Forman bets on Cage-led 'Slim' biopic
Forman bets on Cage-led 'Slim'
Jan 24, 2005
Milos Forman and Nicolas Cage are betting on a feature film about the larger-than-life gambler Amarillo Slim Preston.
Screenwriters Stephen Rivele and Christopher Wilkinson, who worked on the biopics "Ali" and "Nixon," will adapt Preston's memoir "Amarillo Slim in a World Full of Fat People: The Memoirs of the Greatest Gambler Who Ever Lived."
The project would mark Forman's first directorial outing since 1999's "Man on the Moon."
Although formal commitments have not yet been put on paper, Cage has been developing the project -- which he will star in and also produce with his Saturn Films partner Norm Golightly -- for more than a year.
"Milos, Steve and Chris are nothing less than brilliant in bringing larger-than-life characters to the screen, and no one is larger than life than Amarillo Slim," Golightly said.
Producer Braxton Pope originally proposed the project to Saturn director of development Seth Schur. Pope and Schur will be involved in the project in a production capacity along with Frank Scatoni and Greg Dinkin, both of Venture Literary. Dinkin also co-wrote the memoir.
"Amarillo Slim is an intrinsically American rebel and gambling outlaw of a stripe that doesn't exist anymore," Pope said. "His memoir will be the foundation for a great film that taps into the popularity of poker but also, on a larger scale, expresses a unique approach to life."
Amarillo Slim, who has been described as "the most famous poker player ever," was born in 1928 in Arkansas. His many claims to fame include winning the World Series of Poker in 1972 as well as a $2 million bet from Larry Flynt. He is best known for making crazy "propositional" bets, including using a broom handle to play one-pocket pool with billiards legend Minnesota Fats, using a carpenter's hammer to play golf with stunt motorcyclist Evel Knievel and using an iron skillet to play pingpong with tennis player Bobby Riggs.
Cage's credits include "National Treasure." His upcoming films are "The Weather Man" and "Lord of War." He also has committed to star in the Marvel Comics adaptation "Ghost Rider" for Columbia Pictures.
Forman's credits include "Amadeus," "The People vs. Larry Flynt," "Man on the Moon," "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "Valmont."
Cage, Wilkinson and Rivele are repped by CAA. Forman is repped by Robert Lantz.
Screenwriters Stephen Rivele and Christopher Wilkinson, who worked on the biopics "Ali" and "Nixon," will adapt Preston's memoir "Amarillo Slim in a World Full of Fat People: The Memoirs of the Greatest Gambler Who Ever Lived."
The project would mark Forman's first directorial outing since 1999's "Man on the Moon."
Although formal commitments have not yet been put on paper, Cage has been developing the project -- which he will star in and also produce with his Saturn Films partner Norm Golightly -- for more than a year.
"Milos, Steve and Chris are nothing less than brilliant in bringing larger-than-life characters to the screen, and no one is larger than life than Amarillo Slim," Golightly said.
Producer Braxton Pope originally proposed the project to Saturn director of development Seth Schur. Pope and Schur will be involved in the project in a production capacity along with Frank Scatoni and Greg Dinkin, both of Venture Literary. Dinkin also co-wrote the memoir.
"Amarillo Slim is an intrinsically American rebel and gambling outlaw of a stripe that doesn't exist anymore," Pope said. "His memoir will be the foundation for a great film that taps into the popularity of poker but also, on a larger scale, expresses a unique approach to life."
Amarillo Slim, who has been described as "the most famous poker player ever," was born in 1928 in Arkansas. His many claims to fame include winning the World Series of Poker in 1972 as well as a $2 million bet from Larry Flynt. He is best known for making crazy "propositional" bets, including using a broom handle to play one-pocket pool with billiards legend Minnesota Fats, using a carpenter's hammer to play golf with stunt motorcyclist Evel Knievel and using an iron skillet to play pingpong with tennis player Bobby Riggs.
Cage's credits include "National Treasure." His upcoming films are "The Weather Man" and "Lord of War." He also has committed to star in the Marvel Comics adaptation "Ghost Rider" for Columbia Pictures.
Forman's credits include "Amadeus," "The People vs. Larry Flynt," "Man on the Moon," "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "Valmont."
Cage, Wilkinson and Rivele are repped by CAA. Forman is repped by Robert Lantz.
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