Matthew McConaughey is developing "Exchange Student," a new comedy that his J.K. Livin production company is set to produce.
The Hollywood Reporter reports that the "Surfer Dude" actor may play a supporting role in the film.
The story, based on the actor's story and written by scriptwriter Mike Vukadinovich, will revolve around two exchange students, one who is from the U.S. and the other comes in the country, who experience new environments in different ways. One will have the time of his life, while the other goes off the rails.
J.K. Livin's Mark and Gus Gustawes will produce the project.
The Hollywood Reporter reports that the "Surfer Dude" actor may play a supporting role in the film.
The story, based on the actor's story and written by scriptwriter Mike Vukadinovich, will revolve around two exchange students, one who is from the U.S. and the other comes in the country, who experience new environments in different ways. One will have the time of his life, while the other goes off the rails.
J.K. Livin's Mark and Gus Gustawes will produce the project.
- 4/17/2009
- icelebz.com
Matthew McConaughey's J.K. Livin production company is developing Exchange Student , a comedy about two college freshmen going in opposite directions -- literally -- and has signed up-and-coming writer Mike Vukadinovich to write the script. The Hollywood Reporter says the story revolves around two exchange students, one who ships out from the U.S. and one who comes in, who experience new environments in very different ways: One has the time of his life, the other goes off the rails. The tenor of the project is described as a family comedy with wry overtones a la Wes Anderson. McConaughey generated the story and will produce and potentially star in one of the nonlead roles. J.K. Livin's Mark and Gus Gustawes will serve as producers.
- 4/17/2009
- Comingsoon.net
Matthew McConaughey’s J.K. Livin production banner is developing Exchange Student, a comedy about two college freshmen going in opposite directions -- literally -- and has signed up-and-coming writer Mike Vukadinovich to pen the script, report the trades. The story revolves around two exchange students, one who ships out from the U.S. and one who comes in, who experience new environments in very different ways: One has the time of his life, the other goes off the rails. McConaughey came up with the story and will produce and potentially star in one of the non-lead roles. J.K. Livin's Mark and Gus Gustawes will serve as producers. The project is being described as a family comedy with ironic overtones a la Wes Anderson. Vukadinovich is a playwright and former employee in the development department at HBO. He came to the attention of Hollywood reps with a satiric political...
- 4/17/2009
- by James Cook
- TheMovingPicture.net
Matthew McConaughey is making an exchange.
The actor's J.K. Livin production banner is developing "Exchange Student," a comedy about two college freshmen going in opposite directions -- literally -- and has signed up-and-coming writer Mike Vukadinovich to pen the script.
The story revolves around two exchange students, one who ships out from the U.S. and one who comes in, who experience new environments in very different ways: One has the time of his life, the other goes off the rails. The tenor of the project is described as a family comedy with wry overtones a la Wes Anderson.
McConaughey generated the story and will produce and potentially star in one of the nonlead roles. J.K. Livin's Mark and Gus Gustawes will serve as producers.
In addition to "Exchange," Vukadinovich and J.K. Livin are developing "Jonah and the Whale," a dysfunctional-family dramedy that the writer penned as a spec.
The actor's J.K. Livin production banner is developing "Exchange Student," a comedy about two college freshmen going in opposite directions -- literally -- and has signed up-and-coming writer Mike Vukadinovich to pen the script.
The story revolves around two exchange students, one who ships out from the U.S. and one who comes in, who experience new environments in very different ways: One has the time of his life, the other goes off the rails. The tenor of the project is described as a family comedy with wry overtones a la Wes Anderson.
McConaughey generated the story and will produce and potentially star in one of the nonlead roles. J.K. Livin's Mark and Gus Gustawes will serve as producers.
In addition to "Exchange," Vukadinovich and J.K. Livin are developing "Jonah and the Whale," a dysfunctional-family dramedy that the writer penned as a spec.
- 4/16/2009
- by By Steven Zeitchik
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Matthew McConaughey was out with friends in Santa Monica before getting dressed up in all denim to join Camila Alves and his costars for another premiere of Surfer, Dude. Matthew was hitting the airwaves from all angles yesterday — he also visited La's NPR station to play a few of his favorite songs as part of their Guest DJ project. Matthew and his familiar drawl are no stranger to voice work since he just recorded some spots for a Baby Longhorns DVD, so Matthew was probably a natural on air. To see more of Matthew's day at the beach and premiere just read more Images include: Matthew McConaughey, Jeffrey Nordling, Camila Alves, Sarah Wright, S.R. Bindler, Christina Gabrielle, Gus Gustawes, Hannah Cornett, Dennis Weiss, Gordon Prend Source and Source...
