In terms of performers-turned-filmmakers, they don’t come much bigger than Jodie Foster and George Clooney. Between them, they are responsible for some of the more interesting and satisfying TV and film projects of the last few years – from episodes of Orange Is The New Black and House Of Cards (Foster), to movies like Good Night And Good Luck and The Ides Of March (Clooney). The prospect of these two talents collaborating is an exciting one, to say the least – so it comes as no surprise that Money Monster is already heading straight for ‘highly anticipated’ status, with studios clambering for a piece of the action. TriStar now seems to have won that battle, with a financing package of $30 million.
Written by Jim Kouf, Alan DiFiore and Jamie Linden, the timely story sees Clooney play the host of a financial TV show famous for insider trading tips. When a viewer loses everything on a bad tip from the host, he takes him and his crew hostage live on air, turning the situation into a media circus. Daniel Dubiecki (Up In The Air, Juno) is producing, along with Lara Alameddine (Prep School Confidential), Grant Heslov (Argo) and Clooney. Tim Crane (producer of Jason Reitman’s early short, Gulp) will executive produce.
Money Monster is a title we should get used to hearing since, with finance in now place, its pre-production process should soon begin. Though cameras are not expected to roll until spring 2015, the next crucial stage will be the casting of the disgruntled viewer that takes Clooney hostage. Additionally, with these players in place, and with this subject matter, we will almost certainly be hearing the film’s name again and again in the awards season following its release. Tapping into the ever-more socially relevant themes of global economic strife, Wall Street misconduct, reality television and the irresponsibility of news media, Money Monster could not be more representative of the times in which we live. Add to that mix George Clooney as a TV host under duress, and we might just have ourselves a winner.