There are a handful of directors in Hollywood that are synonymous with critical acclaim: Steven Soderbergh, Steven Spielberg, David Fincher, Gary Ross, Peter Jackson, and the recently added Bennett Miller who directed both Capote and Moneyball. Those are literally the only two features films that Miller has directed to date (when not counting a documentary called The Cruise,) so it became news when this proven behind-the-scenes marvel started to cast his latest offering last fall.
At that time, it was announced that Steve Carell and Channing Tatum would be climbing aboard Miller’s Foxcatcher–a movie that is based on the true story of John du Pont’s murder of Olympic wrestler Dave Shultz. Steve Carell was cast as the paranoid heir while Tatum was given the role of what appears to be Shultz’s brother.
Bringing this project back to our attention this week is the recent enlistment of Mark Ruffalo as Dave Shultz. The actor is pretty much known for his less mainstream offerings like The Kids Are Alright, but he is increasingly identified as The Avengers’ Hulk. This is a role he picked up from Marvel after they dumped Edward Norton following some public mudslinging revolving around creative control, and really this move was controversial because Norton’s Hulk was already the reboot. Nonetheless, he acquired the role, and judging from the earliest impressions of the effort, it worked out.
Now that The Avengers is tracking north of $150 million in terms of an opening weekend, it is largely expected that the movie will break several box office records and could even best last year’s Harry Potter which currently holds the title of biggest three-day debut of all-time. Translation: Ruffalo is about to get a lot more street cred with movie-goers and the beneficiary will be Foxcatcher.
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