Boxoffice-July.1999

I
'
HOLLYWOOD
REPORT
"SHOOTER" An expert sniper
("The Matrix's" Keanu Reeves)
retires from the profession after
accidentally killing an innocent
bystander; however, v^/hen he's
convinced to utilize his skills to
help prevent an assassination,
he's double-crossed and framed
for murder. (Paramount)
"THE CATCHER WAS A SPY"
Based on the true story of 1 930s
Brooklyn Dodger Moe Berg,
who was recruited as a spy by
the organization that later became
known as the CIA, this
thrillerwill star George Clooney
("Three Kings"). (Warner)
"ROUSTABOUT" Winona
Ryder ("Lost Souls") will star for
director Chris Eyre ("Smoke Signals")
in this coming-of-age
story about a young woman's
eccentric and harrowing experiences
working behind-thescenes
for a circus. (New Line)
"LIFE OF THE PARTY" A group
of friends travel to France to
help their alcoholic friend
("PushingTin's"JohnCusack) in
this comedy/drama. Steve Zahn
("Happy, Texas") co-stars; Greg
Motolla ("The Daytrippers") directs
from his own script. (Columbia)
"DANCING IN THE DARt 1
This remake of Corne
Woolrich's suspense nov
"Waltz into Darkness" will st
Angel inaJolie("PushingTin")
a
manipulative and decepti>
woman who marries a lone
tycoon. (Warner)
"CAESAR'S ASHES" In order
keep his company from havir :
to pay a costly claim, a Britii
insurance investigator ("Nottir
Hill's" Hugh Grant) enlists \\
aid of a streetwise sidekick
track down an urn containir
Julius Caeser's ashes. (Cast
Rock)
KEANU REEVES
Sets Sights On "Shooter"
LEELEE SOBIESKI
Lands "Earth'
HUGH GRANT
Hails "Caesar"
"15 MOMENTS" A Montreal
restaurant owner ("Crosse
Pointe Blank's" Dan Aykroyd)
falls in love with a young model
(Jessica Pare) but loses her to the
Canadian ambassador ("The
Ninth Gate's" Frank Langella) in
this Denys Arcand ("Love &
Human Remains") film. (Distribution
is to be set)
"BOUNCE" "Shakespeare in
Love's" Gwyneth Paltrow and
Ben Affleck will reteam in this
drama about a womanizer
(Affleck) who gives up his airplane
seat to a man anxious to
get home to his wife. The plane
crashes, and Affleck's character
is consumed with guilt. He visits
the crash victim's widow (Paltrow)
and falls in love with her,
but doesn't reveal his role in her
husband's untimely death.
(Miramax)
"I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU
JOE AND BENNY" This comedy
about two heterosexual firefighters
who marry each other for
insurance benefits will be directed
by Tom Shadyac ("Patch
Adams") and may star Nicolas
Cage ("8mm") and Will Smith
("Wild Wild West"). (Universal)
"HERE ON EARTH" Leelee
Sobieski ("A Soldier's Daughter
Never Cries") will star in this
romantic drama about two
teens who fall in love, only to
discover that one of them has a
terminal disease. "The Spitfire
Grill's" Lee David ZIotoff directs.
(Fox 2000)
UNTITLED WOODY ALLEN
PROJECT Woody Allen ("Celebrity")
assembles another eccentric
cast— including Hugh
Grant ("Netting Hill"), Jon
Lovitz ("Happiness"), Tracy Ullman
("Bullets Over Broadway")
and Michael Rapaport ("Deep
Blue Sea")—for his latest film,
whose plot is, as usual, being
kept secret. (Distribution to be
set)
"QUILLS" Geoffrey Rush
("Shakespeare in Love") will
portray the Marquis de Sade in
this film about the infamously
debauched 18th-century
author's last days. Kate Winslet
("Hideous Kinky") and Joaquin
Phoenix ("8mm") will co-star.
(Fox Searchlight)
"SAVING GRACE" A widow
("Little Voice's" Brenda
Blethyn) who's shaken by her
husband's death and is in danger
of losing her fortune is convinced
by her mansion's
caretaker ("The Big Tease's"
Craig Ferguson) to turn her
greenhouse into a pot farm in
order to maintain her wealth.
(Distribution is to be set)
"MOULIN ROUGE" Based on
the myth of Orpheus and his
journey to the Underworld, this
musical set in 1899 will star
Ewan McGregor ("The Phantom
Menace") and Nicole Kidman
("Eyes Wide Shut") and will be
directed by Baz Luhrmann
("Romeo + Juliet"). (Fox)
"ROMEO MUST DIE" "Lethal
Weapon 4's" Jet Li will play a
modern-day Romeo who falls
for an African-American Juliette,
played by hip-hop musician
Aaliyah. Their families
—both involved in organized
crime—object to the affair. Russell
Wong ("New Jack City"),
Delroy Lindo ("Ransom") and
Isaiah Washington ("True
Crime") co-star. "Lethal
Weapon 4's" cinematographer
Andrzej Bartkowiak makes his
directorial debut. (Warner)
"SKIPPED PARTS" This coming-of-age
drama set in the '60s
is about a 1 4-year-old boy ("Apt
Pupil's" Brad Renfro) who
moves to a small town with his
irresponsible mother ("eXistenZ's"
Jennifer Jason Leigh) to escape
her domineering father. Tamara
Davis ("Billy Madison") will direct.
(Trimark)
"BOESMAN AND LENA
Danny Glover ("Lethal Weapc
4") and Angela Bassett ("Ho
Stella
Got Her Groove Back
will star in this adaptation (
Athol Fugard's anti-aparthei
play. (Distribution is to be set) :
"PARANOIA" In this psyche
logical thriller, a fashion mod*
wants to get away from it all an
takes a weekend off in the cour
try with her new boyfriend. Bi
his pals show up and turn th
romantic getaway into a nigh
mare. Jessica Alba ("Never Bee
Kissed"), Jeanne Tripplehor
("Mickey Blue-Eyes"), lain Gle
("Silent Scream"), Ewen Brerr
ner ("Trainspotting") and Kevi
Whately ("The English Patient'
star for director John Duiga
("Molly"). (Distribution is to b
set)
"WHERE THE HEART IS" .
pregnant teenager ("The Phar
torn Menace's" Natalie Pon
man) is abandoned en route t
California by her boyfriend. Le
at a Wal-Mart without an
money, she is forced to mak
the drugstore her home. (Fox)
ET CETERA: Billy Crudu|
("Without Limits") will take th.
role exited by Brad Pitt in thi
untitled DreamWorks corned'
by writer/director Cameroi
Crowe ("Jerry Maguire"). Thi
film, set in the '70s, is about thi
world of rock music as seei
through the eyes of a journalist
Crudup will star as the leader o
a rock band and Kate Hudsor
("Desert Blue") will play <
groupie. Frances McDormand
Jason Lee, Bijou Phillips, Ann.
Paquin and Fairuza Balk wil
co-star. .."Dick's" Will Ferrel
will play a car salesman desper
ate to meet his quota ir
Paramount's "August Blow
out".. .Heath Ledger ("10 Thing!
I Hate About You") will pla^
Mel Gibson's character's son ir
Columbia's American Revolu
tionary War film "The Patriot.'
6 BOXOFFICE