In the 1970s, bleeding into the 1980s, the acting titans were Jack Nicholson, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Dustin Hoffman — and how wonderful that all four are not only still with us, but that three of them have yet to leave the acting game, despite each being over 80 years of age.
NOTE: One can definitely make the case for Gene Hackman to join the above four — and quite frankly he probably should.
Hoffman, 88, can be seen later this year delivering a stellar performance in “Tuner,” a well-reviewed indie that deserves your attention. Not only that, he has now hopped on board a major project, joining Adam Sandler in Scott Cooper’s “Time Out.”
This marks something of a reunion for Hoffman and Sandler, who previously starred together in Noah Baumbach’s “The Meyerowitz Stories” (2017), where they memorably played father and son.
I exclusively reported on this project a week ago, and the trades still haven’t said a word about it. “Time Out” is expected to shoot in Vancouver next month, with Netflix backing the production. The film is a remake of Laurent Cantet’s excellent 2001 feature “L’Emploi du Temps.”
The story follows an unemployed man (Sandler) whose life spirals further into trouble as he conceals his situation from family and friends. I’m told Hoffman will once again be playing Sandler’s father.
When it comes to Hoffman, his filmography speaks for itself: “The Graduate,” “Midnight Cowboy,” “Little Big Man,” “Straw Dogs,” “Papillon,” “All the President’s Men,” “Marathon Man,” “Straight Time,” “Kramer vs. Kramer,” “Tootsie,” “Rain Man” — and that’s just a 20-year stretch. The man is a legend, and I’m glad we’re still getting the chance to see him on the big screen.
Mike P. Nelson will direct the next instalment of the franchise, which recently returned to the hands of its original architect, James Wan, who is producing under Atomic Monster, now part of Blumhouse, and Leigh Whannell.