CAMP Film:  

Those of you who know me well, know that I am not one to gossip. Catty maybe, bitter at times, but rarely a gossip. For the next two articles, I will take on exactly that role and provide you with the latest gossip of what films lay on the horizon. Some of these are nothing more than thoughts on paper, while others have started casting and a few have begun shooting.

But remember, while I talk about these films and the current status, the future really is unknown. Some of these films may make the local movie house, others will do the festival circuit, some may make it direct-to-video, and others may not see the light of day—oh, well, at least you know what could have been!

The first two films are sure to be completed and widely seen. The only question is when!

Alexander the Great is the topic of not one, but two biopics (a narrative feature telling a story about an historical figure), and big-budgeted pieces to boot. While neither has an exact title yet as both films are trying to get the simple title, Alexander the Great, most of the other details have been ironed out. For those of you who may not be familiar with your Macedonian history, here is a little background. Conquering 90% of the known world by the age of 25, Alexander the Great led his armies through 22,000 miles of sieges and conquests in just eight years. Coming out of tiny Macedonia, Alexander led his armies against the mighty Persian Empire, drove west to Egypt, and finally made his way east to India. Alexander’s conquests paved the way for the spread of Greek culture (facilitating the spread of Christianity centuries later), and removed many of the obstacles that might have prevented the expansion of the Roman Empire. In other words, the world we know today might never have been if not for Alexander’s bloody, yet unifying, conquest. So where is the gay part, you ask? It is a widely held belief that Alexander the Great was a homosexual and that his battle partner, Hephaestus, was also his lover.

Alexander the Great #1, to be distributed by Warner Brothers, will be directed by Oliver Stone and will star Colin Farrell as Alexander (yummy, if I may editorialize), Rosario Dawson, Anthony Hopkins, Angelina Jolie, and Jared Leto as the lover Hephaestus (see Colin Farrell).

The budget is estimated at $150 million. Stone had wanted to do this film for over 6 years and wanted Tom Cruise to star. Since Alexander the Great was 20 when he became King, that casting is no longer a possibility. This version is rumored to go into great detail on the relationship between Alexander and Hephaestus. Look for the film in November of 2004 in time for the Oscar buzz.

Alexander the Great #2, to be distributed by Universal Pictures, will be directed by Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge) and is set to star Leonardo DiCaprio as Alexander and Nicole Kidman. The rest of the cast has yet to be announced. The film also has a budget of around $150 million dollars. While the hope was originally to compete with the other film, it now looks like #2 will not be seen prior to summer 2005.

While we are on the topic of Biopics, another highly anticipated film, Monty, is having trouble taking shape. It has been ready to start production for over 2 years now, yet is still on hold. Monty (dealing with the life of film legend Montgomery Clift) starts with the beginning of Clift’s film career in 1947, and follows the next 19 years leading up his death in 1966. The film deals with the seeming juxtaposition between Clift’s well-renowned artistic integrity (he did not sign any long-term contracts and chose to work only on projects that intrigued him) and the turmoil that plagued his personal life including guilt over his closeted (somewhat) homosexuality, a 1957 car crash that nearly scarred him permanently, and addictions to alcohol and drugs. Wes Bentley (American Beauty) is attached to star as the titular character and Catherine Zeta-Jones (Chicago), while not officially attached to the project, has been given the thumbs up by Elizabeth Taylor who said she would be proud to have the world’s most beautiful woman playing her. No budget or director has been set.

Look for the next issue where I’ll cover more films that will make up the "must-see" list of every GLBT person. Included will be films by Gus Van Zant and John Maybury, and starring such great actresses as Christina Ricci and Charlize Theron. Until next time, there will be NO MORE GOSSIP!