14 DAY TRIAL // Almost 16 years ago, actress Madeleine Stowe and her husband penned a script for which Fox offered them the whopping amount of $5 million, a never before seen sum for a first-time screenwriter. Still, she refused to sell the rights to it and continued to perfect it and now she’ll get to reap the fruits of her efforts: she got Robert Pattinson, Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz to star in it, while she’ll be making her directorial debut with it, as Variety can confirm.
“Unbound Captives,” the story of a 1850s family who learns to stick together through thick and thin, was a project very close to Stowe’s heart, which is why she refused to sell it when she had the opportunity. As per her own words, she initially wrote it as a vehicle for herself, but she’s more than happy to have Weisz now as her replacement since she’s sure she will be able to do full justice for the part. As for the two handsome male stars, it is known that Jackman will be playing the head of the family, while Pattinson will take on the part of the son.
“There was never a moment’s hesitation on my part, but it felt unreal, and I can remember my husband putting a finger across his neck to signal not to take the offer.” Stowe says of the moment she turned down Fox for the $5 million offer over the phone. Having gotten such a singular cast together and with everything coming along just nicely, there hasn’t been a second when she felt sorry she did not take the money, the soon to be director further explains.
“There are moments in life where you need to follow your heart. The script remained my singular focus, but directing it myself wasn’t something I ever dreamed of. [Producer] Gil [Netter] made me realize it when he said there isn’t anyone who’s going to make the movie you want to make.” Stowe says of her decision of directing the movie herself. As for the cast, Stowe says, “I saw three actresses, and knew after meeting with Rachel that she was the person I wanted to hand this role to. Robert said yes last fall, before everything broke with ‘Twilight.’ Hugh said yes a couple of weeks ago.”
“Unbound Captives” will start production at the end of the year. The distribution rights have already gone to Hyde Park Intl. (for Cannes) and Endeavor Independent (for North America) but, as of now, no estimated release date has been set. For more on this, keep an eye on this space.