John Krasinski - Away We Go (formerly the Untitled Sam Mendes Project) - News & Updates #1 - Page 2

girl in a cardigan · 04-07-2008, 01:24 PM

No new info, but I liked this blog from CinemaBlend, so I'm posting it anyway

Quote:

Collette Joins Cast Of Best Movie Ever
We all know Sam Mendes for his serious dramas like American Beauty and Road to Perdition, but he’s making an outing into romantic comedy for this next movie. He’s already got a promising cast with John Krasinki and Maya Rudolph as the leads, and now the ever-classy Toni Collette is also on board. Call me crazy, but I think this could be Mendes’ best movie yet.

The Hollywood Reporter writes that Collette will play a college professor and family friend of the couple played by Krasinski and Rudolph (oh, what attractive and funny babies those would be!) The pair is traveling the country in search of a place to settle down and raise their child, but Collette’s character is convinced that, no matter what they do, they’re doomed. Nice to have supportive friends, right?

Most importantly, the screenplay is written by everyone’s favorite indie media mogul Dave Eggers (he wrote A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius and publishes the magazine McSweeney’s), and his wife, Vendela Vida, who is also a novelist. There’s no telling just how autobiographical the story is, but if it is based on their lives, think of how great the casting is. John Krasinski is universally beloved and can pretty much do no wrong, even in a movie as lame as Leatherheads. And Maya Rudolph has had a baby with an indie darling in real life, with Paul Thomas Anderson, so playing Eggers’ fake wife is no stretch!

But, seriously, this movie sounds great, and Collette joining the cast is only even better news. If Mendes’ wife Kate Winslet hops on board in even a small role, I think this project might be my dream come true. You hear that, Kate?

**blue sky blues** · 04-07-2008, 04:59 PM

I love her, so its cool to see she'll be in the movie.

***Enigma*** · 04-07-2008, 07:03 PM

Thanks Jenn. Cool. I had to laugh at the Leatherheads line. Love that they said he can do no wrong. I agree of course.

girl in a cardigan · 04-16-2008, 05:44 PM

Great news in this piece from the Hollywood Reporter:

Quote:

Allison Janney set for two comedies
By Gregg Goldstein

NEW YORK -- Allison Janney is hitting a comic doubleheader, landing roles in Sam Mendes' tentatively titled "This Must Be the Place" for Focus Features and the Eddie Murphy vehicle "A Thousand Words" for DreamWorks.

In Brian Robbins' "Words," Janney plays Murphy's boss, a savvy, money-grubbing head of a literary agency. Murphy plays a man who discovers he only has a thousand words left to say before he dies.

In Mendes' relationship comedy, Janney plays a loud, brassy, decidedly un-PC woman who admittedly has a few screws loose. She reunites with a former employee in Phoenix, where the expectant mother/employee (Maya Rudolph) begins a tour of the country with her husband (John Krasinski) to find the best place to raise their child. Toni Collette and Cheryl Hines also star.

Following the Los Angeles and Arizona shoots, Janney heads to Broadway for a lead role in Dolly Parton's fall Broadway musical adaptation of "9 to 5."

Janney is repped by Paradigm and Chris Henze at Thruline Entertainment.

I *so*

Allison Janney, so I'm really excited about this casting!!! And it seems that the movie has a title now, so double yay!

***Enigma*** · 04-16-2008, 11:39 PM

Yay for a title.

Awesome news about Janey.

Trip & Run · 04-17-2008, 12:09 AM

I LOVE Toni Collette!

The more news we get, the more exciting it becomes.

girl in a cardigan · 04-17-2008, 07:15 AM

Yeah, I'm really excited to follow this film all the way from casting to premiere

**blue sky blues** · 04-17-2008, 08:48 AM

Yeah it looks like its definitely going to be a great film! I can't wait to follow it through everything.

**ILoveOTH23** · 04-17-2008, 09:29 AM

Thanks for all the info!! This does look really interesting!

**blue sky blues** · 04-18-2008, 08:42 AM

I'm lovin' the title for the movie, I can't wait to follow it.

girl in a cardigan · 04-22-2008, 05:33 AM

More casting news from THR:

Quote:

Sam Mendes comedy adds cast
By Leslie Simmons

Jeff Daniels and Catherine O'Hara have joined the cast of helmer Sam Mendes' romantic comedy for Universal's Focus Features, which starts production this week in Connecticut.

