George Clooney to Direct, Star In 'Monuments Men' About Stolen Nazi Art (Exclusive)

Things are starting:

We're in Berlin transporting art work for the new George Clooney dir. film of @[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]'s book The Monuments Men: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

— GB Movers (@GB_Movers) [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Gotta say, so looking forward to seeing the finished product, does anyone know the intended release date?

Not sure actual date by I know it is December 2013

Thanks Mazy, going to start reading the book this week, had 2 others to finish first.

You'll love it!

Its been on my bedside table for awhile, so happy that I have the time now to commence. Heard it was received really well, here on COH and friends who have just finished reading it.

I am in the middle of it now. It was a bit slow in the beginning but is starting to pick up. It will interesting what parts of the story get told. Lots of characters.

Yep. Loads of detail isn't there? I kept reaching for the maps!

My friend who finished the book said she couldn't imagine the film-makers including everything, even possibly leaving out some characters as she thought it very complex and therefore would be quite a lengthy movie. Once I finish the book I'll know more about what she is talking about!

She's right!

Hi from Paris everybody,

I just come here to find answers about The MM shooting in Paris.

Do you know if France is a big part of the book ? Any chance they come in my country ?

Thanks a lot !

Hi Turigol how are you? Stay tuned and someone will let you know x

Morning, Turigol.

Yep, a hell of a lot about France in the book, given that the Nazis looted Jeu de Paume, the Louvre, Chartres Cathedral............I could go on. Really worth getting the book, and Cate Blanchett will definitely be involved in shooting, to name but on!. A lot of what happened there tended to be in the Spring/Autumn.

Hope this helps

Thanks a lot,

So, i hope they'll come here... maybe April or May...

Now that is whats' best about this forum - there are always plenty of people who know the answers - thanks Party-animal.

TURIGOL wrote:Hi from Paris everybody,

I just come here to find answers about The MM shooting in Paris.

Do you know if France is a big part of the book ? Any chance they come in my country ?

Thanks a lot !

don't have anymore info than you do but I was thinking, as they'll be shooting for a few month over Europe, it would just be cool for him to show up in Normandie for D DAY ! I mean they are going to be shooting right in the middle of the celebrations for the 8th of May. I'm not sure how this can be useful to the movie though... not so sure about Paris : the setting is the Louvre, the Jeu de Paume, and there's not much chance they are goiçng to close those for a shooting... then again, he's George Clooney

An idle thought.

Just saw that Channing and Jenna Tatum are having their baby in London later this year.

Does anybody know what he's fiiming? (You can see where I'm going with this one, can't you?)

This is what IMDb has lined up for him:

2014 Jupiter Ascending (pre-production)
Django Wise


???? 21 Jump Street 2 (pre-production)
Jenko


???? The Contortionist's Handbook (pre-production)
John Dolan Vincent

Mm, interesting. 21 Jump Street 2 doesn''t start filming till September, and the Jupiter thing says 2014.

Wonder if he's doing a cameo in MM - a few things would make sense if that was so.

A Channing Tatum cameo in MM?! Now that would add to the entertainment value! Guess we shall see!

Theminis you've convinced me to start reading MM. Have had it for a bit but just haven't had the time. Will start it tonight!

As far as Channing being in MM...PLEASE GOD NO!!!!! The guy seems like a very nice person but I just don't get the hullaballoo for Mr. Tatum. He plays the same character--himself--in every movie and I just can't get into his look. He's stiff and even when he's really toned, he reminds me of the pillbury dough boy. (Please don't hit me Tatum fans!!!!!!!)

I can only tell you that my favorite work of his was either Stop Loss because I love military movies or Magic Mike for obvious reasons!

This actor has been tweeting about the film.


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Looks like he's there right now, doesn't it? Interesting stuff.

Oh dear, I left you off my list! Very sorry, Bob.

George Clooney should find a way to write a song 4 the closing credits of Monuments Men & be the 1st person to get 5 Oscar noms for 1 movie

— Jackson Truax (@JackattheMovies) [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Well we know he can write, so who knows?

