Benjamin Button: Fincher's new film :: News & more

Trailer & Website

noreply@blogger.com (pinkpanther1586) — Fri, 23 May 2008 15:11:00 +0000

Yes you heard right folks - after what seems like an eternity we finally have our first trailer for Benjamin Button...... in Spanish, LOL! Expect a HQ and English version to officially come through in the next couple of days. For now just enjoy the trailer and also check out the official website that has just launched.

EDIT - Here is the trailer in English and in higher quality!

Also check out some new ads that Fincher has made in this very productive period!

Apple - 3G iPhone commercial

Higher quality version at official Apple website.

There is also a new Stand Up To Cancer commercial shown at the Anonymous Content website.

Enjoy!

The Big Ass Update!

noreply@blogger.com (pinkpanther1586) — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 08:22:00 +0000

What's this? An update on the Benjamin Button blog? Yes it is true - after a year of being busy (and very lazy) I have decided to kick into gear and get updating on 2008's most anticipated movie - The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button. Now enough with the foreplay lets get down to it!

I have read the script! I head to get that out there. No I can't trade it or give you a copy. If you want the script that badly I suggest doing a bit of doing around on some of the major movie forums. It isn't too hard to find. I read a draft dated back to 2002, credited to Eric Roth with a footnote crediting previous writer Robin Swicord. Without giving too much away I loved the script but I do think it needs some major revisions. The same draft was reviewed by movie site Collidier, but I think its safe to say the script used in the actual movie will be updated and trimmed down. You only have to glance at the IMDB credits to realise the scripts gone through major rewrites. I do think the script shares a lot in common with Forrest Gump, no doubt through the films sharing the same screeen writer. I think this is a good thing, Forrest Gump is a favourite of mine and I'm sure the future drafts of the BB script will Forrest Gump's level of social truth and humanity. My final words on the scripts - if a few minor changes are made to the films structures and a few scenes are trimmed out this is going to be a major film, one that finally lands the audience deserves. Also Pitt and Blanchett are a lock for Academy Award nominations and quite possibly wins.

The other big news concerns BB's US release date being moved back to December 19th of this year. Zodiac was delayed for what seemed like years so I wasn't suprised when this happend. We have to take into consideration the amount of post production work that will go into this movie. Plus releasing the movie in late December can only increase BB's award chances.

Tilda Swintong talks to MTV, she promises the effects will be amazing! By the way Tilda has an amazing cameo in the film. She should be a lock for a second consecutive nomination/award for best supporting actress.

Taraji P. Henson also has a great cameo role, after the movie comes we'll definetly be seeing more of her. Catch her talking to MTV here, and blackfilm here. I've always loved Jason Flemyng's cameo roles, here he has a few good words to say about Brad Pitt.

Like I mentioned earlier BB has a good shot at many Oscar noms and many potential wins. Even Variety is on the bandwagon.

I thought I was the biggest Fincher spruker around. But I have to admit Jefferey Wells beats me hands down. Read him hyping BB harder than me! His website is one of the best out there period. Here is a link to an interview he did with Fincher circa Zodiac's DVD release.

Now we know that Fincher is busy playing around with post effects and editing on BB but he has also been busy lining up future projects. I'm sure we all know about his long running involvement with trying to get Rendezvous with Rama up and that he has shown interest in directing the Torso graphic novel but that doesn't stop Fincher from getting involved with every 3rd project floating around Hollywood. First it was meant to be the French comic The Killer, then it was Charles Burns comic Black Hole and now it is a new animated anthology of Heavy Metal.

I know some of you out there just go crazy of the technical stuff, so head over to Studo Daily for your fix of Benjamin Button tech.

And finally we have photos from the movie. For so some behing the scenes shots of Cate Blanchett head over here. Below you can find the first two official shot from the movie.

Now that's all for now, I am promise I will keep this site updated as humanly possible from now until the film is released. I just hope the news keeps trickling in. In the meantime I am on the lookout for a new header design, I don't want to do it myself. So if you guys can come up with anything please email me on pinkpanther1586@hotmail.com. Also if you come by any news articles or if you were involved in the film please let me know!

