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New film project: 'The Convincer'
By Kristin Tillotson
Werc Werk Works, a young Minneapolis film company whose previous credits include Todd Solondz's well-received latest and the James Franco-as-Allen Ginsberg pic "Howl," will produce the next film by Jill Sprecher ("Clockwatchers," "Thirteen Conversations About One Thing"). Shooting is slated to start early next year, but exactly where is still up in the air.
"We'd love to do it here, if it would make sense financially," said Werc president Christine Kunewa Walker, who also produced the Twin Cities-shot "Factotum" starring Matt Dillon. It's not out of the question, but there's pull from Chicago as well due to the Illinois ties of others involved.
Not to mention, Minnesota hasn't exactly been offering the kind of film-production tax breaks that other states do. But the Twin Cities is pushing its producing rep forward with Bill Pohlad's recently formed indie studio Apparation taking on high-profile projects, and Werc Werk Works' few but impressive credentials.
Solondz's "Life During Wartime" is a sequel to "Happiness" coming out 11 years after the first film. The completely different cast includes Ally Sheedy, Allison Janney and Shirley Henderson as the sisters originally played by Lara Flynn Boyle, Cynthia Stevenson and Jane Adams respectively. It's been making the fest circuit including this week's New York Film festival, and won Best Screenplay at Venice.
"Howl" is slated for a May release. Ginsberg must be doing some screaming in his grave, in a good way, at the thought of His Hotness Mr. Franco playing the beat poet -- much less of a head-turner -- during his obscenity trial. Jon Hamm of "Mad Men" is also in the cast as Ginsberg's lawyer.
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