As we have entered the month of September, I thought it was just about time to set up a dedicated area for Clint’s latest project, Trouble with the Curve. Trouble with the Curve is a sports-drama film starring Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams, Justin Timberlake, Matthew Lillard, and John Goodman. The film revolves around a retiring baseball scout who brings his daughter on his final trip. Filming began in March 2012 with a scheduled release of September 21, 2012.
This is Clint's first acting project since 2008's Gran Torino and the first film he will star in since In the Line of Fire not to have him as director.
An aging Atlanta Braves baseball scout named Gus Lobel (Eastwood) is given one last assignment to prove his worth to the organization, who sees him as unable to adapt to changes in the business. His boss and friend Pete (Goodman), who does not want to see him let go, asks Gus's daughter Mickey (Adams) to join him on the trip to make sure he's ok, against Gus's wishes. Together they scout a top new prospect in North Carolina, where Mickey begins to take an active role in her father's work to make up for his failing vision, which he has hidden from his bosses. Along the way Gus reconnects with Johnny (Timberlake), a rival team's scout who has a friendly history with Gus, as Gus was the man who scouted him when he was a baseball player, and who also takes an interest in Mickey.
An aging Atlanta Braves baseball scout named Gus Lobel (Eastwood) is given one last assignment to prove his worth to the organization, who sees him as unable to adapt to changes in the business. His boss and friend Pete (Goodman), who does not want to see him let go, asks Gus's daughter Mickey (Adams) to join him on the trip to make sure he's ok, against Gus's wishes. Together they scout a top new prospect in North Carolina, where Mickey begins to take an active role in her father's work to make up for his failing vision, which he has hidden from his bosses. Along the way Gus reconnects with Johnny (Timberlake), a rival team's scout who has a friendly history with Gus, as Gus was the man who scouted him when he was a baseball player, and who also takes an interest in Mickey.
Below: Here are the two current Trailers
Below: Here are the official TV Spots 1 - 4
Some Production History:
Stories began appearing during October 2011, here are a few that appeared during that time.
From The Hollywood Reporter 10/5/2011 by Borys Kit
Clint Eastwood Acting Again in 'Trouble With the Curve'
His long-time associate Robert Lorenz will direct the project.
Clint Eastwood, who once said that 2008’s Gran Torino would likely be his last acting gig, is in talks to go in front of the camera once again for Trouble With the Curve.
His longtime producing partner at Malpaso Productions Robert Lorenz is in talks to direct the baseball drama, set up at Eastwood’s longtime home of Warner Bros.
The script, by Randy Brown, centers on an aging baseball scout who goes on a road trip with his adult daughter.
The 81-year old Eastwood was due to direct A Star Is Born for Warners but when star Beyonce Knowles got pregnant, that pushed the remake into limbo, leaving Eastwood, never one to stand still, with an open slot.
Beyond the fact that Eastwood is agreeing to act again, the project is notable in that Lorenz will be making his directorial debut. While Lorenz has been producing Eastwood’s movies since 2002’s Blood Work, he’s also been working as an assistant director for the actor-director since 1995’s The Bridges of Madison County, with his last behind-the-camera credit 2004’s Million Dollar Baby.
Clint Eastwood: How Justin Timberlake Got On His Bad Side
Amanda Crum · July 27, 2012
Clint Eastwood has been in the business long enough to know when a project is going to work and when it won’t; he famously ended his Western career after wrapping “Unforgiven” in 1992 and has judiciously selected his films since then, working mainly for…himself. As a director, his career took a whole new turn with successes like “Mystic River”, “Gran Torino”, and “Million Dollar Baby”, and he starred in several of the films he helmed. But now, he’s been asked to star in a film by Robert Lorenz about an aging baseball scout, and Eastwood trusted his gut enough to sign on as the lead character, Gus.
The film also stars Amy Adams as his daughter, who agrees to accompany him on a trip to see a baseball phenom in action, and John Goodman, who plays his boss. And, in something of a departure for the young actor, Justin Timberlake shows up as Johnny, a young rival scout who strikes up a friendship on the road with Gus. Of course, after he insinuates himself into the relationship between Gus and his daughter–and ultimately begins to look at her as more than a friend–Eastwood throws on that famous scowl and does the scary-dad thing.
March 2012 Screenrant reported
Amy Adams & Matthew Lillard Join Clint Eastwood in ‘Trouble with the Curve’ by Sandy Schaefer
Gran Torino was supposed to have been Clint Eastwood’s swansong, as an actor. However, in the latter months of 2011, news got out that the 81-year-old Hollywood icon would work in front of the camera one more time on Trouble with the Curve, the directorial debut of his frequent assistant director/producer, Robert Lorenz.
