cake or death: an eddie izzard site: IN PRODUCTION

SUMMARY:
BBC Drama and BBC One present a modern, gripping adaptation of the best selling post-apocalyptic novel The Day Of The Triffids.

Originally written in 1951 by the English science fiction author John Wyndham, The Day Of The Triffids will be adapted by Patrick Harbinson (ER, Law & Order), who will create a fast paced, futuristic and electrifying take on John Wyndham's most penetrating novel, creating an unmissable television event.

The year is 2011 and man has finally depleted the world's fossil fuel supply. In the hunt for alternative sources they uncover the ominous Triffid, a crop now cultivated for its fuel that seems to have a life of its own.

When spectators gather globally for a much anticipated solar storm – billions of awestruck victims are left blinded in its wake.

As the few sighted survivors watch as society falls to lawlessness, the Triffids find their way out of captivity.

Roaming the planet with a fatal sting and a retributive taste for human flesh, the Triffids begin to breed rapidly.

Now, Dr Bill Masen must lead the brave in their epic battle against the Triffids' reign of terror, while avoiding the maniacal opportunism of other sighted survivors, to prevent these being the last days of mankind.

"Eddie Izzard is to star in a new BBC adaptation of The Day Of The Triffids. The comic will play Torrence, the leader of a squad of soldiers who tries to round up survivors after the killer plants take over Britain. Dougray Scott, Joely Richardson, Brian Cox, Vanessa Redgrave, and Jason Priestley will also be appearing in the two-part drama, now being filmed in the south-east of England. The high-definition filming is due to end in April, and the show will air later this year. Executive producer Justin Bodle said: ‘We are enormously excited to have secured this stellar cast for The Day Of The Triffids. Together with its amazing effects and iconic locations, it will deliver the drama mini-series event of 2009.’"

The Day Of The Triffids attracts all-star cast to BBC One
Dougray Scott, Joely Richardson, Brian Cox, Vanessa Redgrave, Eddie Izzard and Jason Priestley star in The Day Of The Triffids, written by Patrick Harbinson (ER, Law & Order).

This epic, apocalyptic and futuristic two-part drama is a co-production between Power and Canadian producer Prodigy Pictures for BBC One.

Currently in production for transmission later this year, this exciting, fast-paced drama is based on John Wyndham's best-selling post-apocalyptic novel, The Day Of The Triffids, published in 1951.

In the not too distant future, man's search for an alternative fuel supply leads him to uncover the ominous Triffid, a crop now cultivated for its fuel that seems to have a life of its own.

But when spectators gather worldwide for a much anticipated solar storm, billions are left blinded and the few sighted survivors watch as society collapses into chaos.

The Triffids, meanwhile, find their way out of captivity. Free to roam the planet with a fatal sting, and a retributive taste for human flesh, the Triffids begin rapid breeding.

Now Dr Bill Masen (Dougray Scott) must lead the brave in their epic battle against the Triffids' reign of terror in what could be the last days of mankind.

SUMMARY:
Four people struggle to overcome the guilt of their past while an innocent man awaits his execution one day in Los Angeles.

Spectacular Regret is the story of four people fighting to move on with their lives. Set in Los Angeles over the course of a single day and against the backdrop of a politically charged state execution, multiple storylines collide with an extraordinary revelation.

From Nathaniel Reinhardt, the ex-aerospace engineer, to Father Mitchell, the defrocked priest, we tunnel through the lives of our protagonists exploring how their secrets, shame, and regrets have disconnected them from the people they care about the most.

Crash Austin is a young punk rocker with a nihilistic streak and no family to speak of. After hitting a wild coyote with his tour van, he decides that in order to redeem himself for former actions, he must save the creature. In a small, stucco animal hospital in the San Fernando Valley, he encounters Samantha Kirkland, an ‘it girl’ actress from the right side of the tracks.

An off-kilter love story ensues. Crash and Samantha, despite their social and economic differences, must find common ground in order to guide each other through a series of events that will test their understanding of what it means to trust.

