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new 80 days movie

From: Brian Taves <btav~at~loc.gov>
Date: Thu, 13 Feb 2003 19:08:40 -0500 (EST)
To: jvforum <jvf~at~math.technion.ac.il>

http://www.screendaily.com/story.asp?storyid=11230

Steve Coogan to play Phileas Fogg in Walden's 80 Days

  
   Adam Minns in London 12 February 2003 04:00
  
 

UK TV comedian Steve Coogan has landed the plum role of Phileas Fogg
opposite Jackie Chan as Passepartout in Walden Media’s mega- budget movie
adaptation of Jules Verne’s Around The World In Eighty Days.

The move, which was confirmed by Coogan's UK agent ICM yesterday, marks
Coogan's first lead role in a Hollywood movie, although the TV star made
his feature debut in DNA Films' The Parole Officer and played legendary
Factory Records founder Tony Wilson in Michael Winterbottom’s acclaimed 24
Hour Party People. Coogan is well known in the UK for his comic characters
such as Alan Partridge, a spoof chat show host who expounds the virtues of
his "sports casual" wardrobe, and Paul Calf, a beer-swilling sexist pig.

Paramount Pictures was to handle North American distribution on the
picture but recently pulled out over creative differences leaving Walden,
which is backed by Denver-based The Anschutz Group, to foot the bill for
the film which is in the $100m-plus region. Summit Entertainment, which is
handling international sales on the film, said this week that several
other studios have been pursuing the film. Summit and Walden negotiated
domestic deals on previous Walden films Ghost Of The Abyss and Holes with
Disney, which could be a likely home for Around The World In 80 Days,
especially since Walden’s remit of educational entertainment with
multi-media applications is a perfect fit for Disney’s wholesome family
brand.

Frank Coraci, whose previous credits include Adam Sandler comedy smashes
The Wedding Singer and The Waterboy, is directing, with production
starting in March at Studio Babelsberg in Germany.

Chan, who this week used a trip to Berlin to scout for locations, plays
Passepartout, Fogg’s sidekick on a round-the-world ballooning trip which
Fogg has bet members of his club that he can complete in less than 80
days. Set in the 19th century, the film sees the characters in
hair-raising adventures - and locations - all around the world.

The book has been filmed three times before – in 1919 in Germany with
Conrad Veidt as Fogg and Eugen Rex as Passepartout, in 1956 by director
Michael Anderson with David Niven and Cantinflas in the roles (the film
won the best picture Oscar) and in 1989 as a TV miniseries with Pierce
Brosnan and Eric Idle in the roles
 

Brian Taves
Disclaimer--All opinions expressed are my own.
Received on Fri 14 Feb 2003 - 02:10:26 IST

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