Fincher on New Orleans!

noreply@blogger.com (pinkpanther1586) — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 09:16:00 +0000

New Orleans is still in a state of recovery.

Let's take a look beyond the glitzy showbiz side of movie making and find out what the filming of the Curious Case of Benjamin Button means to the people of New Orleans. After four months of intensive shooting the movie is set to wrap in the flood ravaged city. The following extracts are from an excellent interview with director David Fincher:

On Brad Pitt:

"There's something amazing about him," Fincher said. "He can say horrible (things) and if he smiles at you, you say, 'Oh, OK.' "I trust him. When he says I've got to do this this way, you go, 'OK.' "

On what Benjamin Button is about:

"I think it's a story about death," he said, "to love somebody enough to be there when they breathe their last breath." Fincher said his father died two years ago at about the same time some of his friends were having their first child. "It's easy to have babies; it's hard to be there when somebody dies," he said.

On why New Orleans was picked as the location:

Fincher said he considered shooting the Victorian-era period piece in Baltimore, where the short story was set, but decided on the Crescent City instead. "We looked at Baltimore," he said. "It lacked a certain warmth. It lacked the sense of history and patina of New Orleans." Fincher praised New Orleans as a location, noting that both rural and urban sets were easily available. To realize the city's "enormous potential," as a movie-making magnet, Fincher said, "you need four or five large, workable sound stages, an influx of cash to make a real workable physical plant." Asked to discuss the complications of filmmaking in the post-Katrina environment, Fincher minimized the hardship. "The challenges of shooting after Katrina," he said, "were the same as for anybody moving back: getting labor, getting plywood."

Well done to the production crew for sticking with the location after th floods - the least this movie can do is restort some lost pride in the disaster stricken city.

Big Ass Update!

noreply@blogger.com (pinkpanther1586) — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 10:30:00 +0000

Zodiac is released - done, in the can, its a wrap. So that can mean only one thing - all the Fincher fanatics now move on to the next project - the massively hyped (and budgeted) - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button! Here is a low down on all that has been happening with this major production.

New set pics are up from our fave leading man - Brad Pitt! But he's in the arms of another woman! What will Angelina think? Head to Just Jared to find out more - and also see a cool video from the set. It's really interesting that Fincher made Zodiac which really was under the radar and had very little leaks from the set and now with Pitt on the scene every day represents paparrazi mayhem!

Picture courtesy of Just Jared.

While doing press for Zodiac Fincher's been talking about Benjamin Button and the huge scale and ambitious scope of the project. This taken from an excellent Esquire article where Fincher is talking about how they will make Brad Pitt age backwards (without using different actors!):

Instead of using different actors for Benjamin Button and asking the audience to make the mental leap, he will be played at almost every age by Brad Pitt, with his head put onto other actors' bodies. Fincher plays a demo scene, and it's a little freaky and utterly believable. A man sits at a table tapping a spoon, and then the head changes. Same scene, same body, but a new head, flawlessly switched. When Benjamin is aged and decrepit--or young and decrepit, in this case--the role will be played by a smaller actor. The same scene will be reshot with Pitt playing Benjamin. The movements of both actors' faces will be tracked, with Pitt's replacing the original. That's the plan at least. "I sure hope we're right," he says. "Or it's going to be terrible."

Another great insight into Fincher's creative juices comes via this interview with MTV's Kurt Loder:

Loder: How did you become involved with "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"?
Fincher: I read a script many, many years ago. It's a really beautiful story, but I didn't feel that it was makeable in that incarnation. I told Brad [Pitt] about it years ago, and then it was being offered to him, but they didn't have a director, so they brought it to me, then I worked on it for about four years, and now it's finally at a place where the studio wanted to throw the kind of money that it would take to execute it. So here we are in New Orleans, making it.