We all know he can hum and whistle. I think it's in the bag!

theminis wrote:

George Clooney should find a way to write a song 4 the closing credits of Monuments Men & be the 1st person to get 5 Oscar noms for 1 movie

— Jackson Truax (@JackattheMovies) [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Well we know he can write, so who knows?

Maybe he can link up with Adele on that ?
She'd think she'd died and gone to heaven !

hell you mean

theminis wrote:

George Clooney should find a way to write a song 4 the closing credits of Monuments Men & be the 1st person to get 5 Oscar noms for 1 movie

— Jackson Truax (@JackattheMovies) [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Well we know he can write, so who knows?

Yes ! Since he writes I always kind of hope he would actually write the lyrics for a main song in one of his movies !! So I like this idea. Besides I'm not difficult, I'm not expecting him to sing, or play, or compose... no no just the lyrics, he sure can do it

Well, he said to Ryan Secrest (I think) that his next gig would be choreography, so he can write the lyrics and then dance a jig while the final credits are rolling.

Have a feeling Alexander Desplat might already have got the job, ladies..............

Don't recall any Berlin nightclubs in the book! A few mines, the odd castle, lots of churches. Oh, and Bertchesgarden.............and Paris.

More casting for extras...this Saturday. This is a long shoot for him....


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Can't copy because of how it is formatted...


Oh I am almost done reading it...very good.....

Just started reading it! So far, it's great. Like Theminis said, starts out a bit slow but heats right up.

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On Monday, start of filming for the movie "Monuments Men," directed by and starring Hollywood actor George Clooney. Even Bond actor Daniel Craig and Cate Blanchett play with, film buffs act production is already a candidate for the Oscars.

Potsdam - The preparations for this day were already several months: On Monday, the first take of the movie "The Monuments Men," directed by and starring Hollywood star George Clooney in Babelsberg fallen. Turned PNN information is. Until June in several sets on the backlot and among others in Rüdersdorf southeast of Berlin Clooney reportedly had prior visited several possible locations in Potsdam - including some which originated from the Nazi era, the main building of the university campus at Griebnitzsee and the venerable library administration at the Town Hall in the Friedrich-Ebert-Str. An official confirmation rotation start it last Monday on PNN request not - as always with major Hollywood Studio Babelsberg co pays on behalf of its U.S. partner in the utmost discretion.

For the art hunter-thriller from the period of World War II could Clooney named as Bond actor Daniel Craig, Matt Damon (Bourne Trilogy), John Goodman ("The Big Lebowski"), "Ghostbuster" Bill Murray and Academy Award winner Jean Dujardin commit ("The Artist") and Cate Blanchett ("Elizabeth"). In early January, thousands more applicants had auditioned as extras on the studio lot.

so it was already on last Monday
right?

He just went back to Germany last Monday and got his award on Tuesday, so I believe this is brand new and they just started yesterday, It's Me.

ops
I'm so tired I thought today was Wednesday!

I'd be really interested to hear folks' suggestions for casting the young Private Harry Ettlinger (18) in the Monuments Men. As a German Jew he and his family had managed to escape Nazi persecution in 1938 and emmigrated to the States, but found himself back in Germany working with the Monuments Men.........

Oh, I said in one post that there was no choreography. but one of the heroes was Lincoln Kirstein, who set up the New York City Ballet

Close!

Might be worth following Bob Balaban's Twitter page............

I wish them all good luck! Must not be easy taking on this kind of responsibility. Particularly Mr. Clooney, he does take on lots of different roles. I hope Mr. Heslov does some acting in it.

clooney ist cool ....

On 03/09/2013 I will go to the next casting.

At 09 March 2013 I will go to the next casting.

Good luck then pizza ! Let us know how you get on ?

