Genre: Drama.
Studio:
Paramount Pictures.
Production Company:
EMS Productions.
Project Phase:
Greenlighted.
Who's In It:
Nicolas Cage; Ving Rhames; Patricia Arquette; John Goodman; Tom Sizemore; Marc Anthony; Mary Beth Hurt; Aida Turturro.
Who's Making It:
Martin Scorsese (Director); Paul Schrader (Screenwriter); Scott Rudin, Barbara De Fina (Producers);
Robert Richardson (Director of Photography); Thelma Schoonmaker (Editor); Dante Ferretti (Production
Designer); based on the novel by Joseph Connelly.
Premise: A New York City paramedic who finds himself falling prey to urban shellshock after too many years on the graveyard shift. The film follows him over the course of 48 hours as he begins to question his sanity in a world that seems to be far beyond his control.
Release Date: Fall 1999.
Comments: Unknown.
Rumors: Unknown.
Scoop Feedback:
[Page draft submitted by 'Deadpool'.]
July 1, 1998... Back on May 21st Variety reported that ever since Warner Bros. grounded Nicolas Cage's flight plan on Superman Lives, the actor has been swamped with offers. Sources said Cage wants to team up with director Martin Scorsese on this film, a Paul Schrader-scripted adaptation of the Joseph Connelly novel about a burned-out NYC paramedic.
But in order to get this film made (its a co-production between Paramount and Touchstone), everything is subject to Warner Bros. Even though the studio isn't involved, WB can either pronounce the paramedic picture healthy or DOA because of its contractual hold over both the director and actor.
Conversations began taking place in late May between CAA, which represents both Cage and Scorsese, and Warner Bros. WB had a "pay-or-play" deal with Cage on Superman Lives which, sources said, would have paid him a guaranteed $20 million on a base salary of $17 million. Crazy stuff, kids.
WB also has a deal for Scorsese's next movie. That was expected to be Dino, the much vaunted Dean Martin biopic being scripted by Nick Pileggi as a star vehicle for Tom Hanks. Some feel that the picture won't be ready for some time, particularly if Scorsese sticks to his wish list of Jim Carrey, John Travolta, Wesley Snipes and Adam Sandler -- not the easiest bunch to get in scheduling synchronicity. WB might not lose that much time allowing Scorsese to direct his paramedic picture, and would engender no shortage of good will with both Scorsese and Cage.
Connelly received much critical acclaim for the Knopf novel, which he wrote between graveyard shifts as a paramedic. [Scoop provided by 'Deadpool'.]
August 18, 1998... With Rhames on-board, the film's production company has now rented out a floor of office space at the Shooting Gallery's 'East Coast Post' building. ['Flatline' gave us the address.]
September 27, 1998... Some news from NYC: "I reside in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan around the corner from St.Clares hospital. Filming has begun on this scorcese/cage project. A huge Panavision truck and several large light towers were lineing 9th Ave. and the corner of 50th st. the crew was filming mid-way down the block in what looked to be a large set up with huge light walls.I spoke with a set hand who was busy clearing people from going further onto the set. She said they were filming a big scene with Cage/Rhames." [Scoop sent in by Kirk Taylor]
October 20, 1998... Some comments from one of our New Yawker friends with their finger on the city's pulse. "Scorsese filmed some scenes at CBGBs Nightclub on the Bowery in NYC, 10/14/98 and 10/15. Apparently the scenes involve the overdose death of a punk/goth rockstar. My girlfriend and a number of friends in the NYC punk goth scene are working as extras on the shoot." [Scoop provided by 'Cburns'.]
October 25, 1998... We received an anonymous tip that the filming at the CBGBs Nightclub in NYC, was for Summer of Sam, not for Bringing Out the Dead as previously scooped. [Scoop by anonymous]
December 27, 1998... Last Tuesday's edition of New York Daily News reported that Cage has recently filmed a scene in which Cage's EMS worker watches corpses rise slowly from the street outside the Hog Pit in the West Village. [Anonymous; originally appeared in the Daily News.]