For better or worse, Woody Allen has proved a prolific filmmaker, putting out a new film (or two) every year since 1977. And with his last film, the London-set rom-com You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, now available on DVD, and his next feature, Midnight in Paris set to debut at the Cannes Film Festival this May, Woody’s preparing to head to Rome for his next effort, which is currently untitled.
While the iconic American filmmaker is reluctant to divulge details on his latest project, we do know that Alec Baldwin and Penelope Cruz are set to star. Now, Variety has revealed that twentysomething stars Jesse Eisenberg and Ellen Page have joined the cast. While Eisenberg, who was previously rumored to be involved, seems an obvious pick for Allen, what with his talents at playing a nebbish nerd in varying forms, I’m surprised to see Page plucked. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been a fan of Page’s deft acting abilities since her turn as vengeful jailbait in 2005’s Hard Candy. But Page often takes on roles of girls, who may lack direction but never confidence, a character type I don’t generally associate with Allen’s work. Basically, Allen’s lucky to have her.
With no plot details, we’re left to speculate on the story from casting alone. So, here goes: I imagine Alec Baldwin will be playing the unrepentant Ugly American character he’s been perfecting on 30 Rock, possibly a father (or father figure) to Eisenberg. Likely Baldwin falls for the exotic but complicated Cruz character, and Eisenberg for the quirky/cool girl Page may play. Maybe for bonus twists (and to feed into a theme Allen is oft drawn to) Page will fall for Baldwin. This is a guess based only on these actor’s types and Allen’s previous works for what it’s worth.
With this untitled Rome project set to shoot this summer, I expect the real plot will leak in the coming months.
What do you think of this latest bit of casting news? Do you think Eisenberg and Page will fit with Allen’ aesthetic? What’s your guess at this project’s plot?