Nathaniel Reinhardt attempts to deal with a wreck of a marriage and his out-of-bounds daughter through acts of service. He hopes to overcome his own narcissism by volunteering at a mental hospital that he once called home. Although a thinly veiled mess himself, he agrees to assist the recently defrocked Father Mitchell, a patient at the hospital.

In a tiny prison cell, this is the last night of life for Amos Jenks who has been awaiting his execution for years. Although lawyers and supporters claim that his trial was a set-up, the political wheels have been set in motion, wheels that can only be stopped by Governor Kirkland, Samantha’s father.

Fate and circumstance merge to transform and redeem the lives of each of these characters.

What are your plans?
I am about to film Spectacular Regret, directed by Joshua Leonard and I will adapt my last stand-up show into French in Paris. It will be in the coming months and I will follow with the German version. Apart from that I have some film projects that I would like to develop, but to which I am not attached as screenwriter.

EVERY DAY:
Liev Schreiber and Helen Hunt play a married couple in turmoil as he plods along as the unsatisfied writer of a semi-pornographic TV show. Carla Gugino play a sexy colleague who propositions him, creating a crisis that strains his marriage to the breaking point. IMDB lists Eddie as playing "Garrett".

IMDB

The cast of Richard Levine’s marital drama, Every Day, just became officially eclectic, with the news that Eddie Izzard and Brian Dennehy have signed on to join Carla Gugino, Helen Hunt and spellcheck nemesis Liev Schreiber. The film, which is also written by debutante director Levine, is about the strife hitting a married couple (Schreiber and Hunt) when he’s tempted by Gugino’s minxy co-worker. Dennehy, who’s Mr. Reliable, will play a character called Ernie, while Izzard will play someone called Garrett. Not sure how they figure into the plot, though. Sorry.

Still, our interest is always piqued by the presence of Izzard, whose early attempts at acting, in the likes of The Avengers and Mystery Men, were pretty awful. Since then, though, the comic genius has become a fine supporting actor in the likes of Ocean’s Thirteen and My Super Ex-Girlfriend. He’s yet to find a role tailored for his unique comic talents, though – we’re guessing that this serious drama won’t be it.

Izzard, Dennehy join 'Every Day'
Duo added to Richard Levine-directed drama By MICHAEL FLEMING | Variety

Eddie Izzard and Brian Dennehy have joined Liev Schreiber, Helen Hunt and Carla Gugino in "Every Day," the Richard Levine-directed drama that is shooting in New York. Schreiber and Hunt star as a married couple in turmoil, and Gugino plays a co-worker who tempts him. Levine, a "Nip/Tuck" vet who's making his feature directing debut, wrote the script. Miranda Bailey and Matthew Leutwyler are producing through Ambush Entertainment. Cold Iron Pictures is the sole financier on the film. Izzard will next be seen in "Valkyrie" and then stars in "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader." Dennehy just completed "Miss January" with Kim Cattrall.

From Variety's story on election bashes in NY: "Izzard, who just finished lensing

"Every Day" in Brooklyn the day before, opted to stay in the States for the big day." (thanks Annette)

SYNOPSIS FROM THE BERLINALE SITE:
Seven days, fourteen characters, a schoolboy and his website. An accident, a murder and a crisis in New York’s fashion industry. Broken dreams, bitter conflict and secret confessions: Sally Potter’s film is a tragicomedy about the effects of globalisation in the age of information. Over seven days, Michelangelo, a young blogger, shoots behind-the-scenes interviews on his cell-phone at a New York fashion house while Merlin, a designer of Middle-Eastern origin, prepares to show his latest collection. Interviews with a group of people including Minx (a celebrity supermodel), Tiny Diamonds (the financial backer), Anita de Los Angeles (a seamstress), Vijay (who delivers pizzas), Frank (a war photographer) and Mona Carvell (a critic), build a bitterly funny exposé of an industry in crisis as the effects of globalization and a faltering economy polarize working conditions and produce an ever-increasing gap between appearance and reality. Meanwhile Michelangelo becomes the person everyone turns to: when the death of a model on the runway becomes a murder investigation, the interviews become confessionals. A world which fetishises appearance over humanity turns upside down under the quiet gaze of a child armed only with the tools of his generation: the internet and the cell-phone.

