, but I don’t want to expect much because I don’t want to be disappointed. I have had a lot of experience over the years and then you expect and you think and it never happens. So all I try to do is be even-keeled about stuff,” he says. Read More »

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Fleming Q&A’s David O. Russell On ‘Silver Linings Playbook’

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Friday December 28, 2012 @ 10:19am PSTTags: David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
Mike Fleming

Talk about a high degree of difficulty. David O. Russell, trying to find laughs in a love story where one of his Silver Linings Playbook protagonists is bipolar and fresh from a stint in a mental institution, and the other is freshly widowed with more than a few problems of her own. It was daunting enough that it held back a seasoned pro like Sydney Pollack, the late filmmaker who controlled the Matthew Quick novel along with his partner Anthony Minghella and Harvey Weinstein, Pollack couldn’t find a way to crack it, but he found the writer/director who was a perfect match for the material. Russell, who has had a number of well publicized fits of anger on movie sets himself and who raised a child with bipolar issues, connected with the subject matter in a way probably few writer/directors could. Here he explains how he pulled it off and how it would have been an inferior film if he gone 15 rounds in the Oscar-nominated The Fighter as a tune-up.

DEADLINE: Silver Linings Playbook started with Sydney Pollack and Anthony Minghella. How did they draft you?
RUSSELL: Well, I only spoke to Sydney. I never spoke to Anthony about it. Sydney just thought he wasn’t sure it could be pulled off. He had the obvious concerns. When you are dealing with delicate subject matter like this, and when you have moments that are so disturbing, can it be that emotionally intense and delightful? Can it be all of those things? That was the question. I kind of knew right away that I had a good shot because I had lived with some of their issues, which are inherently funny as much they are heartbreaking.
Read More »

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