Genre: Drama/Thriller.
Studio:
Touchstone Pictures.
Production Company:
40 Acres and A Mule Productions.
Project Phase: Greenlighted.
Who's In It:
Adrien Brody; Jennifer Esposito; Anthony LaPaglia; John Leguizamo (David Berkowitz);
Patti LuPone; Bebe Neuwirth; Michael Rispoli; John Savage; Mira Sorvino
Who's Making It:
Spike Lee (Director, Screenwriter).
Premise: The picture follows a group of New York-area youths against the backdrop of a rash of killings that gripped the area in 1976 and 1977.
Release Date: Unknown.
Comments: None.
Rumors: Unknown.
Scoop Feedback:
[Page draft submitted by 'Deadpool'.]
May 6, 1998... Industry sources as well as a personal confidante tell us that Leonardo DiCaprio is very interested in playing a lead role in a new Spike Lee 'joint' called Summer of Sam. DiCaprio is eyeing the role of a young guy living with his family in the Bronx who yearns to be a punk-rock musician. If everything comes together, Lee will direct the drama from his script later this year.
A source who spoke with DiCaprio over the weekend says the actor met Lee in Los Angeles on Sunday to discuss the project. Currently bunking on the swank top floor of Hollywood's Le Mondrian Hotel, Leo had a copy of the Sam script in his bedroom on Saturday night, and was taking pains to finish reading it prior to his meeting the next day. We're told that Lee and DiCaprio also met about Sam in New York City a couple of weeks ago. A source at Sony Pictures, where Lee's 40 Acres and a Mule production company is currently based, confirms that Lee and DiCaprio have met to discuss the Sam project.
At first glance, the film would appear to be a bit of a departure for Lee, in that most of the primary characters are said to be white. An agency source stresses that the Sam script has only been shown to a select few industry people, and that "it's really early in the process. [Lee] is going to be really pissed when this [story] comes out." The agency source also says that Benicio del Toro (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas) is also interested in playing a role in Summer of Sam. [Scoop sent in by 'Deadpool'l originally appeaed on 'Mr Showbiz'.]
May 17, 1998... Apparently something else got the nod from DiCaprio. The actor has committed to the lead role in the film adaption of the controversial novel American Psycho.
September 21, 1998... No sign of Del Toro in the IMDB, and now Leguizamo is listed as Berkowitz. Any of you scoopers out there care to clue us in on the latest? [Originally appeared in the IMDB; reported by Martin Jern]
September 27, 1998... Jack Stenson poked his head in the offices and told us, "Some US media recently reported that there are steamy orgy party scenes in this movie that'll make 'Boogie Nights' seem wholesome. The scenes are confirmed to involve Mira Sorvino and John Leguizamo, same reports likewise stated that Lee and his people are tight lipped with regards to who plays David Berkowitz in the film, IMDB could be mistaken but they could have gotten it from a better source." [Thanks to Jack Stenson]
HanSolo657 was watching HBO for us, which is kind, because TV is evil. "John Leguizamo is not playing Berkowitz. I was watching HBO's Entertainment News and they were interviewing him for the upcoming cable debut of his stage play Freak, which is also directed by Spike Lee. Anyway, they also talked to Lee and showed some scenes from Summer of Sam. Leguizamo is playing an Italian-American guy and the scenes they showed were him dancing with Mira Sorvino in a night club." [Thanks to 'HanSolo657']
Adding more to Jack's idea that Leguizamo might not be Berkowitz, Cinescape reports that the film will focus on "porn star and punk rocker Pepe Valentine," which could certain explain John's character's involvement in some wild sex scenes. [Originally appeared in Cinescape Online; reported by Widgett]
And just when we didn't have enough questions about the cast, we got this: "I was at the Anthology Film Archive on the 14th (September) and there was a film crew shooting inside the main screening room. It turns out that they were shooting SUMMER OF SAM. The only actor I saw was a black character actress who's been a ton of movies, but I cannot remember her name for the life of me. She's an older woman, who usually plays spooky characters. I beleive she was in THE SERPENT AND THE RAINBOW, but I'm not too sure." Anyone care to provide us with a name for the actress? ['Axiomatic' was there on the scene.]
September 30, 1998... We ask for things, and you bring them. Same principle as Santa Claus. "Could the mysterious actress spooted filming in Summer of Sam be Cathy Tyson, niece of Cicely Tyson? (Yet no relation to Tyson chicken products, i think.) Mmmm...could be. [KSBlink182 weighs in with a theory.]