SUMMARY: An expose of the lives of employees at a New York fashion house, “Rage” is shot in cell-phone style over the space of seven days as an accident on a fashion show runway sparks a murder investigation. This production is in post-production.

Independent web TV service Babelgum and Cinetic Rights Management have announced a unique deal for multi-territory online and mobile release for Sally Potter’s “Rage,” timed to coincide with traditional media release worldwide.

The film, which stars Simon Abkarian, Steve Buscemi, Lily Cole, Judi Dench, Eddie Izzard, Jude Law, John Leguizamo and Dianne Wiest, premiered at the 2009 Berlin Film Festival and will be released by Babelgum online and via mobile through the Fall/Winter of 2009. Set at a New York fashion house, it focuses on a young blogger shooting behind-the-scenes interviews on his cell-phone with a diverse mix of people - including a celebrity supermodel, a seamstress, a man who delivers pizzas, and a war photographer.

“We always wanted to incorporate new media platforms into our release strategy,” director Sally Potter and producers Christopher Sheppard and Andrew Fierberg jointly said in a statement. “We worked closely with CRM to find the most appropriate and novel approach to take the film to both new and traditional film audiences and we are delighted with the partnership set up with Babelgum, who we see as a true partner in crafting an innovative distribution approach.”

Babelgum will be releasing the film as a series of episodes, timed to coincide with the film’s release in each territory. Additionally, Babelgum offers a dual platform approach on both broadband and mobile with its custom tailored programming for smart phones in the United States, United Kingdom and Italy.

“We are thrilled to be working with CRM, and to partner with the filmmakers, on this revolutionary deal for the rollout of ‘Rage,’” Babelgum’s Karol-Martesko Fenster, stated. “It highlights the true potential of online and mobile acting as complementary platforms in an overall distribution strategy. Babelgum’s exclusive premiere of ‘Rage’ reaffirms our mission to be the leading online and mobile destination for timely and cutting-edge independent film.”

“‘Rage’ features a series of interviews with people involved in a fashion show that are filmed as if they were shot on a mobile phone, so it is a film perfectly suited to new distribution platforms,” said Janet Brown, COO of Cinetic Rights Management, in a statement. “This deal highlights the steady and accelerating growth of digital platforms and the ability of a smart digital strategy to garner both eyeballs and revenue in a very real way.”

Rage will premiere at the 2009 Berlin International Film Festival. The Berlinale kicks off on February 5th and continues through February 15th next year in the German capital.

THE OTHER SIDE:
SUMMARY: A young grad student, (Murphy) must spend the summer working at a scientific institute on a remote northern island. She discovers an eccentric community of characters who are hiding a secret about a terrible tragedy that took place many years before.

You know, we're leading with Brittany Murphy and Jason Lee, but they're only the mainstream, comedic tip to the talent that is coming from the upcoming fantasy comedy The Other Side. There is Giovanni Ribisi (Lost in Translation), and I wouldn't be surprised if he got the gig due to his connection with Lee -- they were both in I Love Your Work, plus an untitled short that Lee directed last year and he's appeared in a few eps of My Name is Earl. But the cast also boasts Jim Broadbent, Tim Roth and Lili Taylor listed in the news from Variety, and IMDb lists even more -- Anjelica Huston, Fiona Shaw, Eddie Izzard, Rupert Friend, Eddie Griffin, Dave Matthews... You get the picture

Directed by producer David Michaels, Other Side comes from the pens of Michaels and Phil Reeves, and it focuses on a grad student (Murphy), who is spending her summer working at a science institute on a remote northern island. While there, "she discovered an eccentric community of characters who are hiding a secret about a terrible tragedy that took place many years before." Lee, for one, is playing: a hippie, chauffeur, pilot, butler, bartender and bait shop clerk. Between him and the rest of the cast, I would say that they picked just the right people to pull off an "eccentric community," although I find it smirk-worthy that Murphy will play a scientist. This is a comedy, so I imagine she will be a very, very cute and giggly scientist. However, how interesting would it be if she was the one believably serious actor in the piece? I mean, she has completely 180'd before.