Production Begins on George Clooney’s THE MONUMENTS MEN Starring Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett, and Bill Murray
by Adam Chitwood

Production has commenced on George Clooney’s fifth feature directorial effort, the action-thriller The Monuments Men. The Columbia Pictures/20th Century Fox co-production tells the true story of an unlikely World War II platoon made up of museum directors, curators, and art historians tasked by FDR with going into Germany and rescuing artistic masterpieces from Nazi thieves before they are lost forever. Clooney directs, stars in, and produces the film alongside his Smokehouse Productions partner Grant Heslov, with whom he also co-wrote the script. Moreover, Clooney has assembled a truly remarkable cast that includes Matt Damon, Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett, Jean Dujardin, Bob Balaban, John Goodman, and Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey).

Unfortunately Daniel Craig is not listed as part of the cast in the official press release, so it appears that he may have dropped out of the film. Hit the jump for more, including the full press release.

Even if Clooney and Heslov weren’t just coming off a Best Picture win (they produced Argo), this film would still be a major player in this year’s coming awards race. More importantly, though, Monuments Men just sounds like a hell of a good time. Clooney reunites with composer Alexandre Desplat and director of photography Phedon Papamichael (The Ides of March) on the pic, which has a pretty long production schedule planned.

Filming will take place in Germany and the United Kingdom through the end of June, at which point Clooney moves right into starring in Brad Bird’s mysterious project Tomorrowland. The Monuments Men hits theaters on December 18, 2013. Read the full press release below.


BERLIN, Ger., March 5, 2013 – Columbia Pictures and Twentieth Century Fox announced today that The Monuments Men, a Smokehouse production directed by and starring George Clooney, has started production in Berlin, Germany. The action-thriller is written by Clooney & Grant Heslov, based on the book by Robert M. Edsel with Bret Witter. Clooney and Heslov also produce the film through their Smokehouse Productions. It is their first production since winning the Academy Award® for Best Picture for their work on Argo. Barbara A. Hall is executive producer. The Monuments Men is a co-production with Germany’s Siebente Babelsberg Film GmbH, a subsidiary of Studio Babelsberg AG. Charlie Woebcken, Christoph Fisser and Henning Molfenter serve as co-producers. Sony Pictures will release the film domestically, with Twentieth Century Fox handling international territories.

The all-star cast includes Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett, Jean Dujardin, Bob Balaban, Hugh Bonneville, and John Goodman.

Based on the true story of the greatest treasure hunt in history, The Monuments Men focuses on an unlikely World War II platoon, tasked by FDR with going into Germany to rescue artistic masterpieces from Nazi thieves and returning them to their rightful owners. It would be an impossible mission: with the art trapped behind enemy lines, and with the German army under orders to destroy everything as the Reich fell, how could these guys – seven museum directors, curators, and art historians, all more familiar with Michelangelo than the M-1 – possibly hope to succeed? But as the Monuments Men, as they were called, found themselves in a race against time to avoid the destruction of 1000 years of culture, they would risk their lives to protect and defend mankind’s greatest achievements.

Clooney’s crew on The Monuments Men includes director of photography Phedon Papamichael, ASC, Oscar®-nominated production designer Jim Bissell, Academy Award®-winning editor Stephen Mirrione, A.C.E., costume designer Louise Frogley, and five-time Oscar® nominated composer Alexandre Desplat.

The Monuments Men continues filming in Germany and the United Kingdom through the end of June. It is scheduled for domestic release on December 18, 2013.


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I wonder if Daniel Craig did drop out?

Too bad if he did, especially as a draw for the film. Wow, he'll be in Europe until the end of June and then will go immediately into filming Tommorowland. So, either he's skipping Como this year, or only there for a few weeks before starting on the next film. Busy guy!

Daniel Craig is still listed on imdb for MM.

Would be very surprised if the Main Man on MM hasn't allowed himself some time in one of his favourite places - even if a lot of it is spent working on editing

I know that Daniel and his wife Rachel are going to perform together
in Harold Pinter's play Betrayal on Broadway, but don't know when.

Just a bit emotionally draining then, Jo?!

I wonder if D Craig, Esq. has a relatively small part - if you know what I mean.............

Matt Damon is in Berlin now