Sandra Bullock was briefly raised as a possibility to portray Eastwood’s daughter in the film, but a scheduling conflict reportedly forced the Oscar-winning actress to withdraw. Word got out shortly thereafter that another acclaimed starlet, namely Amy Adams, could be taking Bullock’s place; now, it seems that casting move is essentially set in stone.
EW has the exclusive on Matthew Lillard being in talks to also join the cast of Trouble with the Curve. The star of the original Scream and live-action Scooby-Doo movies is in a good place right now, thanks to his supporting turn in the new Golden Globe-winning (and Oscar front-runner) The Descendants – so, signing on for what should actually be Eastwood’s final starring vehicle could easily help keep Lillard’s win streak alive.
The Wrap has also learned that Joe Massingill is being eyed for Trouble with the Curve. The young Georgia-born actor only has one-episode stints on TV shows like Glee and Zeke and Luther on his resume. Combine that with the likelihood that Massingill is being eyed for a pivotal part in Lorenz’ film and it’s safe to say, this casting move will only help his standing in Hollywood.
Trouble with the Curve tells the tale of a nearly-blind baseball scout (Eastwood) who sets out with his adult daughter (Adams) for one final recruiting mission to check out a promising up-and-coming player in Atlanta (Massingill?). Lillard, should he sign on, would portray a rival scout.
It’s interesting how Trouble with the Curve has the potential to be a breakout project for several people, including Massingill as an actor, Lorenz as a director, and relative newcomer Randy Brown as a screenwriter. Kind of ironic, really, seeing how it’s both a story about the end of one man’s professional career (life?) AND meant to be a final sendoff for Eastwood as a star of the big screen.
Lorez, as mentioned before, hasn’t actually directed a film yet, so it will be interesting to see how much he’s learned (and borrows) from Eastwood, having collaborated with the man on virtually every one of his projects released over the past decade. In all honesty, there seems to be a good chance that Trouble with the Curve could look and feel so much like an Eastwood-directed flick that many casual moviegoers will assume that’s actually the case.
Trouble with the Curve is scheduled to begin production by March 2012. Since it’s an inexpensive, character-driven drama, shooting shouldn’t take too long; according to IMDB, the film is already set to hit theaters in France by January 2013. So, a late Oscar-qualifying U.S. limited run before the end of 2012 doesn’t seem out of reach (for now).
On Jan. 31, 2012 Variety reported:
Justin Timberlake plays ball with Clint Eastwood
'Social Network' actor to star opposite Amy Adams in WB's 'Curve' pic
By Jeff Sneider, Justin Kroll
"The Social Network" star Justin Timberlake is set to join Clint Eastwood and Amy Adams in Warner Bros.' "Trouble With the Curve," which will mark the directorial debut of Eastwood's longtime producing partner Robert Lorenz.
Randy Brown wrote the script, which finds Eastwood playing an aging baseball scout with vision problems who takes a road trip to Atlanta with his daughter to take a look at a hot prospect.
Timberlake will play Eastwood's pal Johnny Flanagan, a former pitcher who now works as a baseball scout for the New York Yankees. His character is a potential love interest for Adams, who plays Eastwood's daughter.
Eastwood and Lorenz will produce through their Malpaso banner, while Michele Weissler will also be involved in a producer capacity, having who brought the project to Malpaso. Sarah Schechter will oversee the project for WB.
Feb 8th, 2012 cinemablend.com reported:
John Goodman Joins Baseball Drama Trouble With The Curve
by Eric Eisenberg
John Goodman and Justin Timberlake may soon become the closest of friends. In addition to the fact that both are starring in the upcoming Coen brothers film Inside Llewyn Davis, now it's been confirmed that they will be teaming up on the baseball drama Trouble With The Curve.
Timberlake's casting was announced last week and now, according to Variety, Goodman has signed on as well. The film tells the story of an aging baseball scout, played by Clint Eastwood, who is getting ready to retire due to his failing eyesight. As one final job, he decides to go on a road trip to Atlanta to check out a hot new prospect, bringing his daughter (Amy Adams) along for the ride. Goodman will play a character named Pete Klein, who is another baseball scout and a believer that Eastwood's character isn't ready to retire just yet. The project is being directed by Robert Lorenz, who is Eastwood's production partner at Malpaso Productions and the script was written by Randy Brown.
Lorenz says of "Trouble With The Curve":
“He (Goodman’s character) recognizes that Gus is at risk of losing his job. There are younger people at the organization who think it’s time for new blood. Gus is old school, and they want to move him out.”
Lorenz and Eastwood are old pals, having worked together on films like “Mystic River” and “Letters From Iwo Jima”, so it’s no surprise that the grizzly actor decided to do the project. The film premieres in September; no word yet on how Timberlake felt when confronted with Eastwood’s angry-face.
