At Eternity's Gate - Willem Dafoe as Vincent Van Gogh

[Darth Marcus]

Source: Deadline

CBS Films Lands Julian Schnabel’s ‘At Eternity’s Gate,’ With Willem Dafoe As Van Gogh: Cannes
by Mike Fleming Jr - May 14, 2018 11:04pm

EXCLUSIVE: CBS Films has acquired the U.S. distribution rights to At Eternity’s Gate, a drama about Vincent Van Gogh’s ambition to be accepted as a great painter, and his plunge into depression when he was rejected. Introduced for the Cannes Market by CAA Media Finance, the film is directed by The Diving Bell and The Butterfly helmer Julian Schnabel. Van Gogh is played by Willem Dafoe, who’s coming off a Best Supporting Actor nomination for The Florida Project. The film was produced by Jon Kilik. Oscar Isaac, Rupert Friend, Mads Mikkelsen and Mathieu Amalric co-star.

The picture is in post-production, and sources said the deal includes a 7-figure minimum guarantee, with an Oscar qualifying run and platform release late 2018. It becomes one of several very promising pictures to be bought by distributors and will help shape awards season. The promo for Schnabel’s film was very impressive, indicating it could be an exceptional awards season entry and that is what CBS Films is counting on.

Van Gogh was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. In 1886, he moved to Paris where he met members of the avant-garde, including Gauguin. The film explores creativity and the sacrifices van Gogh made to produce the spectacular masterpieces that are instantly recognizable around the world today. During his life, his work was widely panned.

“Julian Schnabel’s work as filmmaker speaks for itself and his success as an artist of many disciplines makes him uniquely qualified to tell the story Vincent van Gogh,” commented CBS Films President Terry Press who continued, “we look forward to working with him to bring audiences this riveting exploration of art, genius and legacy.”

CAA Media Finance brokered the deal on behalf of the filmmakers, CBS Films Executive Vice President of Acquisitions and Co-Productions, Scott Shooman, handled negotiations and will oversee the project on behalf of the studio. Rocket Science is handling international sales for the film which was financed by SPK Pictures and Riverstone Pictures.

[#Darren]

Pretty good likeness.

[Cremildo]

I hadn't heard of Schnabel for a while. I still hope he'll make something as great as Before Night Falls someday.

[traths]

This could be interesting.

[Hoke Moseley]

Definitely one of my most anticipated films.

Hopefully some more awards success for Willem...

[traths]

Mads Mikkelson and Oscar Isaac are also in this so it has a pretty good cast.

[Darth Marcus]

Source: Deadline

New York Film Fest Closer: Julian Schnabel’s’At Eternity’s Gate’ With Willem Dafoe As Van Gogh
by Mike Fleming Jr - August 1, 2018 9:00am

The New York Film Festival will close with the Julian Schnabel-directed At Eternity’s Gate. The film will make its North American premiere on the fest’s closing night on Friday, October 12, 2018. CBS Films releases the picture in November.

A famous American painter himself, Schnabel tackles a subject right in his wheelhouse. At Eternity’s Gate dissects the troubled genius that was Vincent Van Gogh in the last days of his struggle for acceptance of his groundbreaking Post-Impressionist work. Willem Dafoe plays the Dutch painter Van Gogh, who found his work scorned even in his hometown. Oscar Isaac plays Gauguin, Rupert Friend is Theo, Mathieu Amalric as Dr. Gachet, Emmanuelle Seigner as Madame Ginoux, and Mads Mikkelsen as The Priest. Those around Van Gogh tried to bolster the artist and his ambition to be accepted, but could not stop his plunge into depression when he was rejected. During his lifetime, Van Gogh sold only one painting — The Red Vineyard — out of about 900 works, all of which are now considered priceless. Schnabel wrote the script with Jean-Claude Carrière and Louise Kugelberg, also the film’s editor.

The film makes its world premiere in Venice and Dafoe enters award season after a towing performance that got him nominated for Best Supporting Actor in The Florida Project. He is expected to once again be a factor in the upcoming award’s season. The film created strong buzz when scenes of the unfinished film were shown at Cannes for distributors, and Deadline revealed that CBS Films closed the deal. Schnabel brought his The Diving Bell And The Butterfly to the New York Film Festival in 2007.

“Julian Schnabel makes use of the most up-to-date information about Vincent van Gogh, altering our accepted ideas of how he lived and died; he grounds the film in the very action of painting, the intense contact between an artist and the world of forms and textures colored by light; and he gives us Willem Dafoe’s performance as Vincent—acting this pure is endlessly surprising,” said New York Film Festival Director and Selection Committee Chair Kent Jones.

Schnabel called it “a profound honor to be included with the other films and to be part of the history of Closing Night films that came before us. Looking forward to sitting in the audience with everybody.”

The Yorgos Lanthimos-directed Opening Nighter The Favourite and At Eternity’s Gate bookend Alfonso Cuarón’s centerpiece selection ROMA.

[Cremildo]

[AaronJ]

Great subject and an excellent cast, with a very good director.

I'm totally in on this.

[Cremildo]

Metacritic

[Hoke Moseley]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T77P...ature=youtu.be

Looks great.

[kylec123]

Into. Although I've only seen The Diving Bell and the Butterfly once, It has stuck with me as something incredibly unique. I haven't seen his others. I guess I should?

Definitely excited to see.

[imsounoriginal]

Feels like Oscar Isaac is everywhere these days.

[kylec123]

Originally Posted by imsounoriginal

Feels like Oscar Isaac is everywhere these days.

As he should be.

[Cremildo]

Stunning.

[AaronJ]

That trailer is ... I'm not sure I have the words for it.

Just blew me away.

[scifisuperfan]

Oscar bait. At least was the only time Kirk Douglas was almost favourite to win the oscar and since Dafoe is a much better actor i believe its about time to give the scariest sweetest face on the planet an oscar.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by scifisuperfan

Oscar bait. At least was the only time Kirk Douglas was almost favourite to win the oscar and since Dafoe is a much better actor i believe its about time to give the scariest sweetest face on the planet an oscar.

I so hate that term. I think it's really disingenuous.

Not attacking you, at all. I just hate the term itself.

[Cremildo]

I don't think Julian Schnabel makes Oscar-baits. Did people say Pialat's or Altman's Van Gogh movies were Oscar-baits, too? I doubt it.

[Holmes]

Willem Dafoe is magnificent as Vincent van Gogh. It is one of his finest performances, which is no small feat considering his illustrious career. The way he conveys emotions and sensations, from the height of rapturous inspiration to the pit of despondency, with his face alone is transfixing. And he has a superb cast to share scenes with, including Mads Mikkelsen as a priest mystified by van Gogh; Oscar Isaac as fellow post-Impressionist painter Paul Gauguin; and Mathieu Amalric as art patron and doctor Paul Gachet.

My one concern with the film: at times, Julian Schnabel directs with too heavy a hand. He undoubtedly conjures numerous sublime images and moments, but a few of his stylistic conceits, such as the repetition of past dialogue as voice-over and highly distorted first-person point-of-view shots, grow wearying due to overuse. There are times when he should have relaxed those experimental directorial muscles and simply let his camera linger on Dafoe.