Previously announced, James Gray is set to direct “Paper Tiger,” which is being described as a domestic crime drama. This is set to be his first film in almost four years. The film is supposed to start production next month in New Jersey.
An update. Scarlett Johansson and Miles Teller have joined the cast, replacing Jeremy Strong and Anne Hathaway. Adam Driver is still part of the cast. Certainly, replacing Strong with Teller is a downgrade, as far as I’m concerned, but Scarlett being in instead of Hathaway is enticing.
“Paper Tiger” follows two brothers who pursue the American Dream, only to become entangled in a scheme that turns out to be too good to be true. As they navigate a world of corruption and violence, they and their family are terrorized by the Russian "Mafiya," leading to strained bonds and the possibility of betrayal.
Based on Gray’s original screenplay, the film was supposed to reunite the filmmaker with his “Armageddon Time” stars Hathaway and Strong. I gather the former is still busy on Nolan’s “The Odyssey,” and she’s supposed to shoot ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ in June. This will be Driver’s first collaboration with Gray, and yet another A-list filmmaker he’s decided to add to his resume.
I’ll briefly add that what I’m hearing about Michael Mann’s “Heat 2,” which involves Driver, isn’t good, and we might have to put that project on the back burner for the time being.
Gray, 56, is a filmmaker with a dedicated fanbase, known for a classicist filmmaking style that often seems like a throwback to earlier eras. Despite this, he enjoys significant acclaim, particularly from French critics, which has kept his career thriving over the years.
Hailing from Queens, Gray crafts films that seem to transcend time. Works like “Two Lovers” — his best film— and “Lost City of Z” capture a unique, enigmatic allure, offering that rare cinematic magic that rekindles a deep love for the art of filmmaking.
While James L. Brooks teased last year that "we'll soon be seeing" Jack Nicholson, 89, act again, and that he was "reading scripts," that idea has now been shut down by his close friend Michael Douglas, 82.