‘Trouble with the Curve’ to Feature Music by Marco Beltrami
July 16, 2012 by filmmusicreporter
Beltrami is currently scoring the drama Trouble with the Curve. The film is directed by Robert Lorenz and stars Clint Eastwood as an aging baseball scout who is losing his sight and takes a road trip to Atlanta with his daughter to take a look at a hot prospect. Amy Adams, Justin Timberlake, John Goodman, Matthew Lillard and Scott Eastwood are also starring. Robert Brown wrote the film’s script. The project marks the directorial debut of Lorenz who has previously produced most of Eastwood’s movies over the last decade including Mystic River, Letters from Iwo Jima and Gran Torino. Lorenz and Eastwood are also producing the drama for Malpaso Productions. Trouble with the Curve is set to be released on September 28, 2012 by Warner Bros. Pictures.
 |
| Composer Marco Beltrami |
March 2012 Screenrant reported
Amy Adams & Matthew Lillard Join Clint Eastwood in ‘Trouble with the Curve’ by Sandy Schaefer
Gran Torino was supposed to have been Clint Eastwood’s swansong, as an actor. However, in the latter months of 2011, news got out that the 81-year-old Hollywood icon would work in front of the camera one more time on Trouble with the Curve, the directorial debut of his frequent assistant director/producer, Robert Lorenz.
Sandra Bullock was briefly raised as a possibility to portray Eastwood’s daughter in the film, but a scheduling conflict reportedly forced the Oscar-winning actress to withdraw. Word got out shortly thereafter that another acclaimed starlet, namely Amy Adams, could be taking Bullock’s place; now, it seems that casting move is essentially set in stone.
The Wrap has also learned that Joe Massingill is being eyed for Trouble with the Curve. The young Georgia-born actor only has one-episode stints on TV shows like Glee and Zeke and Luther on his resume. Combine that with the likelihood that Massingill is being eyed for a pivotal part in Lorenz’ film and it’s safe to say, this casting move will only help his standing in Hollywood.
Trouble with the Curve tells the tale of a nearly-blind baseball scout (Eastwood) who sets out with his adult daughter (Adams) for one final recruiting mission to check out a promising up-and-coming player in Atlanta (Massingill?). Lillard, should he sign on, would portray a rival scout.
It’s interesting how Trouble with the Curve has the potential to be a breakout project for several people, including Massingill as an actor, Lorenz as a director, and relative newcomer Randy Brown as a screenwriter. Kind of ironic, really, seeing how it’s both a story about the end of one man’s professional career (life?) AND meant to be a final sendoff for Eastwood as a star of the big screen.
Lorez, as mentioned before, hasn’t actually directed a film yet, so it will be interesting to see how much he’s learned (and borrows) from Eastwood, having collaborated with the man on virtually every one of his projects released over the past decade. In all honesty, there seems to be a good chance that Trouble with the Curve could look and feel so much like an Eastwood-directed flick that many casual moviegoers will assume that’s actually the case.
Trouble with the Curve is scheduled to begin production by March 2012. Since it’s an inexpensive, character-driven drama, shooting shouldn’t take too long; according to IMDB, the film is already set to hit theaters in France by January 2013. So, a late Oscar-qualifying U.S. limited run before the end of 2012 doesn’t seem out of reach (for now).
On Jan. 31, 2012 Variety reported:
Justin Timberlake plays ball with Clint Eastwood
'Social Network' actor to star opposite Amy Adams in WB's 'Curve' pic
By Jeff Sneider, Justin Kroll
"The Social Network" star Justin Timberlake is set to join Clint Eastwood and Amy Adams in Warner Bros.' "Trouble With the Curve," which will mark the directorial debut of Eastwood's longtime producing partner Robert Lorenz.
Randy Brown wrote the script, which finds Eastwood playing an aging baseball scout with vision problems who takes a road trip to Atlanta with his daughter to take a look at a hot prospect.
Eastwood and Lorenz will produce through their Malpaso banner, while Michele Weissler will also be involved in a producer capacity, having who brought the project to Malpaso. Sarah Schechter will oversee the project for WB.
Feb 8th, 2012 cinemablend.com reported:
John Goodman Joins Baseball Drama Trouble With The Curve
by Eric Eisenberg
John Goodman and Justin Timberlake may soon become the closest of friends. In addition to the fact that both are starring in the upcoming Coen brothers film Inside Llewyn Davis, now it's been confirmed that they will be teaming up on the baseball drama Trouble With The Curve.
Timberlake's casting was announced last week and now, according to Variety, Goodman has signed on as well. The film tells the story of an aging baseball scout, played by Clint Eastwood, who is getting ready to retire due to his failing eyesight. As one final job, he decides to go on a road trip to Atlanta to check out a hot new prospect, bringing his daughter (Amy Adams) along for the ride. Goodman will play a character named Pete Klein, who is another baseball scout and a believer that Eastwood's character isn't ready to retire just yet. The project is being directed by Robert Lorenz, who is Eastwood's production partner at Malpaso Productions and the script was written by Randy Brown.