Loder: You obviously have an affinity for the serial-killer genre. I'd imagine you don't want to make a career of it, but you are considering making a film version of "Torso," aren't you?
Fincher: I'm interested in that. I'm not interested in the serial killer thing, I'm interested in Eliot Ness. I'm interested in the de-mythologizing of Eliot Ness. Because, you know, "The Untouchables" was only two or three years of the Eliot Ness story. There's a whole other, much more sinister downside to it. And so that's of interest to me. We want to make it the "Citizen Kane" of cop movies. I also want to make a CG animated movie. And I've been talking about doing a remake of a movie I really liked in the '70s, "The Reincarnation of Peter Proud." Ever see that? And there's a World War II movie that Robert Towne is writing that I really love. All kinds of stuff.

Looks like Cate and Brad will be in Montreal come the end of May - with 8 days of shooting scheduled - with producers planning to make a part of the city look like Moscow and Paris in winter, with the streets covered in fake snow. Whoa doesn't this film get more interesting by the day?!

Thats a wrap guys - the movie looks to well under way but don't hold your breath - keep in mind Fincher is a perftionist and will work on every single second of the frame before letting it out in the world, oh and don't forget those crazy digital special effects they have to be completed! The waiting game begins fans!

Pitt + Fincher finally reunited!

noreply@blogger.com (pinkpanther1586) — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 10:45:00 +0000

It's what we've been waiting to see for over 6 years - Brad Pitt and David Fincher reunited, making a new movie. And here's the photograph to prove it.

Look at the boys having fun! Having watched Fight Club again this week I can't wait to see what film-making best duo since DeNiro & Scorcese have to offer us! Oh - also check out the set pics on the above link - is that meant to be old Brad?

Shooting updates

noreply@blogger.com (pinkpanther1586) — Mon, 25 Dec 2006 09:52:00 +0000

Merry Xmas to you all - I hope you had a happy and safe festive season!

Santa has some BB goodies for you - you won't be empty handed this year!

Button has stopped filming over the holiday season - but there is some good news when shooting resumes. Head over to this site to learn how you could be an extra in the movie. Now anyone around the New Orleans area who is a Fincher or even slightly a movie fan would be remiss to miss out on this opportunity, I know if I had the chance to do it I would!

Also for those of you too lazy to read the F. Scott Fitzgerald short story here's your chance to listen to it. Head over to Thought Audio to hear the story in MP3 format. Now there is no more excuses for not having the original text!

Interview with the writer

noreply@blogger.com (pinkpanther1586) — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 10:14:00 +0000

ComingSoon.net has a very a fascinating with writer extrodinaire Eric Roth - who if you don't know by now is the writer of the Benjamin Button script, he has also written the excellent Forrest Gump & The Insider scripts and has also penned the soon to be released DeNiro directed Good Shephard. The interview is extremely interesting and not just for the fact he talks about Benjamin Button. I think it is really a shame that more script writers aren't given the credit and exposure that they deserve! But then again 90% of script writers are robotic monkeys who churn out more crap than a horse *cough* Akiva Goldsman *cough* so it's no wonder they are under appreciated - you're thoughts readers?

Anyway heres a quote from the interview:

CS: For that Fincher film, you came on board after a bunch of other
writers.
Roth: Well, "Benjamin Bunton" was slightly different, because I just took permission to start from scratch. I never read anything that anyone else did, and any resemblance would just be purely coincidental. The only thing that remains is the names of the people in the F. Scott Fitzgerald [book]. The heart of it is about a guy who's aging backwards, but other than that, I just went "Page 1, this happens" and none of it's from the story or anybody else. It's the same thing I did on "Forrest Gump," 'cause that had gone on for nine or ten years, people trying it and it not working. When they gave it to me, I just said I'm going to try this.

First set pics!

noreply@blogger.com (pinkpanther1586) — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 08:20:00 +0000

What great news. Special thanks to the anonymous poster who gave me a heads up on this (what's you're name so I can credit you)?

