This is something you don’t see everyday. The film is called How to Change in 9 Weeks, an Aussie production that has an interesting footnote I’d never heard before. But first, the premise:
The thriller is based on the story of a 15-year-old Australian student, Rachel Barber, who went missing in Melbourne in 1999 and was found to have been murdered by a former childhood friend, Caroline Reid.
Hmm. Sounds very Heavenly Creatures-ish to me which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Sam Neill, Guy Pearce and Miranda Otto join the cast although I seriously doubt any of them will be playing the 15-year-old girls. The weird thing about this Hollywood Reporter article is that Sidney Lumet will apparently “mentor” the director, Simone North, during the production. I’ve never heard of a major director like Lumet spending time on a project simply as a mentor. The way I read this, he wouldn’t even be considered a co-director or producer. Come on … throw Sidney a friggin’ bone. Not even an executive producer cred? Will the credits read “Mentored By Sidney Lumet”?
Suffice to say, I find it interesting and it’s enough for me to follow this project with some interest.
