The Life Story of Billy Wilder comes to a movie screen near you. Today it was announced that Stephen Frears will lead the movie, Billy Wilder and mebased on the fan favorite Jonathan Coe novel, Mr Wilder and I† Christoph Waltz †Inglorious Bastards) has signed on to take on the role of the titular character and Hollywood icon Wilder, with no other cast members revealed at this time. Legendary Oscar-winning screenwriter, Christopher Hampton †dangerous relations) will adjust the piece for the big screen. Reinhard Brundig and Christos V. Konstantakopoulous will co-produce.
It is 1977 and a young woman travels to Athens to work with the legendary director on his film, fedora† Though the woman knows very little about Wilder and his contribution to cinema, she soon takes on more than she bargained for, diving first into the world of glamor and all the excitement that comes with it. While the woman wets her toes in the showbiz pool, Wilder’s bright star begins to fade. Hollywood has shot its latest on-screen dream, leaving the creative to Germany to get the money needed to make its film a reality. Wilder soon leaves the sunny shores of Greece for the city of Munich to continue filming his project, along with the woman. As the two grow closer, Wilder opens up more and shares his entire world with the naive young woman.
To keep it succinct, both Frears and Waltz issued statements revealing the film’s announcement and casting, with Frears saying, “Europe and Hollywood. Hollywood and Europe. The most interesting dilemma in cinema.” Adding his excitement for the new project, Waltz said, “Billy Wilder said, ‘You have to have a dream so you can get up in the morning.’ A Stephen Frears movie to a Christopher Hampton script, produced by Jeremy Thomas, should be the answer for me.” It will also be a treat for Waltz and the rest of the cast and crew to get out of bed in the morning , as the shooting takes place in the beautiful locations of Greece, Munich and Paris.
Considered one of the biggest names in classic Hollywood filmmaking, Wilder received a whopping eight Academy Award nominations for Best Director, which he went on to win twice. Also a talented writer, he won the Academy Award for Best Screenplay three times and was nominated 13 times. Wilder was at the helm of well-known positions such as Sunset Boulevard† The Spirit of St. Louis† The apartmentand Some love it when it’s hot† Billy Wilder and me promises to take a deep dive into the world surrounding the acclaimed director as his life unfolds before the eyes of the story’s young woman.
At this time, no release date has been set for the production, but keep an eye on Collider for more information.