The movie has started filming in New Orleans and as the premise of the film suggests - we'll see plenty of Brad in plenty of costumes and faces. So for today we have - fat and old Brad! Sound hilarious? Looks hilarious too. Check out the full gallery here. And even more set pics here - funky costumes! Check out the video of the filiming here - for the Zodiac movie we saw pretty much nothing until the trailer hit. But with Button we are getting set pics within a week of filming, ah the power of Brad.

This news confirms just what a machine Fincher is. He has just completed the final edit on his Zodiac film and already he has gone into production on Benjamin Button! Should mark another creative collabaration between Pitt & Fincher. Se7en, Fight Club and now Benjamin Button. Remind anyone of DeNiro & Scorcese?

New Cast Member + Updates!

noreply@blogger.com (pinkpanther1586) — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 08:22:00 +0000

Yay news! Alot's been happening on the Zodiac front - so make sure your up to date - but finally we have news on Benjamin Button!

A new cast member has joined! Julia Ormond (Sabrina & First Night) will be reunited with her Legends of Fall co-star Brad Pitt. Ormond will play Cate Blanchette's daughter who is told of the story of her love affair with Benjamin Button. The article also states that shooting starts November 6th in New Orleans and photography wraps in Los Angeles on February 7th. We'll see about that!

News!!! Yay!

noreply@blogger.com (pinkpanther1586) — Sat, 23 Sep 2006 23:20:00 +0000

Finally we have some new information filtering our way!

It appears that Tilda Swinton, Jason Flemyng and Taraji P. Henson are also in negotiations to join the cast of Benjamin Button, as reported on the Production Weekly Blog. Shooting is slated to start on November the 6th in New Orleans and wrapping up in L.A. on February 7, 2007.

Aaron Haye (digital set designer on the movie) claims the film will only use digital set designs! All digital baby! This should stunning! Remember it is a period piece folks, it would cost alot of money to make all the different sets that Fincher that wants to deply.

As always the Director of Photography always plays a big role in Fincher's films and for this one the honour goes to - Claudio Miranda!!! Fincher die hards would have probably heard of him by now. He has worked with Fincher on several award winning commercials. He also shot additional photography on Zodiac and worked on "Se7en", "Fight Club" and "The Game". Seems that Fincher will once again shoot with the Viper!

Thats all for now. Hurray for news!

Tom Cruise - whats he got to do with the movie?

noreply@blogger.com (pinkpanther1586) — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 06:03:00 +0000

Read the article about Cruise vs Paramount not only for it's mention of Bejamin Button but also for the fragile situation in Hollywood land right now. Fascinating. Anyways here is the mention of our eagerly awaited film:

Indeed, as tempers flared last week, Paramount executives were at the bargaining table with CAA, hammering out a new movie deal. By the end of last week, the studio had greenlighted "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," which it is co-producing with Warner. The film depends on four of CAA's top clients.

The drama about a man who begins aging backward when he hits 50 stars Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, with a screenplay by Eric Roth. It will be directed by David Fincher.

Damn the movie was only greenlight last week? I would have thought this was done a while ago. Strange folks those Hollywood people.

How Fincher's Fight Club changed the game

noreply@blogger.com (pinkpanther1586) — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 06:02:00 +0000

And I'm not talking in terms of creativity and technical innovation but DVD sales! Check out this quote from an article about Blu-ray DVD's. The quote is:

Dunn says that his studio first recognized the change in consumer taste with the release of the DVD of "Fight Club," the controversial David Fincher film starring Brad Pitt and Ed Norton as hopeless young men who vent their aggression through underground fight clubs. The 1999 film grossed only $44 million at the box office, but the DVD, complete with interpretation from Fincher, sold a 1 million copies.

Very interesting. It is a spectacular DVD set. The shame is the Australian version (which I have) only has one commentary track. None the less the DVD is an essential for any Fincher or movie fan! Must have!

