www.foxnews.com
October 11, 2007
Quote:
Meanwhile, the Farrelly Brothers (who directed the film and are also responsible for the racy romps in "There's Something About Mary" and "Dumb and Dumber") admitted they would like their next film to be based around some married guys whose wives give them one week off from marriage.
And it seems the slapstick siblings have a "Cinderella Man" crush.
"We think Russell Crowe is much better looking than Brad Pitt, much hotter," they said.
theenvelope.latimes.com
October 11, 2007
Quote:
Universal, meanwhile, is strategically placing Russell Crowe in supporting actor for "American Gangster."
Studio insiders say the movie's "weight" is really tipped toward co-star Denzel Washington.
This despite the fact that "Gangster" billboards promote the two stars equally.
Of course, Lions Gate already has Crowe in lead actor contention for "3:10 To Yuma."
By squaring Crowe's two performances in "Gangster" and "Yuma" against each other in the same category campaigners could end up in a draw.
Oddly enough, before discovering Universal's strategy, Lions Gate marketers had briefly floated the idea of also placing Crowe in the supporting category for "Yuma" (despite his top billing) and putting Christian Bale in for lead.
That plan would have seriously derailed the chances of the western hit's true below-the-title player: the homicidal Ben Foster.
Often these chess moves are made jointly by the studio and actors reps in order to steer a star in the right direction, especially when more than one movie is involved.
That is certainly the case with Crowe this season and his "Gangster" co-star Washington who also stars in and directs The Weinstein Company's Christmas day wide release, "The Great Debaters."
There are no plans however to try and beam Washington into the supporting category for that film. It's a clear lead and both studios will just have to let the chips fall where they may.
