Screen Junkies » Dan Fogelman

How Ready To Rock Are Al Pacino And Dan Fogelman?

Geoffrey Golden — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 03:41:10 +0000

I would like to say “hello” to Al Pacino‘s little friend, assuming that friend is now a double neck guitar.

7 photosZoe Kravitz

Pacino is close to playing an aging rock star, which I think could be an amazing fit for the eccentric actor. I can see him getting a big kick out of smashing expensive musical instruments in a crazy rage. He’s currently circling the lead in Imagine, about an old rocker who uncovers a lost letter to him from John Lennon, prompting him to turn his life around. Man, I could use a lost letter from John Lennon right now. I had the worst day.

Imagine comes from the pen of screenwriter Dan Fogelman (Tangled), who’ll make his directing debut with this project. Fogelman is currently on fire, in the NBA Jam sense. He wrote July’s Crazy, Stupid, Love starring Steve Carell, who dropped out of Imagine due to scheduling conflicts. He also wrote the upcoming My Mother’s Curse starring Barbra Streisand and Seth Rogen. (LA Times)

Warner Bros Dumps Cash Onto Dan Fogelman And Soon Tom Cruise

Geoffrey Golden — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 02:06:28 +0000

At some point, screenwriter Dan Fogelman (Cars) is gonna write a movie about a politician who gets caught having an affair. Before he does that, he’ll have to make a quick stop at the bank, to cash a check for about $2 million dollars. There’s an extra million dollar check for him later if the movie gets made. Cha-ching.

Fogelman got Tom Cruise attached to his untitled new movie pitch. The combination of Fogelman, whose Steve Carrell summer film Crazy, Stupid, Love is getting a lot of buzz, and Cruise, who used his Scientology superpowers on Fogelman’s behalf, created a bidding war for his political pitch. Fox, MGM, and Paramount were all vying for the movie, but in the end, it’s Warner Bros who gets to shower money on top of Fogelman’s head, like Gatorade onto a winning “Super Bowl” coach.

In the film, after the affair, Cruise’s character goes back to his hometown to confront problems in his past. Meanwhile, the only problem Fogelman faces when he goes back home is locating the bullies who made fun of him in high school and hiring a bunch of guys to beat them up. (Deadline)

Tom Cruise Attached To Fogelman’s Next Huge Script

Penn Collins — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 23:58:26 +0000

Dan Fogelman is single-handedly screwing over every aspiring screenwriter in Hollywood. It wasn’t enough to get animated powerhouses Tangled, Bolt, and Cars produced. Then he sold Crazy, Stupid, Love to Warner Bros. for $2.5 million. Then he sold Imagine with Steve Carell attached in Fogelman’s directorial debut. Then he’s directing Me & Earl & The Dying Girl. Then he’s ALSO got his script My Mother’s Curse in production with Seth Rogen and Barbara Streisand at Universal.

So why shouldn’t his latest untitled script be in a bidding war between studios with Tom Cruise attached to star as a tarnished politician trying to rebuild himself and cope? Fogelman is absolutely on fire now and making me feel bad for not writing one screenplay per month. He’s also making me feel bad for not being really, really rich and getting Tom Cruise and Steve Carell attached to the stuff I write. Like this article. If Tom Cruise attached himself to this article I’m writing about him, that would be very Franco-esque. Very. (Deadline)

Streisand Will ‘Curse’ Us All On March 30th, 2012

Geoffrey Golden — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 03:08:17 +0000

If the world doesn’t end in 2012, at the very least, humanity will be cursed by Barbra Streisand.

The nails-on-chalkboard-annoying actress/singer/person-who-needs-people teams with Seth Rogen for My Mother’s Curse, a road trip movie that I anticipate will make me long for such masterpieces as College Road Trip. Paramount just gave Curse an official release date of March 30th, 2012. You’ve been warned.

Curse was written by Dan Fogelman (Cars), who wrote the only Pixar movie a lot of people (who need people) dislike. Anne Fletcher (The Proposal, 27 Dresses) directing does not inspire confidence. (Hollywood Reporter)

Dan Fogelman Has Conquered Screenwriting, Moving On To Directing, Thank You

Penn Collins — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 00:27:32 +0000

In the small world of screenwriting, Dan Fogelman is what you would refer to as “enormously successful.” The writer of the animated films Tangled, Bolt, and Pixar‘s Cars has recentl taken to directing, and he’s got no shortage of those opportunities flying towards him with Imagine and Crazy, Stupid, Love, both starring Steve Carell.

Not content focusing on those, Fogelman is working with production company Indian Paintbrush on an adaptation of Me & Earl & the Dying Girl, which is hopefully funnier than its title would lead us to believe. The story focuses on a popular teenager whose mother makes him befriend a sick girl who changes his outlook on friendship. Sick people are always making you appreciate stuff. So lame…

It’s uncertain when this fine piece of book will make it to the big screen, especially in light of Fogelman’s packed schedule, but expect to see it before life expectancies reach 400 years and the subject matter becomes unrelatable. (Deadline)

Oy Vey, Rogen and Streisand To Film Road Trip Movie

Geoffrey Golden — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 02:44:12 +0000

Barbara Streisand will play Seth Rogen‘s mother in Paramount’s road trip comedy My Mother’s Curse, and just thinking about that car ride gives me such a headache. I’m imagining Streisand as an overbearing Jewish mother, and slacker Rogen will probably retort with quiet wisecracks, while the audience sits and absorbs Streisand at her absolute kvetchiest. And if she sings, what then? Feh. My advice, should you want it, is be sure to locate the emergency exits before the film starts.

In the film, Rogen is an inventor who tries to sell a new product on a road trip with Momma Streisand, and along the way she’s reunited with an old flame. Hopefully, Rogen’s invention is the bubble from “The Prisoner,” which traps Streisand inside it for most of the movie. Then Rogen teams up with Harold & Kumar and we have a proper road trip. One with boobs, weed, more weed and more boobs.

My Mother’s Curse will be directed by Anne Fletcher (The Proposal – ugh) and written by Dan Fogelman (Fred Claus – double ugh). Yeah, this long shelved project was finally greenlit, and Paramount’s passing the curse onto moviegoers. I could plotz. (Hollywood Reporter)

Writer-Turned-Director Dan Fogelman Offered $3 Million For Steve Carell’s ‘Imagine’

Wookie Johnson — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 22:50:48 +0000

Screenwriter Dan Fogelman is getting paid out the wazoo for his directorial debut… even though he wrote Fred Claus. He’s signed on to direct Steve Carell from his own script in Imagine. Between his writing fee and his directing fee, he’s looking to take home at least $2 million. And that’s just on spec. If the film actually gets made, he’ll net $3 million. Which sounds like a dream gig. If Warner Bros. is paying people for having ideas, then sign me up. I have ideas ALL THE TIME. Just trust me on that.

Whereas my ideas usually earn me nothing more than the request that I stop distracting the bus driver, Fogelman had the idea to write a film about an aged rock star who discovers he’s Steve Carell’s dad via a recently-recovered letter from John Lennon. Sure, I could sit here and comment on this plot or monster payday, but that would require thought, and the going-rate for thought nowadays is $2 million. Since that’s unlikely to happen, I’m handing the reins over to Deadline commentor “Steve Jobs.” Take it away, Steve!

“Dan is good in film writing no wonder he will soon get what worth his job is. I like Steve Carell from the moment I saw him in one movie where he plays the role of a newscaster opposite Jim Carey. He did his comedy acts so well.”

Hear, hear.