Poker Movie Trend Continues, Alanis Morisette's New Project
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By Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith
Jun 30, 2006
The proliferation of poker productions continues -- with at least three big-screen movies, in addition to such TV fare as celebrity-poker tourneys and reality TV. With Curtis Hanson's "Lucky You" drama with Robert Duvall, Drew Barrymore, Eric Bana and Jean Smart, due Sept. 15, Joe Carnahan's "Smokin' Aces" is in hold 'em mode -- now due in January. That's the action-comedy with a cast including Ben Affleck, Andy Garcia, Ray Liotta, Alicia Keys and Jason Bateman.
And now, add to the lineup "Positively Fifth Street." If all goes as planned, writer/producer/director John Ridley ("Undercover Brother," "Three Kings," "Barbershop: The Series") reports he'll be helming the big-screen adaptation of the James McManus novel in the fall.
"We finished the screenplay, and we're really close to going after some actors and making some money offers," says Ridley. "It's Jim's true story of playing an unbelievable string of poker in the World Series of Poker at the casino owned by the Binion family while a murder trial was going on, because Ted Binion had been murdered by his mistress. Jim almost became an investigative journalist looking back on this guy's life and how he ended up getting murdered by his stripper girlfriend. What's more Las Vegas than that? It'll make a really terrific, very adult film."
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By Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith
Jun 30, 2006
The proliferation of poker productions continues -- with at least three big-screen movies, in addition to such TV fare as celebrity-poker tourneys and reality TV. With Curtis Hanson's "Lucky You" drama with Robert Duvall, Drew Barrymore, Eric Bana and Jean Smart, due Sept. 15, Joe Carnahan's "Smokin' Aces" is in hold 'em mode -- now due in January. That's the action-comedy with a cast including Ben Affleck, Andy Garcia, Ray Liotta, Alicia Keys and Jason Bateman.
And now, add to the lineup "Positively Fifth Street." If all goes as planned, writer/producer/director John Ridley ("Undercover Brother," "Three Kings," "Barbershop: The Series") reports he'll be helming the big-screen adaptation of the James McManus novel in the fall.
"We finished the screenplay, and we're really close to going after some actors and making some money offers," says Ridley. "It's Jim's true story of playing an unbelievable string of poker in the World Series of Poker at the casino owned by the Binion family while a murder trial was going on, because Ted Binion had been murdered by his mistress. Jim almost became an investigative journalist looking back on this guy's life and how he ended up getting murdered by his stripper girlfriend. What's more Las Vegas than that? It'll make a really terrific, very adult film."
