Hart's War
Image is the hardback cover of the novel Hart's War by John Katzenbach
Reprinted without permission
Ed Norton has dropped out of Hart's War at MGM, a project that would have netted him his highest payday to date -- $8 million. The studio attributed the parting to "creative differences." Norton has no other projects lined up, and sources said he is not expected to make any decisions on his next film for at least a month. Norton would have toplined the World War II drama as Lt. Tommy Hart, a young lawyer fresh out of Princeton who is captured and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp. While there, he is asked to defend a black prisoner wrongly accused of murder. The film would have reunited Norton with his Primal Fear director, Gregory Hoblit. Hart's War is still slated to begin filming in Prague, Czech Republic, in January, the studio said.
NEW YORK (Variety) - Edward Norton has enlisted to join director Gregory Hoblit in Hart's War, MGM's adaptation of John Katzenbach's World War II novel. Shooting will begin this January in Prague.
It's the first pairing between thesp and director since 1996's Primal Fear, which garnered Norton, then a newcomer, an Oscar nomination and graduated Hoblit from TV dramas like "NYPD Blue" to features.
In Hart's War, Norton will play Tommy Hart, an American who gets shot down over Europe and winds up in a POW camp. A law student before enlisting, Hart defends a black prisoner accused of murdering a fellow soldier, a racist who is suspected of killing the only other black in the camp.
The case transfixes the Germans, which is convenient because the Americans are using it as a diversion while attempting to escape. Katzenbach's novel is based on an incident in the life of his father, former U.S. attorney general Nicholas Katzenbach.
"This has the potential to be A Few Good Men meets The Great Escape, and the idea of reteaming Edward and Greg Hoblit in a story that has so many elements of truth was just an unbelievable opportunity for us," said MGM president Michael Nathanson.
Producer David Foster said Billy Ray (Stuart Little) is finishing a rewrite, and other roles will be cast quickly. His producing partner, David Ladd, is off scouting locations in Prague.
Production on the film should be finished with enough time to spare for looping and mixing before a possible actors' strike after contracts expire May 31.
The film becomes the second major WWII tale this year for MGM, which is weeks from starting production on Windtalkers, a John Woo-directed drama starring Nicolas Cage and Christian Slater.
Norton is currently shooting The Score with Robert De Niro and Marlon Brando for Mandalay. He was last in theaters with Keeping the Faith, which he also directed. Hoblit's last project was Frequency.
Reuters/Variety
Edward Norton is in negotiations to receive his highest payday to date -- in the $8 million range -- for toplining MGM's World War II drama Hart's War for Gregory Hoblit (Frequency). The production is slated to start shooting next year. "War," based on the John Katzenbach novel of the same name, centers on Lt. Tommy Hart, a young lawyer fresh out of Princeton who is captured and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp. While there, he is asked to defend a black man wrongly accused of murder. Billy Ray (Volcano) and Terry George (In the Name of the Father) adapted Katzenbach's novel for the screen. David Ladd (The Mod Squad) and David Foster (The Mask of Zorro) are producing for the studio. Last month, Ladd renewed his first-look production pact with MGM. Norton, repped by Endeavor, last starred in Keeping the Faith and Fight Club and is shooting Mandalay Pictures' The Score opposite Robert De Niro and Marlon Brando. His other feature credits include American History X and Primal Fear. (Zoriianna Kit)
An interesting side note: Edward Norton was in Prague at the beginning of July 2000 on his way to premiere Keeping the Faith at the Karlovy Film Festival (more on the festival).
This film announcement comes two days after the release of Hart's War in paperback
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