Leningrad

[ShortFuse]

Is there any news on this film what so ever? All I know is Giuseppe Tornatore is slated to direct and Ennio Morricone is supposedly writing the score but that was from wikipedia.

[Novecento]

I was just watching the interview with Robert Hossein on the German "Cemetery Without Crosses" DVD. He mentions that not only did he miss out on starring in "Once Upon a Time in the West" due to prior commitments, but that just before his death Leone had also asked him to direct the 2nd unit for the battle sequences in Leningrad. It's painful enough thinking about what Leone could have achieved with this had he lived a little longer, but then knowing that Hossein might have been second unit director is almost too much for me! All I can say is the pressure is really on Tornatore to come up big with this one. Speaking of which, maybe he should give Hossein a call...  

[ShortFuse]

I don't think the film is ever going to be made. At least not by Giuseppe Tornatore.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0432314/

I think someone has beat him to it. I am not sure if this is the story by Leone, but it is a film about Lenningrad with one or two American characters.

It's a shame because I thought he was going to do it right after Baaria, but it seems he is working on a project for a Burmese nobel prize winner entitled "The Lady"

[Novecento]

I don't think that film has anything to do with Tornatore's project. However, I do wonder what "The Lady" is all about? I hadn't heard about it before and I too had thought that after Baaria, Leningrad was to be his next thing. Tornatore has been associated with it for so many years now that it would be a shame if it were never made.

[ShortFuse]

There's an article about it here.

http://www.filmwad.com/tornatore-makes-english-film-about-a-burmese-i-lady-i--5698-p.html

I haven't seen any news regarding Tornatore and Leningrad dating passed 2003. Avid Arad and Naofumi Okamoto wanted him for this film, and this will be his first english languaged film since The Legend of 1900. Maybe if he does well, he'll get Hollywood money for Leningrad. They pay more than Medusa and the French.

[Novecento]

It will be interesting to see what comes of this. It's a relatively old post from January 2008 and apparently shooting was supposed to have begun later that year.

[ShortFuse]

In the Lady?

Looks like Leningrad is out in theaters in Russia. Not sure if this was Leone's story.

[Novecento]

I don't think the film is ever going to be made. At least not by Giuseppe Tornatore.

Have read a few sources now stating that Tornatore is still planning to make this happen.