Goodman has been super busy as of late, and in no way is that a bad thing. In addition to the fact that he's in two movies nominated for Best Picture this year (The Artist and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close), he has three titles coming out later this year - Argo, ParaNorman, and Flight - and is in development on a number of others. It's always great to see Goodman on the big screen and seeing him with talent like Eastwood, Adams and Timberlake only makes things sweeter.
You can also check out the official website
You can also check out the official website
Click here
Rooting for One Player in Baseball Politics: Dad
The New York Times
The New York Times
By A. O. SCOTT Published: September 20, 2012
The trouble with baseball movies like “Trouble With the
Curve” is that they tempt reviewers to reach for hackneyed sports metaphors.
I’m only human, but I’m also not sure which comparison best suits this
easygoing, unsurprising movie, directed by Robert Lorenz from a script by Randy
Brown. Regrettably, it is not a home run or a perfect game, but it isn’t a wild
throw, an errant bunt or a dropped fly ball either. “Trouble With the Curve” is
either an off-speed pitch that just catches the edge of the strike zone or a
bloop single lofted into right field. The runner is safe. The movie is too.
Crack open a peanut and flag down the beer guy.
Clint Eastwood, muttering grumpily to himself — though not,
this time, in the service of a political campaign — plays Gus Lobel, a longtime
scout for the Atlanta Braves. Gus’s eyesight is failing, and his job is
threatened by a younger front-office hotshot (Matthew Lillard) whose approach
to baseball involves numbers and computers and all that newfangled nonsense. If
this were “Moneyball,” last year’s autumnal baseball picture, the guy would be
a hero, but “Trouble With the Curve” is the anti-“Moneyball.” The old-time
scouts from that film, mocked for their superstitions about “intangibles” and
“instincts,” get their revenge this time around, thanks to the greatest avenger
of them all.
Not without a struggle, of course. Comeuppance is a dish
best served just before the final credits, after the audience has gotten good
and mad at the designated jerks. And then those eyes go into their trademark
squint, the voice acquires an extra scoop of gravel, and we all feel lucky. If
you have seen “Space Cowboys” or “Gran Torino” or any number of other
late-period Eastwood movies, you know that cantankerous wisdom will triumph
over youthful smarts. You also know that Mr. Eastwood’s dry, grouchy manner
camouflages a sentimental streak and that at least one member of the younger
generation will be the object of tenderness rather than contempt.
That was, for example, Hilary Swank’s job in the great
“Million Dollar Baby.” In this case Gus’s protégée and foil is his daughter,
Mickey (Amy Adams), a shiny red-haired apple who has not fallen far from the
gnarly paternal tree. At first relations between them are strained almost to
the point of rupture. Mickey is a lawyer one big case away from making partner at
a prestigious firm, and she is exasperated by her father’s stubbornness and
emotional distance. It will not take Sigmund Freud to deduce that father and
daughter are in fact quite similar; it will take Justin Timberlake, who shows
up to provide a feeble romantic spark and a hint of generic sex appeal.
When Gus runs into some trouble on a scouting trip to North
Carolina, Mickey, nudged by her dad’s old pal Pete (John Goodman), shows up to
lend a hand. She and Gus cross paths with Johnny (Mr. Timberlake), a washed-up
pitcher who has been sent by the Red Sox to check out a much-hyped high school
slugger. This prospect (played by Joe Massingill) is both talented and
obnoxious. So is Mickey’s rival back at the law firm. You don’t have to be an
expert sign stealer to know exactly what will happen and more or less when.
The very title of “Trouble With the Curve” is a spoiler, but
it hardly matters. Originality is for punks. As a filmmaker Mr. Eastwood is a
master of reviving tired genres and finding truth and soul in clichés. Mr.
Lorenz, who has worked with Mr. Eastwood as a producer and assistant director
for many years, hews close to the master’s style in his directing debut. Mr.
Eastwood’s longtime cinematographer, Tom Stern, shoots the mostly outdoor
locations in a restrained, handsome palette, neither too gauzy nor too gritty.
The pat and occasionally preposterous story is really just a
pretext, a serviceable scaffolding for a
handful of expert, satisfying performances. A gaggle of first-rate character
actors trails Mr. Eastwood from Turner Field in Atlanta to the rural bars and
ballparks, and the star knows how to step aside and let them work. He also has
the good sense to realize that, much as we may adore him, we’d sometimes rather
spend time with Ms. Adams, who somehow grows tougher, funnier, scarier and more
charming with every role. In the larger scheme of things “Trouble With the
Curve” may be an exhibition game, with nothing much at stake, but Ms. Adams
brings the heat. She swings for the fence. Snags the line drive, tags the
runner and makes the throw to the plate. Find your own metaphor.
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