It’s been three years since we’ve seen a film from Andy and Lana Wachowski, but it seems the drought is about to come to an end as the filmed adaptation of David Mitchell’s “Cloud Atlas” we’ve been hearing about for quite some time is finally taking shape.
Deadline reports Tom Hanks is now officially attached to star in Cloud Atlas, which will be written and co-directed by the Wachowskis along with Run Lola Run helmer Tom Tykwer with filming expected to begin in September. Warner Bros. is aboard to handle domestic distribution and Focus Features has signed on internationally and will take to the Cannes Film Festival next month to sell the rights in foreign territories.
Based on the novel by David Mitchell, Deadline’s Mike Fleming gives us the following logline for Cloud Atlas describing it as an epic story of humankind in which the actions and consequences of our lives impact one another throughout the past, present and future as one soul is shaped from a murderer into a savior and a single act of kindness ripples out for centuries to inspire a revolution.
As far as other casting, Halle Berry was quoted last December saying, “I’m going to do a movie probably in the summer with the Wachowskis… A really interesting movie [that is] sort of [like] what they did for The Matrix, they have another really amazing idea that’s sort of gonna stretch our brains even further. And so I’m really excited about that and that’s probably gonna be in the summer. And that’s with Tom Hanks and Natalie Portman.”
Portman was quoted in an interview this January with “Entertainment Weekly” saying, “I don’t know what’s going on with financing… I read it while doing [the Wachowski-produced] V for Vendetta and I gave it to the Wachowskis and to Tom Tykwer (he shot a Paris Je Taime short with her around the same time). Now they’re directing it together, the three of them. I will have some acting role in it if it happens, but probably nothing major.”
The casting talk don’t end there either,James McAvoy also found his name attached to the project back in June 2010 as was Ian McKellen.
As for the latest casting rumor, that came only a few days ago when book publisher Hachette Australia tweeted the following message, “Actor Hugo Weaving has said he is working on the film adaption of David Mitchell’s ‘Cloud Atlas’ with the makers of The Matrix!”
So what we do know is Hanks is in and I’d say it looks like a strong possibility that so are Halle Berry, Natalie Portman, James McAvoy and Hugo Weaving. Ian McKellan is my only question mark as I’m not sure if he’ll still be busy with The Hobbit, but with production already underway I’d say he’s likely to be included should he still be interested. I’m sure we’ll here more soon enough one way or the other.