- 9/11/2008
- by Molly
- Popsugar.com
One could make the case that any movie starring Penelope Cruz or William H. Macy can't be all bad. And "Sahara", which stars both Penelope Cruz and William H. Macy, proves the point: It isn't all bad.
What it is is a big summer action movie that would have been hot stuff about 30 years ago but looks tired and worn today despite a perky, attractive cast that refuses to wilt in the desert sun. Star Matthew McConaughey can draw female audiences just as Cruz draws males, so the film should do enough boxoffice so as not to cause the new Paramount regime any anguish. It might take video and DVD to put the film in the black.
Although shot in Morocco and Spain, the movie is set vaguely in sub-Saharan Africa, mostly Nigeria and Mali. "Sahara" is based on one of novelist Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt adventures, whose intrepid hero is a deep-sea expert and treasure hunter with a nose for trouble and lovely women. In movie terms, Dirk is something of a cross between James Bond and Indiana Jones.
Unfortunately, McConaughey is a little too light to step into the kind of role Harrison Ford or Kevin Costner would have played it a decade or so ago. And Steve Zahn is likable but forced as Al Giordino, Dirk's happy-go-lucky sidekick with a quick quip for any situation. The division of labor between these two is best summed up by Zahn's line: "I'll find the bomb! You get the girl!"
Cruz doesn't have much to do other than look ravishing while jumping from a camel onto a moving train or leaping out of a helicopter to escape the villain. And Macy gets sidelined with a character, nominally Dirk's boss, who hears about all the action over the telephone. Still it is fun to watch the two actors turn nonsense into watchable nonsense.
So what is a deep-sea expert doing in the Sahara? Actually he is searching for a Civil War Ironclad battleship that he and he alone believes somehow drifted from Virginia to Africa 140 years ago. Cruz's Dr. Rojas is a World Health Organization doctor determined to locate the cause of a baffling new plague in Mali. Her search has no real connection to Dirk and Al's quest, yet they keep running into one another in the vast wilderness so that Dirk can rescue her from certain death. (In fairness, she rescues him too.)
The trio's escapades come to the attention of evil French entrepreneur Massarde (Lambert Wilson) and Mali strongman General Kazim (Lennie James) who send the entire Mali army after them to cover up the source of the rapidly spreading illness. Four writers struggle to give the plot any sense of plausibility without much success. Leaps in logic and locations abound as our heroes wisecrack their way through fights without a scratch.
First-time feature director Breck Eisner -- he has directed a TV film -- does a respectable job in maintaining forward momentum and brisk byplay among the actors. The film's action set pieces, including a battle between boats on a river, breaking into a mysterious power plant in the middle of nowhere and various skirmishes between our heroes and the general's faceless soldiers, come off effectively.
There is nothing to them though we haven't seen before, and the use of old pop songs on the soundtrack contributes to a strong feeling of Deja Vu. The film's otherworldly locations and sets that neatly blend into the startling vistas spruce up the formulaic happenings. Production designer Allan Cameron has, after all, designed a Bond movie, and this is his fourth movie in Morocco. Cinematographer Seamus McGarvey makes the most of the locations to give them a haunting beauty. No, it isn't all bad but it isn't very good either.
SAHARA
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures and Bristol Bay Prods. present in association with Baldwin Entertainment Group a j.k. livin production, a Kanzaman production
Credits:
Director: Breck Eisner
Screenwriters: Thomas Dean Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John C. Richards, James V. Hart
Based on the novel by: Clive Cussler
Producers: Howard Baldwin, Karen Baldwin, Mace Neufeld, Stephanie Austin
Executive producers: Matthew McConaughey, Gus Gustawes, William J. Immerman, Vicki Dee Rock
Director of photography: Seamus McGarvey
Production designer: Allan Cameron
Music: Clint Mansell
Costumes: Anna Sheppard
Editor: Andrew MacRitchie
Cast:
Dirk Pitt: Matthew McConaughey
Al Giordino: Steve Zahn
Dr. Eva Rojas: Penelope Cruz
Massarde: Lambert Wilson
Dr. Hopper: Glynn Turman
Carl: Delroy Lindo
Admiral Sandecker: William H. Macy
Rudi: Rainn Wilson
MPAA rating: PG-13.