Then anonymously, someone else piped up. "Could the black actress whose name your scooper couldn't remember be Aleta Mitchell? Just a guess." A decent guess. Es posible. Can anyone out there confirm either actress? [Anonymous hypothesizing for us]
October 4, 1998... We received this today. "Wanna know who's playing Berkowitz? Use common sense. Who in the cast looks like him? Anthony LaPaglia!!" Oh, man. If that's the case I lost five bucks to Roc. I was dead sure it had to be Mira Sorvino. [Postulation postulated anonymously]
The URL www.summerofsam.com links straight to Buena Vista's Movies.com website. There's nothing there about it, but I'm sure it's just a matter of time. [Reported by Widgett]
Also, just to make your head ring with the casting rumors, we've received word that Berkowitz is being played by Michael Badalucco from the television series, The Practice. The same scooper tells us that Leguizamo and Brody are not playing porn stars at all. Well, if that's so, then what are they? [Scoop handed in by 'nobody ad disney']
October 5, 1998... Well, a dissenting scooper who doesn't like what he sees. Here's his gripe: "You want the scoop about this movie they have been filming summor of sam in my neighborhood all summer. It seems to protray our neighborhood back in the 70's when the Son of Sam was around. I can only explain what I have witnessed so far. It is portraying Italian americans as being very violent. And it is protraying my neighborhood as having gangs and beating people up, setting cars on fire and it is very upsetting to watch this untruth. Spike Lee has filmed to the early hours of the morning not caring that people have to work the next day. While they have these huge lights on that makes it look like daylight. Why the city of new york gives this guy a permit I have no idea. John Turotino [sic] is in it and so is Mira Savino [sic], and I believe Danny Aiello, all I have spotted. Although it will be interesting to see my neighborhood on film, I may not watch it due to the lying of what actual happened at the period of time. This was and still is a quiet neighborhood mixed with all kinds of nationallize that get along just fine. That is until you stir the pot with Spike Lee. Was a fan but not anymore. Hope this helps!" And it's signed "The Anti-Sam"
It does, A.S. But take a few deep breaths, babe. It is, after all, only a movie. [Thanks to The Anti-Sam, and we hope he gets some sleep soon]
Another scooper turns in this report: "I'm a student at Bowling Green State University. Spike was scheduled to appear here for a lecture on Thursday, October 15th. But now it has been rescheduled 'due to complications on Mr. Lee's current project.' What is going on?? When and if he ever does get here, I'll send in a report on what goes down..." Thanks for the good word, amigo. We just hope that Anti-Sam didn't snap and do something drastic. [Thanks to CJ Caper for the update]
October 18, 1998...We also have received this report on shooting: "I also live in the neighborhood where Summer of Sam is filming. I saw Ben Gazzara as a mafia Don. Anthony Lapaglia is playing a cop. Spike Lee is playing a reporter. My wife and kids were in a scene filmed in St. Bendicts church. It was great having them film in Throggs Neck. The bright lights also kept me up late, but it's not every day that a motion picture is filmed in front of my house. Most of the community welcomed Spike to the neighborhood. He was very friendly, and he cast a lot of locals as extras. I saw him drinking an egg cream. Now he knows that the Bronx makes a better egg cream than Brooklyn." Let Spike Lee affix his beam. The only emperor is the emperor of egg cream. [Scoop submitted anonymously]
Also, this just in: "Just saw an interview on HBO with Spike Lee concerning John Leguizamo's 'Freak.' They mentioned that Leguizamo is in Lee's new movie, 'Summer of Sam,' and Lee had this to say about Leguizamo's part: 'John plays an Italian-America[n] named Vinnie.' They also showed footage of them filming, with Leguizamo dressed up and coming out of a nightclub with Mira Sorvino. I guess that officially kills the rumor that he was playing David Berkowitz." Yeah, and since Kevin Williamson is not involved with this project, we can probably believe it. [Scoop handed in by 'jsf23']
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]
January 6, 1999... This movie can't still be shooting, can it?? "I have spotted the Summer of Sam being filmed four times in my neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods over the last few months. I've stopped to watch twice. I live in Morris Park in the Bronx. They filmed a scene on Morris Park Avenue involving a beauty shop. They filmed some scene on Williamsbridge and Eastchester. The third was in front of (or in?) a night club called Side Streets on Blondell. And the most interesting was in front of the 180th street subway station. This station is also a transit police center so it's very large. It has an interesting architecture so it doesn't even look anything like a subway station. The scene involved a girl coming out of the station holding what looks like school books. She walks right up to the camera and lets out a scream. They covered the signs saying '180th Street.' I forget what it said but it was some neighborhood or town in Queens or Nassau county. I think it was supposed to be a Long Island railroad station. That's about it. I didn't spot any stars, except Spike." [Scoop provided by James Marinaccio.]
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