Button the most expensive Paramount film ever?

noreply@blogger.com (pinkpanther1586) — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 08:44:00 +0000

According to this article it is. From the article:

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” has a budget of $150 million, more than twice the cost of production for the Denzel Washington movie “Déjà Vu” shot earlier this year in town. Producer Michael Arata said the Pitt movie would break all of Paramount's production records. “This is the largest movie ever filmed in the state of Louisiana and the largest movie that Paramount Studios, which has been around forever, has ever tried. So, it’s an enormous, enormous economic boon,” said Arata. Arata said dozens of New Orleanians are already employed on pre-production work for the film. Actual production should begin in November and last through April 2007.

So we have confirmation of a November date (not October as previously reported) and an expensive budget which we knew - but boy is it huge! Paramount is taking a huge risk on this. I've yet to hear if The Zodiac post production will be finished by the time cameras roll around for Benjamin Button. It's gonna be a busy few months for Fincher!

The way of the future - the Contour camera

noreply@blogger.com (pinkpanther1586) — Mon, 31 Jul 2006 04:42:00 +0000

Two related articles talking about an exciting new way that movie making is headed. Of course Fincher is mentioned.

Wall Street Journal article & New York Times article

Can't wait to see this used for Benjamin Button!

Could it be? Yes it's an UPDATE!!!

noreply@blogger.com (pinkpanther1586) — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 13:37:00 +0000

ComingSoon.net reports that Pitt has confirmed he'll be starring in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I thought he was confirmed months ago - but what do I know?

Brad Pitt Commits to Benjamin Button
Source: Variety
July 27, 2006

Brad Pitt has committed to star in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, a Paramount/Warner Bros. co-production, which he'll make after he reprises his role this summer in the Steven Soderbergh-directed Ocean's 13 at Warner Bros.

Variety says Pitt is also circling Universal's State of Play, the Americanized adaptation of the acclaimed British miniseries. Matthew Carnahan is writing the script. Pitt is interested in playing a journalist and former campaign manager of a fast-rising politician who unravels a murder conspiracy involving his former boss.

"Button," which has been on Pitt's radar for at least a year, re-teams the actor with his Fight Club director David Fincher and Cate Blanchett, his Babel co-star. The project has been developed for more than a decade in several different incarnations.

Written by Eric Roth from a story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the drama casts Pitt as a man who hits age 50 and begins aging backward. Complications ensue when he falls in love with a woman of 30. "Button," which is produced by Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall, is likely to start production in late fall.

Congrats Brad!

noreply@blogger.com (pinkpanther1586) — Sun, 28 May 2006 02:31:00 +0000

I'd like to use this post to congratulate Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie on the birth of their baby girl today. Here is the official statement:

"The night of May 27, 2006 in Namibia, Africa, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt welcomed their daughter Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt," publicist Cindy Guagenti said in a statement. "No further information is being given," she said.

Production update!

noreply@blogger.com (pinkpanther1586) — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 23:36:00 +0000

Production Weekly is the original source of the story but MovieWeb is also reporting it. Here it is:

David Fincher, will begin filming October on "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's short story, with Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. "Benjamin Button" adapted by Eric Roth, who won an Oscar for penning "Forrest Gump".

Fitzgerald's story tells the story of Daisy (Blanchett), who on her deathbed tells her daughter Caroline the story of her lifelong romance with the remarkable Benjamin Button (Pitt), who was born old and lived backwards, and of Benjamin's extraordinary life, from old age to manhood to infancy.

The story's been set in New Orleans, allowing the studios to take advantage of Louisiana's production incentives. Pitt and Blanchett recently co-stared in Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's "Babel", due for a November release. "Benjamin Button" will mark the third time Pitt has teamed with Fincher following "Se7en" and "Fight Club".

So there we have it guys - final conformation that the movie is being made - and only a month after the release of Zodiac! The Finch never stops working. Be sure to keep an eye out on the site for more updates as production nears its start date.