Running time: 123 minutes.
What it is is a big summer action movie that would have been hot stuff about 30 years ago but looks tired and worn today despite a perky, attractive cast that refuses to wilt in the desert sun. Star Matthew McConaughey can draw female audiences just as Cruz draws males, so the film should do enough boxoffice so as not to cause the new Paramount regime any anguish. It might take video and DVD to put the film in the black.
Although shot in Morocco and Spain, the movie is set vaguely in sub-Saharan Africa, mostly Nigeria and Mali. "Sahara" is based on one of novelist Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt adventures, whose intrepid hero is a deep-sea expert and treasure hunter with a nose for trouble and lovely women. In movie terms, Dirk is something of a cross between James Bond and Indiana Jones.
Unfortunately, McConaughey is a little too light to step into the kind of role Harrison Ford or Kevin Costner would have played it a decade or so ago. And Steve Zahn is likable but forced as Al Giordino, Dirk's happy-go-lucky sidekick with a quick quip for any situation. The division of labor between these two is best summed up by Zahn's line: "I'll find the bomb! You get the girl!"
Cruz doesn't have much to do other than look ravishing while jumping from a camel onto a moving train or leaping out of a helicopter to escape the villain. And Macy gets sidelined with a character, nominally Dirk's boss, who hears about all the action over the telephone. Still it is fun to watch the two actors turn nonsense into watchable nonsense.
So what is a deep-sea expert doing in the Sahara? Actually he is searching for a Civil War Ironclad battleship that he and he alone believes somehow drifted from Virginia to Africa 140 years ago. Cruz's Dr. Rojas is a World Health Organization doctor determined to locate the cause of a baffling new plague in Mali. Her search has no real connection to Dirk and Al's quest, yet they keep running into one another in the vast wilderness so that Dirk can rescue her from certain death. (In fairness, she rescues him too.)
The trio's escapades come to the attention of evil French entrepreneur Massarde (Lambert Wilson) and Mali strongman General Kazim (Lennie James) who send the entire Mali army after them to cover up the source of the rapidly spreading illness. Four writers struggle to give the plot any sense of plausibility without much success. Leaps in logic and locations abound as our heroes wisecrack their way through fights without a scratch.
First-time feature director Breck Eisner -- he has directed a TV film -- does a respectable job in maintaining forward momentum and brisk byplay among the actors. The film's action set pieces, including a battle between boats on a river, breaking into a mysterious power plant in the middle of nowhere and various skirmishes between our heroes and the general's faceless soldiers, come off effectively.
There is nothing to them though we haven't seen before, and the use of old pop songs on the soundtrack contributes to a strong feeling of Deja Vu. The film's otherworldly locations and sets that neatly blend into the startling vistas spruce up the formulaic happenings. Production designer Allan Cameron has, after all, designed a Bond movie, and this is his fourth movie in Morocco. Cinematographer Seamus McGarvey makes the most of the locations to give them a haunting beauty. No, it isn't all bad but it isn't very good either.
SAHARA
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures and Bristol Bay Prods. present in association with Baldwin Entertainment Group a j.k. livin production, a Kanzaman production
Credits:
Director: Breck Eisner
Screenwriters: Thomas Dean Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John C. Richards, James V. Hart
Based on the novel by: Clive Cussler
Producers: Howard Baldwin, Karen Baldwin, Mace Neufeld, Stephanie Austin
Executive producers: Matthew McConaughey, Gus Gustawes, William J. Immerman, Vicki Dee Rock
Director of photography: Seamus McGarvey
Production designer: Allan Cameron
Music: Clint Mansell
Costumes: Anna Sheppard
Editor: Andrew MacRitchie
Cast:
Dirk Pitt: Matthew McConaughey
Al Giordino: Steve Zahn
Dr. Eva Rojas: Penelope Cruz
Massarde: Lambert Wilson
Dr. Hopper: Glynn Turman
Carl: Delroy Lindo
Admiral Sandecker: William H. Macy
Rudi: Rainn Wilson
MPAA rating: PG-13.
Running time: 123 minutes.
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