[KitscherSunk]

Is any of this description new? Specifically, I can't remember if we knew the part about the young actor telling his story to an interviewer. Do you think Taylor was to play the interviewer?

Xavier Dolan’s The Death and Life of John F. Donovan begins filming Comingsoon.net July 27, 2016 Entertainment One’s Seville International has announced that award-winning actor/writer/director Xavier Dolan’s first English-language film The Death and Life of John F. Donovan has commenced production in Montréal. The feature, which stars Kit Harington, Jessica Chastain, Natalie Portman, Susan Sarandon, Kathy Bates, Ben Schnetzer, Michael Gambon, Bella Thorne, Thandie Newton, Chris Zylka and Emily Hampshire, will also continue production in Prague, the UK and New York. The Death and Life of John F. Donovan takes place in the early 2000’s and centers on the tribulations of an American TV star in his late twenties (Harington) and his correspondence with Rupert Turner, a young actor-to-be living with his mother in England. Their lives take dramatic turns when the existence of their pen pal relationship is publicly exposed, eliciting the most ill-founded assumptions, and sending Donovan in a vertical downfall. A decade later, the young actor recollects his relationship with his past idol over the course of an interview. Lyse Lafontaine of Lyla Films (Laurence Anyways) and Xavier Dolan and Nancy Grant of Sons of Manual (Mommy, Tom at the Farm, I Killed My Mother) are producing the film along with executive producer Joe Iacono. “Xavier has been an inspiring partner and friend, and we are thrilled to be working together again as production begins on his next masterpiece,” said Anick Poirier, Senior Vice President, Sales, Seville International. “Coming off the strong debut and exceptional sales of his last film Juste la fin du monde, we can’t wait to share his English-language debut with the world. With an incredible, internationally acclaimed cast and a story that transcends borders and generations, ‘The Death and Life of John F. Donovan’ is sure to resonate profoundly with audiences everywhere.” Seville International is handling international sales of the film in all media around the world, with the exception of France where the producers and Seville International jointly sold the rights to Mars Films, and in the US, where the film is being jointly handled by CAA. eOne and Les Films Séville will directly distribute the film throughout Canada and Québec. Xavier Dolan's The Death and Life of John F. Donovan Begins

[elherts]

I think we know that Chastain is playing the interviewer. I don't remember how we know that though, but I believe that I read that somewhere. I remember reading that Dolan didn't think anyone else could play the part written for Taylor. I imagine it's supposed to be a handsome, brooding character. I can't imagine that this part has been cut since it was one of the main characters. I wonder who is playing the part now.

[worthyoflove]

Jessica is supposed to be a journalist. And I think in the process of interviewing Kit's character it comes out that he's having this pen pal relationship with a much younger actor and it turns into a scandal.

There were rumors that Nicholas Hoult was leaving the project as well, but I haven't seen any confirmation on that as of yet.

[worthyoflove]

And it looks like confirmation that Nicholas Hoult has also dropped out of the project. Dropping like flies. I wonder if scheduling conflicts were a big issue.

‘The Death and Life of John F. Donovan’: Ben Schnetzer Replaces Nicholas Hoult In Xavier Dolan’s Next Xavier Dolan’s much-anticipated first foray into English-language filmmaking, “The Death and Life of John F. Donovan,” has commenced production in the award-winning filmmaker’s native Montreal. Dolan, who recently picked up a Grand Jury Prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival for his “It’s Only the End of the World,” first announced the film back in 2014. The film will also shoot in Prague, the UK and New York. The film features a stellar ensemble cast, including Kit Harington, Jessica Chastain, Natalie Portman, Susan Sarandon, Kathy Bates, Ben Schnetzer, Michael Gambon, Bella Thorne, Thandie Newton, Chris Zylka and Emily Hampshire, and promises to investigate some hard truths about fame, friendship and memory. Although Nicholas Hoult was originally announced to star in the film back in February, his name does not appear on this list. Instead, another up-and-coming young actor, “Goat” and “Snowden” star Ben Schnetzer, does, and with a healthy spot on the official cast listing that puts him above co-stars like Michael Gambon and Thandie Newtown. (Interestingly enough, another previously announced cast member, Taylor Kitsch, who joined the film in November of last year, is also not on this list.) Seville International has confirmed to IndieWire that Schnetzer will star in the film in the role first filled by Hoult. And, if the film’s official synopsis is any indication, he may be in for a huge new part. The film “takes place in the early 2000’s and centers on the tribulations of an American TV star in his late twenties (Harington) and his correspondence with Rupert Turner, a young actor-to-be living with his mother in England. Their lives take dramatic turns when the existence of their pen pal relationship is publicly exposed, eliciting the most ill-founded assumptions, and sending Donovan in a vertical downfall. A decade later, the young actor recollects his relationship with his past idol over the course of an interview.” Lyse Lafontaine of Lyla Film, along with Dolan and Nancy Grant of Sons of Manual, are producing the film, along with executive producer Joe Iacono. Seville International is handling international sales of the film in all media around the world, with the exception of France where the producers and Seville International jointly sold the rights to Mars Films, and in the US, where the film is being jointly handled by CAA. eOne and Les Films Séville will directly distribute the film throughout Canada and Québec.

Xavier Dolan’s The Death and Life of John F. Donovan Gets New Star | IndieWire

[elherts]

They kept pushing the film back so I'm sure it conflicted for many of the cast. Either that or they weren't happy with the script or something??? I'm still dying to know who is taking Taylor's part and what it was! Ugh. Amanda -Tweet at Dolan again and ask! haha

[KitscherSunk]

Reports have described Jessica as playing a tabloid editor, which means she's probably the one who exposes the pen-pal relationship. But from the above article, I'm guessing the "interviewer" is a different character.

