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U.S. filmmakers to remake van Gogh pics

Posted on: Thursday, 15 September 2005, 04:08 CDT

By Gregg Goldstein

TORONTO (Hollywood Reporter) - Steve Buscemi, Stanley Tucci and Bob Balaban have signed on to direct U.S. remakes of three films by the late Dutch director Theo van Gogh.

The distant relation of the famous artist was murdered last November in Amsterdam by Islamic radical Mohammed Bouyeri, who confessed to the slaying and was jailed for life. Van Gogh's murder followed a televised airing of his short film "Submission," which portrayed violence against women in Islamic societies.

Van Gogh's final feature "06/05: The Sixth of May" has its North American premiere Thursday at the Toronto International Film Festival.

As a tribute to the filmmaker, the three New York-based actor-directors have agreed to shoot remakes of three of his films -- "06," "Blind Date" and "Interview."

Buscemi ("Animal Factory") is the strong candidate for "Interview"; Tucci ("Joe Gould's Secret") is likely to tackle "06"; while Balaban ("Parents") will handle "Blind Date." All three digitally shot features are scheduled to be produced back-to-back in New York, with an early 2006 start anticipated.

The announcement was timed to coincide not only with the "06/05" Toronto screening, but with the Thursday Toronto debut of "All Souls," a compilation of 17 shorts from 16 Dutch directors inspired by van Gogh's death, and a Thursday panel discussion addressing issues raised in the wake of van Gogh's murder.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

Source: REUTERS

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