Adorable
Steve McQueen is riding on a high right now, having garnered excellent reviews for his latest film Shame at all of its festival appearances. That’s nothing though, compared to the wave of hype beating Michael Fassbender around as he makes acclaimed bows in blockbusters and indies alike, while landing on every short-list and fantasy cast being generated currently. Hell, I think I heard his name mentioned for that all-black remake of Steel Magnolias that’s being tossed around.
The incredible energy and positive magnetism the two have accumulated from Shame doesn’t mean they’ll be repelling each other though, as Fassbender is going to join McQueen so the two may pull off a cinematic hat-trick. Following the prison strike film Hunger, and the sex addiction drama Shame, the new film will be called 12 Years a Slave, and tells the story of a man who went missing in Washington in 1841 only to resurface enslaved on a cotton plantation in Louisiana 12 years later. His name was Solomon Northrup and he wrote about his ordeal, publishing a book the year he was rescued. His ordeal is filled with subterfuge and legal drama, but a major part of his legacy is having provided detailed writing on the living conditions and daily lives of slaves.
Chiwetel Ejiofor will play Northrup, and though it is not disclosed for sure, I would be willing to bet Fassbender will play Samuel Bass, the man who heard out Northrup’s predicament while visiting the plantation and ultimately set in motion the events that returned his freedom. He could also play one of the men in New York who made their lives ensnaring African-Americans and was responsible for Northrup’s situation.
The project sounds endlessly intriguing, but there’s no start date mentioned, so don’t get too excited yet. It’s said to be McQueen’s next project, but if he’s working around Fassbender’s schedule that may end up requiring some serious flexibility.
Twitter
Comment Below
Message Board
Source | Variety