Wow, I just found this article from 2014:

Xavier Dolan Says Jessica Chastain Will Be A “Full-On B*tch” Villain In His Next Movie; Kit Harington Joins While it’s yet to be determined if Xavier Dolan will need to get fitted for a new suit to attend the Oscars in a few months, the filmmaker is out doing the awards season rounds for "Mommy," Canada’s official entry for the Academy Awards. And as always, he’s candid on nearly every topic. In a recent chat with Thompson On Hollywood, his comments about his upcoming film, "The Death and Life of John F. Donovan" starring Jessica Chastain, already has us very excited for his next effort. The story centers on a Hollywood star (to played by Kit Harington, who Deadline reports just joined the picture) whose innocent pen pal relationship with an 11-year-old in London becomes exposed, and he becomes the target of the editor of tabloid rag The Gossip. And it’s the latter part that’s Chastain’s, and according to Dolan, it’s a vicious one. "We’re going to have so much fun doing this. She’s a mega tricky villain. Like full-on bitch," the director said. "I’m a fan of what she does and I can see all that she can do, but she has not played this part. It’s a very specific part. It’s sheer evil." It sounds like a juicy role, and a memorable part for the actress, who is already in the awards race this year for "A Most Violent Year," "Interstellar," and according to THR, "The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby," with the Weinsteins now making a big push. As for ‘Donovan,’ the scope is much bigger than anything Dolan has done before, and it tackles a number of themes that are new for the filmmaker. "Well it is a sort of reflection on Hollywood’s impact in the modern artist’s life, the actor’s life, the people from the industry. It’s a sort of take on how it affects privacy. But it’s not a satire. It’s more of a drama with a structured story of two different lives intertwined: the story of a very, very famous, new ‘it’ boy — but not only ‘it’ because we’re talking iconic, we’re talking new legend," he explained. "This guy called John F. Donovan is beloved by his peers, admired, adulated, adored by the public, by the fans and approved by the industry and by the journalists. He’s a sort of immediate myth but he’s been having this secretive correspondence with a very young man, an 11-year-old actor-to-be in the UK and they have never told anyone about it, and the film is the story of a sort of an Icarus flight, if I can call it that, when the existence of the letters is revealed to the public and people make the most sordid assumptions, and how this man’s career, and life, completely collapse." Casting is underway, and Dolan says the shoot will last 75 days. And knowing how quickly he works, we wouldn’t be shocked to see this on the big screen by the end of 2015. Xavier Dolan Says Jessica Chastain Will Be A “Full-On B*tch” Villain In His Next Movie; Kit Harington Joins | IndieWire

[worthyoflove]

Originally Posted by elherts (View Post) They kept pushing the film back so I'm sure it conflicted for many of the cast. Either that or they weren't happy with the script or something??? I'm still dying to know who is taking Taylor's part and what it was! Ugh. Amanda -Tweet at Dolan again and ask! haha

I don't want to push my luck.

I would like to know who is replacing Taylor and I get a sneaking suspicion that it's the guy who is in Orphan Black.

It seems like Nicholas might have had a pretty large role in the film so something big must have happened to have him pull out. I also saw pictures of Natalie Portman recently and she looks pregnant...I wonder how that will effect her role.

It'll be interesting to see how it all plays out and who is playing who. I can't wait to see Jessica in villainesque role. She plays a hard ass in Zero Dark Forty and I loved her in that.

[SouthernSweetieTX]

It'll be a whole new movie once it's recast...

Originally Posted by worthyoflove (View Post) I don't want to push my luck. I would like to know who is replacing Taylor and I get a sneaking suspicion that it's the guy who is in Orphan Black. It seems like Nicholas might have had a pretty large role in the film so something big must have happened to have him pull out. I also saw pictures of Natalie Portman recently and she looks pregnant...I wonder how that will effect her role. It'll be interesting to see how it all plays out and who is playing who. I can't wait to see Jessica in villainesque role. She plays a hard ass in Zero Dark Forty and I loved her in that.

[KitscherSunk]

For Dolan's sake (and Jessica and Kit, whom I love), I hope Nicholas Hoult leaving isn't a sign the project is, in fact, in trouble. But if it is, I'm glad Taylor got out early. Nick's a hot property right now, though, so hopefully he just had to drop out, like Taylor, because of scheduling. Xavier must be bummed, either way.

[worthyoflove]

I'm going to imagine that it's probably more a scheduling issue than anything. It was supposed to film in the Spring and got pushed back almost four months. If both of them had smaller roles it would not shock me to hear they pulled out for something else that came up.

STILL holding out hope that Taylor was supposed to film this fall and it's in conflict with something we don't know about yet, like he's filming Pieces.

[worthyoflove]

FYI, it seems Adele is out of the project as well now too. She seems like a scheduling issue as well as she is touring at the moment. But I do have to wonder if three big names like that all dropping out of the project isn't indicative of something else going on.

[KitscherSunk]

Poor Xavier. Maybe he was too ambitious, recruiting all these big names without a studio to help keep the schedule on track. Adele might be the biggest loss yet, since it was supposed to be her big acting debut.

[KitscherSunk]

Double post. Grr.

[SouthernSweetieTX]

Hope the entire thing doesn't fall apart!

[worthyoflove]

I guess Xavier was asked if he'd be submitting John F. Donovan to Cannes next year and said no, critics thought this was in direct correlation to the fact that his current movie was given a tough reception by critics at this years Cannes even though it then won like the second overall prize at the festival.

He clarified that it won't be submitted to Cannes because they'll still be shooting the movie until June of NEXT year. Yeah, June 2017, they'll still be shooting. Not surprising that some actors had to drop out.