Off topic - Jesse James Trailer.

noreply@blogger.com (pinkpanther1586) — Thu, 27 Apr 2006 23:34:00 +0000

Looks pretty cool guys, from the director of Chopper comes the new Brad Pitt movie The Assassination of Jesse James. Heres the teaser trailer for it, 56K users are warned. It's a big file!

CLICK HERE

Thanks to JustJared for the news and the pic above!

Finally a production update!

noreply@blogger.com (pinkpanther1586) — Thu, 20 Apr 2006 01:13:00 +0000

Producer Frank Marshall talks to the always reliable Empire Online:

Isn’t Benjamin Button coming up as well?

Yeah, my next film as a producer will be the third in the Jason Bourne series, The Bourne Ultimatum, which will be shot here in London and all over in Europe, but it’ll be based here in London with Paul Greengrass again. And then Benjamin Button starts in October, with David Fincher directing Brad Pitt, so that will be very cool. I can’t wait for that. That’s an amazing story. It’s an old F Scott Fitzgerald short story about a man who is born and ages backwards. It’s really a love story. He meets this woman who’s five, this kid who’s five, and he’s really five but he looks seventy and lives at this old people’s home and they play together and people can’t understand why they get along so well.

And Cate Blanchett’s in it as well, isn’t she?

Yeah, she plays the woman, and she grows up, so when they get to be in their thirties, they’re the same age, and they fall in love and then there’s this agonising separation as she gets older and he gets younger, then when he’s twenty he doesn’t want anything to do with her.

Could it be??? Yes its an update!!!

noreply@blogger.com (pinkpanther1586) — Sat, 28 Jan 2006 03:36:00 +0000

Been a while. Producer Frank Marshall talked to ComingSoon.net and mentioned this:

CS: Why is David Fincher's "Benjamin Button" going to be such a complicated, expensive movie to make?
Marshall: The fact that it's period, covers 60-70 years from early 1900s to now. The effects side of it is gonna be about a man aging backwards, so figuring that out.

Like we didn't know that one before! The question remains as to what is going to be filmed first - Button or Torso? Stay tuned.

Button delayed?

noreply@blogger.com (pinkpanther1586) — Thu, 12 Jan 2006 22:49:00 +0000

With the news of new Fincher movie (Torso) there are mixed reports as to wether this will be the next film for Fincher or wether he will direct Torso first.

This is from DarkHorizons: Its expected he'll get to work on this once he wraps production on Paramount's "Benjamin Button" adaptation. Fincher's next film "Zodiac" is due out in the Fall.

But from Empire: Before Fincher begins work on Torso, he's expected to go into production on Benjamin Button with Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett attached to star.

These are all probably guesses but I'm sure well hear something official soon. Keep in mind that Pitt is expecting a baby soon so that might delay proceedings and also that Button will be an expensive film to make. If they delay it by a couple of years they can save a lot on the special effects budget.

Off topic - Pitt as Jesse James

noreply@blogger.com (pinkpanther1586) — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 02:43:00 +0000

Today the first official pic from Andrew Dominik's upcoming film The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford was released. Above is a low res version of Bradd Pitt as Jesse James. The movie is expected to be relased sometimes in 2006.

High Res version

News - sort of?

noreply@blogger.com (pinkpanther1586) — Fri, 02 Sep 2005 05:55:00 +0000

Ok im clutching at straws but it does have some relevance to the movie. While Brad is in Canada mucking around with the Jesse James flick Fincher is currently filming Zodiac and he is using some interesting CG techniques that I'm sure will be used similarly in Benjamin Button. Read on the link below.

Link to interview

What's the site about?

noreply@blogger.com (pinkpanther1586) — Mon, 29 Aug 2005 09:22:00 +0000

What is this site about?
It's about Benjamin Button the upcomingDavid Fincher film idiot! Read the title on the page! I'll be providing you crazy Fincher fans with all the latest news as they occur. And you Pitt fans can read too but there won't be any Angelina related posts! I'll keep you updated regularly, feel free to drop me a line and comment on any of the stories I post.