Word out of Toronto International Film Festival is that The Weinstein Company may have an Oscar contender inLion, which starsDev PatelandRooney Marain the story of a young Indian man who goes searching for his original family after being adopted by an Australian family as a boy. The story itself sound like pretty obvious, period-design-heavy Oscar bait, which has been part of the Weinstein brand for quite some time now. One could even seeInglorious Bastardsas first and foremost a period piece, one that also happens to play a 1980sDavid Bowietrack in the days of Adolf Hitler’s reign.
There’s a similar timbre to what looks to be The Weinstein Company’s next major project, and the subject matter might sound a bit familiar to you. After developing a project for some eight years or so, Harvey Weinstein looks to be finally moving ahead with his adaptation ofThe Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortaro, the tale of a young Jewish boy who was taken away from his family and raised as a Christian. The Italian-born boy eventually becomes a priest in the Augustinian order, following the 1858 kidnapping. AsTHR reports, Weinstein has apparently tapped directorBaltasar Kormakurto helm the project, withRobert De Niroin talks to play Pope Pius IX. Neither the filmmaker nor the actor have signed on as of yet.
Those who have been paying attention to the recent doings of oneSteven Spielbergwill not that he’s currently in pre-production for a film based on the very same story. Right now, he’s working onReady Player Onebut the Mortara film has been set as his next project for some time now. At one point, apparently, Spielberg was looking to partner with Weinstein on the project but that has seemingly fallen through at this point. Spielberg’s film will starMark Rylanceas Pope Pius IX andOscar Isaachas been tapped to lead the film in an unspecified role, working from a script byLincolnandAngels in AmericascribeTony Kushner. Weinstein’s script will be penned byJeremy BrockofThe Last King of Scotland, and on the merits of screenwriting alone, Spielberg’s production currently has the upper hand. With some clever casting and filmmaking choices, however, that could change.
