Denzel Washington to direct film adaptation of Broadway play 'Fences'

[Dr_Dmitri-Yuriev]

Not sure if this was already posted on another part of the forum, but I think it's great news. I hope Davis is still attached to the project I think this could be her Oscar role.

http://www.empireonline.com/news/sto...=36352&_r=true
When Empire's podcast team sat down to talk Flight with Denzel Washington and director Robert Zemeckis, the result was a fascinating, wide-ranging chat about their Oscar-nominated drama. But Washington also shared some news about two projects that look likely to occupy him in the near future, including the mooted Safe House sequel/prequel and a third directorial project to follow up Antwone Fisher and The Great Debaters.

First up, does he plan to step up his directorial output as he gets older? "Absolutely. [But] the more I say I want to direct, the more Flights show up! I love the theatre, directing is my second love and acting is my third, and I want to do all three."

Lined up, Washington revealed, is a combination of the three: an adaptation of August Wilson's stage play Fences. The play tackles the story of Troy Maxon, a Pittsburgh sanitation employee who once dreamt of a baseball career only to be left facing down daily discrimination in a more menial line of work, while grappling with his lost ambitions.

It's a role first made famous by James Earl Jones and Washington himself, with the latter picking up a Tony for after a 12 week Broadway run in 2010. "It reawakened me about the work, and my commitment to the work. I said to myself: 'I've got to dig deeper'. The reason I did Fences is that Scott Rudin sent me the script August Wilson wrote - the only one of his plays that he wrote as a screenplay - to act and direct. I really do want to direct this."

He was more circumspect about the planned Safe House 2, an -equel that the thriller's screenwriter David Guggenheim is currently working on. [Spoiler warning] "They're writing it but... hmm... we'll see." Well, isn't he technically dead? "That's what I said. I said: 'I think he's dead.'"

Safe House did a respectable, if hardly spectacular, $202m worldwide - enough, though, to persuade studio execs to greenlight a second dose of off-the-grid spy business. Washington also quashed rumours linking Nicolas Winding Refn with The Equalizer reboot: "We met with him but he's not attached."

[boondoggle]

Good god, if Viola Davis isn't cast there is something wrong with the world and Denzel Washington. But I would be shocked if she wasn't cast as both Washington and Davis won Tonys for their roles on Broadway. If the film actually gets made, Davis is just going to sweep the awards and finally win an Oscar. I am also curious how Washington will approach the material, but I am glad a film version of Fences is getting made. I will pray for this to be in production soon.

[BTN]

Hope he stays wih viola Davis. Don't see why he wouldn't but you never know. But I think he should have enough power and star power to just basically get the whole broadway cast.

[HollyG]

An oscar for Viola

I don't see how they could pick another actress, she's well-liked, respected, talented and has already won a Tony for the part.

[crazyfists3600]

Oh, she'll get the part...and then lose the Oscar to Glenn Close.

[Andy Hall]

He'll cast her.

[Mmelissa]

Yes! So excited for this. He speaks with great warmth and respect about Viola and, unfortunately, it's not exactly as if she's drowning in leading roles, so I can't see her not happening.

[jjj]

If she's cast I can see her losing IF she insists on a lead push for a borderline role again.
Mary Alice won Supporting at the Tonys back in the 80s. And the role while pretty juicy does have a LOT less screentime than the male lead's.

I'm also unsure if AMPAS loves Denzel's directing.

[Rage Colored Glasses]

Denzel's previous movies have both had pretty baity subject matter and gone nowhere though.

[dyedred19]

It's funny to think that The Great Debaters was nominated for Best Picture at the Globes.

[Rage Colored Glasses]

It's funny to think that The Great Debaters was nominated for Best Picture at the Globes.

The thing I remember most about The Great Debaters is that when I was in high school we had an ex-Black Panther writer come and speak and he basically said it was the only Hollywood movie about black people that wasn't racist. Something along those lines.

[dyedred19]

Sounds like a cool guy.

[erikdean]

I wish he wasn't directing this.

[lenka73]

I want sooo bad Viola be in this and she could win the Oscar thanks to this....soooooo bad!

[curtis20]

I wish he wasn't directing this.

Why, both Fisher and Great debaters did while with critics and both were very directed.

[erikdean]

Why, both Fisher and Great debaters did while with critics and both were very directed.

1) they were bad movies
2) as stated above, they got a few nods but went nowhere at the Oscars

[curtis20]

1) they were bad movies
2) as stated above, they got a few nods but went nowhere at the Oscars

Just because they went nowhere with oscars don't mean anything. Both films got 80s% on RT and great word of mouth. Denzel is a great choice for this. Just because a film don't get many Oscar nods don't mean they are not good.

[erikdean]

Just because they went nowhere with oscars don't mean anything. Both films got 80s% on RT and great word of mouth. Denzel is a great choice for this. Just because a film don't get many Oscar nods don't mean they are not good.

We're talking about two different things; good movies and Oscar potential. In a perfect world, the two meet. So far, that hasn't been the case for Washington's directorial efforts. Many people would like to see Davis get an Oscar, ergo, this doesn't necessarily bode well for her.

[RRA]

I think Denzel is an OK director, conventionality is his worst crime. He'll do fine with this.

[curtis20]

We're talking about two different things; good movies and Oscar potential. In a perfect world, the two meet. So far, that hasn't been the case for Washington's directorial efforts. Many people would like to see Davis get an Oscar, ergo, this doesn't necessarily bode well for her.

Last time I looked both Doubt and The Help got the same kind of reviews Antwon Fisher and The great debaters and yet Ms. Davis had no problem getting nods and a very close win for those movies. Denzel is not on been Level as a director but so far both of his films that he directed have been very good and well recieved and very well acted. It's also pretty clear the Amps have love for Denzal so put him in a films with Davis and a loved broadway play is a Win. Davis has nothing to worry about.