I was under the impression that legendary actor/director Warren Beatty was retired, especially after his last film, 2016’s “Rules Don’t Apply,” bombed critically and commercially.
The quiet and reclusive Beatty pulled off a surprise move over the weekend, appearing as Dick Tracy in an impromptu special on TCM.
Beatty acted in and directed the movie “Dick Tracy” thirty three years ago. The movie won three Oscars and got Al Pacino nominated for Best Supporting Actor. Subsequently, Beatty bought the rights to the character out of a bankruptcy.
In 2008, Beatty’s Dick Tracy was interviewed by Leonard Maltin on TCM. This was purely a stunt to extend the copyright and not let it enter the public domain.
On Friday night’s TCM special, which had Beatty again in character, interviewed by Maltin and Ben Mankiewicz, the actor made the point, several times, that he owned the rights to “Dick Tracy”. Then he mentioned that he will direct a new film about an older Tracy, and this time make it “more real” and less stylized than the original film.
Beatty must probably be telling the truth, since I don’t see any other reason for him to embark on this very strange interview. I guess a “Dick Tracy” sequel might be coming. Beatty is 85, so he better move fast with this one.
This is the adaptation of the nonfiction book by Dan Schilling and Lori Longfritz. It wrapped production in February and has been in post-production ever since. The film test-screened a few months ago.