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Paul Greengrass Directing The Trial of the Chicago 7?

by Alex Billington
August 10, 2008
Source: Film School Rejects

Sometime last week, the guys over at MovieWeb broke the news that Steven Spielberg would no longer be directing The Trial of the Chicago 7, the cinematic retelling of the 1968 Democratic National Convention trials. Spielberg's involvement was always sketchy to begin with including an eventual report in February that it would be delayed. Then Spielberg announced that he would be focusing on Tintin and eventually Lincoln, which meant that The Trial of the Chicago 7 was on the backburner. However, that wasn't good enough for the producers, who seemingly wanted to get this made sooner than later (possibly because of this year's Democratic National Convention in Denver). And now Production Weekly via Film School Rejects is reporting that Paul Greengrass will be directing the film. What a mess!

In Production Weekly, which is a magazine that lists films that are starting production, it listed The Trial of the Chicago 7 with all the same names as previous, but with Paul Greengrass as the director instead. We've never heard anything about this before, not even as a rumor, but apparently that's what they've got. For all we know that could be a slip up on there part, but who knows? Rejects goes on to add that Greengrass' schedule is clear for the time being after he finishes work on Green Zone, which is already in post-production. And for clarification, Greengrass is the same guy who brought us The Bourne Supremacy and Ultimatum as well as United 93. He's a solid director, no doubt, but is he the right guy?

I like Greengrass's work, but at this point I don't care enough about the movie to have an opinion on the director. The whole story is only mildly interesting (it was best portrayed in the documentary called Chicago 10) and I was only initially interested in Spielberg because he did such a good job with Munich. As for Greengrass, sure he can direct great Bourne movies, but that doesn't mean he'll make this entertaining. So far this sounds like a real scoop, so we'll be sure to let you know if it's confirmed or not. The Trial of the Chicago 7 is a film written by Aaron Sorkin (A Few Good Men, "The West Wing", Charlie Wilson's War) based on the events and story surrounding the riots from the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Who do you think would be the best director for this project?

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Maaad

Wall-to-wall shaky-cam it is then. Very good director, I just wish someone would buy him a tripod for Christmas!
Pickle

I wouldn't worry about it! I think he's a blessing in disguise for this film. Yeah, he shakes the camera quite a bit but only when there's a kinetic, action packed chase scene. He' has a real knack for creating utmost suspense in all of his films. I believe he'll do a much better job than Spielberg with this source material. Btw, I'm sure he's got plenty of access to a tripod.
Proman

"believe he'll do a much better job than Spielberg with this source material" TOTALBS. SPielberg is a master ND THIS COULD HAVE BEEN GREAT. I am extremely dissapointed on this.
http://www.spill.com me

No, Alex you should be very interested. This has a potential for being a very very good film and it will, like a fate for a good films, be shelved without being seen by an audience that it demands and you are ignoring that potential. you have a responsibility to us, your loyal readers, to be more enthused about a film of this caliber. Written by Alan Sorkin and Directed by Paul Greengrass, this is teaming to be a film more than just a film. And what is this bullshit about criticism of him using POV cam style. he uses that when there is remote possibility of better capturing of action in that particular way. He doesn't use that style even in bourne movies when there are scene inside the CIA bases or even in the many fights. And oh he made them entertaining. Its not like he is gonna shake his camera inside a sterile courtroom to show nervousness of a lawyer or something. And clearly Greengrass is better choice than spielberg. Spielberg just brings a lot of baggage and I am ready to believe Greengrass is better than spielberg. and Look at his priorities TinTin for god's sake. I mean I love me some Cpt. Haddock but, gdddmmmit which do u think has potential of being a better film.
http://www.spill.com me

Lets VENT
Jack Donaghy

Watch 'Bloody Sunday'. He did docudrama perfectly well before the Bourne franchise was a twinkle in Damon's ballsac.
http://www.extramarbles.com Almanac

...According to The Omniverse Almanac, Johnny Depp is actually one of the few very cool people inhabiting this planet, along with Steven Splielberg, Riccardo Mariti, Tom Cruise, Will Smith, Jessica Biel, Justin Timberlake, Angelina Jolie, Tim Burton, Terry Gilliam, Bill Gates, Stephen Hawkings, Laurence Dale, the Dalai Lama...
http://movieguyreviews4u.blogspot.com Ryan

Greengrass is a solid director. Spielberg had a lot on his plate so I don't think he signed off because he thought it was bad, he pushes stuff back a lot (like Lincoln) for other things (Tintin).
eber hart

-Lots and lots of time and money available for stale Boomer era ressurections like this ----even as the staggeringly, virally relevant 60th Anniversary of the KOREAN WAR goes, once again, 'mysteriously overlooked'. We might point out that during the anti-Viet Nam heyday of the Chicago 7 ---just due north of Viet Nam ---70 million were being systematically exterminated ----in 'peacetime'. DON'T expect to be seeing, or hearing anything about THAT tiny facet of reality from Red China suck Hollywood and media anytime soon. ---LOL