Keeping the Faith
DISH: Edward Norton Taking Leap Of Faith As Director
By Michael Fleming
Source: Yahoo News/Reuters; Thursday October 23 8:17 AM EDT
EDWARD NORTON Seeks Hyphenation On Faith ...
NEW YORK (Variety) - An act of faith between actor Edward Norton, his screenwriting college buddy Stuart Blumberg and producer Howard (Hawk) Koch Jr. has led to a Columbia deal worth $650,000 against $1 million for "Keeping the Faith," which will likely mark Norton's directorial debut.
The film, written by Blumberg, will be produced by the trio, who just closed the deal.
"Stuart and I went to Yale together and always talked of working together when we were roommates in New York," said Norton. "We fixed on this script, a romantic comedy set in New York, about a young priest and rabbi who are best friends and both fall in love with the same girl, who they've known since childhood."
The priest, who'll be played by Norton, can't marry, and his rabbi buddy, who can, also finds the woman off-limits because she's not Jewish.
"It's a great romantic triangle in the 'Philadelphia Story' mode, capped with a universal pool of humor common to the experiences a lot of people our age have, especially those brought up getting religious pressure from parents," Norton said.
While Norton and Blumberg always hoped to form a lasting film partnership, they wanted an experienced hand, and turned to Koch, who bonded with Norton on "Primal Fear," the film that earned Norton an Oscar nom.
The three honed the script and were relieved to see it snatched up by Columbia, because exec Michael Costigan -- who met Norton on "The People vs. Larry Flynt" -- had been giving him script notes right along.Whether Norton directs depends on his acting schedule. He'll likely first team with Brad Pitt for David Fincher in Fox 2000's "The Fight Club," a pairing first disclosed in Dish (Daily Variety, Aug. 19).
The film's about a group of disenfranchised youngsters who need to have the hell beat out of them to feel anything. Said Norton: "I'm dying to do that with David and, hopefully, Brad. It's a piece that touches such a fantastic generational nerve."
He hopes to follow with "Faith" in the fall. Norton's repped by ICM's Ed Limato and managed by Brian Swardstrom.
[Other unrelated stories]; Reuters/VarietyMore Info
Source: VARIETY.COM, 5/21/98- Section of "Dish" column by Michael Fleming
RETEAM: Stuart Blumberg has written Keeping the Faith, the film in which Edward Norton will star and likely make his directing debut, along with producing with Howard (Hawk) Koch Jr. at Columbia.
Blumberg, who’s also an actor and a Norton pal, has just been cast in a small role alongside him in Fox 2000’s The Fight Club, which stars Norton, Brad Pitt and Helena Bonham Carter. Blumberg’s repped by Michael Stipanich and Sarah Clossey at Writers & Artists.
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