Here is a tale we can all learn from as actors, directors, writers and ilk. Hold out for the best deal you can get, talk it over with your client, then you will get the deal you want and the client will get the deal he wants. Everybody will be happy.
Washington attached himself to Unstoppable last April to reteam with Tony Scott and play a veteran engineer who jumps into a locomotive with a young conductor (Chris Pine of Star Trek) to stop an unmanned runaway train loaded with toxic cargo, apparently this story is based on true events.
As the tale goes, Fox insisted that the budget be brought close to $90 million, which required special salary considerations from the director and star. Rumor mill said the studio asked Scott and Washington to shave $3 million and $4 million off their respective salaries. Washington declined and his WME agent Ed Limato began looking for other film jobs for his star’s fall slot.
As the journey goes Washington went with Scott to promote The Taking of Pelham 123in Europe, the actor took a fresh draft of the script with him. As he and Scott kept talking, Fox and Washington’s WME reps found some common ground to make a deal. Both parties found ways to be accommodating.
As a result, Fox has salvaged the fall start date on a priority film that the studio has invested years developing and, obviously, Washington likes the script and wants to do the film. Pre-production is under way in Pittsburgh and by fall the cameras will be rolling on the train track. – a happy ending for all.
Denzel Washington simply said, no thanks, after waiting 3 months for 20th Century Fox to set a budget and a start date for the now ill-fated Unstoppable train movie to be directed by Tony Scott.
Scott and Washington had planned since April to work together again on Unstoppable. This time Washington playing a veteran engineer who jumps into a locomotive with a young conductor (Star Trek’s Chris Pine) to halt an unmanned runaway train filled with a toxic chemical.
The powers that be asked Scott to cut his salary from $9 million to $6 million and wanted Washington to trim $4 million off his $20 million fee. Washington said no thanks.
In the film business, timing and money is everything. The Scott-Washington-John Travolta train tale TheTaking of Pelham 123so far has posted an unglamorous $60 million gross, which doesn’t give Washington much backbone to pull his usual salary. Studios are trying to cut costs wherever they can and films that are not branded as a summer blockbuster are experiencing a tight budget pinch from the studios. Some actors and directors are willing to take pay cuts or defer. Washington declined to take a pay cut and is seeing what else is out there.
Tony Scott’s Unstoppable might sign Chris Pine to star opposite Denzel Washington. If Pine signs on his role as a newbie conductor will be his first since starring in Star Trek.
According to THR, the story revolves around an experienced train engineer (Washington) about to be laid off as part of company cutbacks and the newbie conductor (Pine) hired to replace him. They find themselves in a race against time to stop an unmanned, half-mile-long freight train carrying enough combustible liquids and poisonous gas to wipe out a nearby city.
Variety reports that Denzel Washington is in negotiations to star in the upcoming Tony Scott-directed drama Unstoppable.
Loosely inspired by a true event, the film will have Washington playing an experienced engineer who jumps in a locomotive with a young conductor to chase down a runaway train carrying a cargo of toxic chemicals.
Washington and Scott have worked before four times. They have teamed up on Man on Fire, Deja Vu, Crimson Tide and the upcoming remake The Taking of Pelham 123.
Denzel Washington is in talks to work with Tony Scott for the fifth time in Unstoppable. Production is on track to start in the fall.
As far as Variety reports, Washington might play an experienced engineer who jumps in a locomotive with a young conductor to chase down a runaway train carrying a cargo of toxic chemicals. Mark Bomback wrote the script, which is loosely inspired by a true event.
The drama would reunite Washington and Scott, once again. The most recent film they worked on together is Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 scheduled for release June 12.
Tony Scott has boarded the Fox suspense thriller Unstoppable, with full intention of making this the next film he directs.
That means Unstoppable is on the fast track to production. Scott is laboring with screenwriter Mark Bomback to get the movie in form to be filmed later this year.
The story is a familiar one, but Scott will drive it to success, about an unmanned runaway train that is carrying a cargo of toxic chemicals. An engineer and his conductor find themselves in a race against time.
It looks like “The A-Team” has a sensible team of creative folks who will bring the 1980’s TV Series to the big screen. Twentieth Century Fox has joined Joe Carnahan to direct and Ridley Scott to produce with his brother Tony executive produce under their Scott Free banner with the movie opening summer 2010 film.
I’ve met Joe Carnahan; he’s from my neck of the woods, northern California. The guy can articulate and knows direction. Carnahan is set to work with Brian Bloom to upgrade the script by Skip Woods (G.I. Joe).
Hopefully, production will start June 2009.
If you have been following the route of bringing “The A-Team” to the big screen, then you are familiar with the pot holes Fox has been trying to avoid the series’ original campy tone. Director John Singleton had most recently been attached to try such an attempt before dropping out. Woods came in and started over.
According to Variety, Carnahan and the Scott brothers will use the original premise of the series as the template for an action film. In the original, four Vietnam vets convicted of armed robbery escape from military prison and became do-gooder mercenaries. The Middle East will replace Vietnam as the place the four did their tour of duty, but Carnahan said the origin story is the jumping-off point.
Okay, so you know I don’t like remakes, well…Director Tony Scott and screenwriter David Koepp have teamed up, as most movie enthusiasts know, to remake The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3. Denzel Washington and John Travolta star. Washington is the good guy and Travolta is the bad guy. With this formula, I have to say there are exceptions to the rule — this is one exception.
I came across a couple of production stills of Washington wielding a gun. Take a look. I already like his character. What a wonderful actor.
over with your client, then you will get the deal you want and the client will get the deal he wants. Everybody will be happy.
newbie conductor will be his first since starring in Star Trek. 
Denzel Washington is in talks to work with Tony Scott for the fifth time in Unstoppable. Production is on track to start in the fall.
directs.
Twentieth Century Fox has joined Joe Carnahan to direct and Ridley Scott to produce with his brother Tony executive produce under their Scott Free banner with the movie opening summer 2010 film.
