- Rumor: Matthew McConaughey Possibly Captain America - Blasphemy!
- Twilight's First Official Photo and Why I'm Passing
- Sound Off: Iron Man - What Did You Think?
- Must Watch: Second Full Trailer for The Dark Knight!
- Saw V and Saw VI Updates - Plot, Director, and More! (May 15, 2008)
- Jason Reitman Adapting Walter Kirn's Up in the Air Next! (May 14, 2008)
- Timecrimes Remake Aiming for David Cronenberg? (May 14, 2008)
- Werner Herzog Directing Bad Lieutenant Remake with Nic Cage Starring (May 14, 2008)
| Speed Racer | 8/10 |
| The Fall | 8/10 |
| Then She Found Me | 7/10 |
| Speed Racer | 8/10 |
Official First Look: Sean Penn as Harvey Milk
May 8, 2008
Source: EW.com
by Kevin Powers
Well, it's not exactly the very first look - there has been many quick citizen photographers in San Francisco - but moreso the first official photo of Sean Penn as Harvey Milk, the first openly gay big city official that was elected in 1977 and then assassinated in 1978. Milk's story is being adapted for the big screen by Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting, Finding Forrester), titled just Milk, which just finished filming and is due out November 26th later this year. Here's the photo straight from EW.com with a few more new details.
The self-described "Mayor of Castro Street" and Mayor George Moscone were killed by rival politico Dan White. White had recently resigned his city supervisor position at the time, only to quickly ask Moscone for it back. The Mayor instead decided to fill the vacancy with Milk. On the morning the official announcement was to be made, White shot both Milk and Moscone at San Francisco's City Hall. He turned himself in shortly thereafter.
The subsequent trial of White served to be equally intriguing. Among the typical legal maneuverings, White actually claimed that Twinkies exacerbated his already depressed state, which notoriously became known as the "Twinkie Defense." Ultimately, White was convicted yet gently sentenced due to his "diminished capacity." Various fallout followed, such as the White Night Riots and the abolishment of the traditional diminished capacity defense.
Van Sant's biopic sounds like it's going to be big. Not only is the subject matter pretty damn interesting, but you have Sean Penn in the lead. Rounding out the cast is Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild, Speed Racer), James Franco (Spider-Man) and Josh Brolin (No County for Old Men) as the assassin, Dan White. Interestingly, director Bryan Singer (Valkyrie) had plans (and still may) to adapt the story, calling it The Mayor of Castro Street instead, lead by Steve Carell, but it appears Van Sant beat him to it. And beat him to it good. Thoughts so far on Milk?
Related Articles
- » First Look: Sean Penn and Emile Hirsch in Gus Van Sant's Milk
- » Bryan Singer's Superman Returns Sequel Delayed for Mayor of Castro Street
- » Worth Watching - Sept 1: Into the Wild Trailer
- » First Look: Charlie Kaufman's Synecdoche, New York
- » Directors Guild Awards Nominations
- » Sundance Marketing: Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden?
Reader Feedback - 4 Comments »
1
I'm glad Van Sant got to it before Singer. Carell in the lead as a serious actor? No thank you. And does anyone else think of Heat whenever reading or hearing "Van Sant"?
Les on May 8, 2008
2
The title kind of makes me nauseous when i consider it's subject matter…
Alex on May 8, 2008
3
Not as much a Van Sant fan as a Sean Penn fan, especially after 'Into The Wild', which is one of my top ten best films EVAR.
I'm hoping some of his good karma for that film might wander over into his acting only gig for this film.
William Mize on May 8, 2008
4
I like Gus Van Sant, I trust his instincts and filmmaking so this will be a true representation of the story.
Bryan Singer, as long as he can get naked boys on the screen he'll do it.
Scorpio on May 8, 2008