The as-yet named film, which stars Maya Rudolph and John Krasinski, follows the journey of an expectant couple traveling the U.S. in search of the right place to put down their roots and raise a family. Mendes is directing off an original screenplay by Dave Eggers ("Where the Wild Things Are") and his wife, novelist Vendela Vida.

Allison Janney, Cheryl Hines and Toni Collette also star. Rounding out the cast are Carmen Ejogo ("Lackawanna Blues"), Jim Gaffigan ("My Boys"), Melanie Lynskey ("Two and a Half Men"), Chris Messina ("Made of Honor"), Kevin J. O'Connor ("There Will Be Blood") and Paul Schneider ("Lars and the Real Girl").

Ed Saxon is producing with Big Beach producers Marc Turtletaub and Peter Saraf and Mendes' Neal Street Prods. Neal Street's Pippa Harris is an executive producer along with Mari Jo Winkler.

Daniels just wrapped "State of Play" for Universal. Emmy winner O'Hara most recently lent her voice to "Where the Wild Things Are" for Warner Bros. Both are repped by ICM.

**blue sky blues** · 04-22-2008, 06:51 AM

Jim Gaffigan?!?! Oh man, this movie is going to be amazing. I'm really excited now.

girl in a cardigan · 04-22-2008, 10:41 AM

According to About.com (a bit of a dubious source IMHO), the movie is now in production:

Quote:

Sam Mendes' Contemporary Comedy Begins Production
By Rebecca Murray, About.com

Focus Features announced production has just begun on Sam Mendes' as of yet untitled comedy. The Office star John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph, and Toni Collette are confirmed to star in the film which was scripted by Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida.

According to Focus Features, Mendes' latest project follows a young couple who are expecting their first child as they travel around the United States looking for just the right community in which to raise a family.

Jeff Daniels, Carmen Ejogo, Jim Gaffigan, Cheryl Hines, Allison Janney, Melanie Lynskey, Chris Messina, Kevin J O’Connor, Catherine O’Hara, and Paul Schneider are also part of Mendes' cast. The behind the scenes team includes director of photography Ellen Kuras, production designer Jess Gonchor, editor Sarah Flack and costume designer John Dunn.

Source: Focus Features

And yeah, I totally

Jim Gaffigan, so this is going to rock!

**blue sky blues** · 04-22-2008, 11:36 AM

Its an amazing cast, so this movie is definitely going to rock!

girl in a cardigan · 04-22-2008, 03:08 PM

Playbill.com:

Quote:

Daniels, Janney and O'Hara Complete Cast for Mendes Feature Film
By Adam Hetrick

Casting is now complete for Sam Mendes' untitled screen comedy starring television's John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph.

Krasinski and Rudolph appear as young expecting parents who journey across America in search of a place to call "home" for their new family. Tony and Academy Award nominee Toni Collette and Cheryl Hines ("Curb Your Enthusiasm") have been previously confirmed to appear in the film as well.

Newly added to the project are screen veterans Jeff Daniels, Allison Janney and Catherine O'Hara as well as Carmen Ejogo, Jim Gaffigan, Melanie Lynskey, Chris Messina, Kevin J. O’Connor and Paul Schneider.

As previously reported, "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" author Dave Eggers and his wife Vendela Vida, a novelist and editor of "The Believer" magazine, have penned the original screenplay. Ed Saxon, Marc Turtletaub, Peter Saraf of Big Beach Films, and Mendes' Neat Street Productions will produce the film, tentatively titled "This Must Be the Place."

Filming is set to begin in Connecticut this week, with additional locations in Arizona and Florida.

Sam Mendes made his Broadway directorial debut with the critically acclaimed revival of Cabaret, which earned the 1998 Tony for Best Revival of a Musical. As artistic director of the Donmar Warehouse, Mendes earned Tony Awards for presenting the Broadway productions of Take Me Out and The Real Thing. He staged the 2003 revival of Gypsy starring Bernadette Peters. For his directorial film debut, Mendes received the Academy Award for Best Director on "American Beauty."

And this CinemaBlend.com article doesn't have anything new, but I did like this part:

Quote:

John Krasinski was previously announced as the lead with SNL’s Maya Rudolph. Hopefully this movie will end Krasinski mind-boggling failure to cross over as a great comic film actor.