- October 22, 1998: Oliver Stone has found a replacement for Puff Daddy (aka Sean Combs), who recently dropped out of "Any Given Sunday." The role of Willie Beaman, who is a hot-shot QB on a football team led by coach Al Pacino, will be played by comedian Jamie Foxx, famous for his parts in "In Living Color" and his own show on the WB. I've heard that shooting starts next month, although I've also heard it begins in January, so I don't know what to believe.
- October 15, 1998: CORRECTION: The news I reported on Oct. 1st is only half-right. Pacino is in Israel and was filming on Tuesday and Wednesday. However, these scenes are not for a movie about Lebanon but for "Man of the People," Al's current flick about the tobacco industry. He plays the producer of "60 Minutes" who interviews a leader of the guerrilla group Hezbollah, the daily Yediot Ahronot reported. How this is related to cigarrettes I do not know, but I'll keep you posted...
- October 1, 1998: For all you Israeli PacinoFreaks out there...
Al will reportedly start filming a movie about Lebanon during the month in Umm el-Fahm, an Arab Israeli town just north of Tel Aviv. According to Mr. Showbiz, Umm el-Fahm will be changed for the shoot into the Baalbek stronghold of the Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah. In the film, which has no title right now, Pacino will play an international journalist who travels to the garrison to interview the leader of the Shiite militia fighting Israeli occupation forces in south Lebanon. So if you are for some reason in Israel, check out Al! I'll post more info when I get it...
- September 24, 1998: Shawn "Puff Daddy" Combs has reportedly dropped out of "On Any Given Sunday," the Oliver Stone-directed football movie in which Pacino plays what would have been Comb's coach, reportedly due to scheduling problems. The film, which is now supposed to start filming in January, was to be Puff's film debut. Rumor has it that he was the only one to have a problem with the filming schedule and wouldn't give in to Stone's requests.
- August 16, 1998: A revealing article in the new Aug. 22-28 issue of TV Guide states that the staff of "60 Minutes" is getting pretty steamed about Al's new movie "Man of the People," in which he plays the show's whistle-blowing producer. The report also gives away some lines and crucial scenes from the film, which is probably done shooting. Read the complete article here
- August 6, 1998: On "Live with Regis and Kathie Lee" this morning, Kathie Lee reported that Al approached her husband Frank Gifford in hopes of gaining info on what it's like to be a football coach, which is research for his next movie "On Any Given Sunday" in which he plays the head of an NFL team. Frank led Al to his good friend Bill Parcells, the coach of another NFL team (some NYC team I think? I don't know much about sports) whom Pacino will follow for several weeks to get the full experience. This isn't really news but I thought it was kinda cool anyway :)
- August 3, 1998: "The Godfather, Part II" tops TV Guide's list of The 50 Greatest Movies on TV and Video, beating out such heavy contenders as "Casablanca" and "Citizen Kane." The Aug. 8-14 issue describes it as the "best movie. Period," and calls Al Pacino "staggeringly good." The only sequel to win a Best Picture Oscar, "Part II" is considered by most critics superior to the original "Godfather," which came in on the list at No. 7. You go, TV Guide! To vote for your own picks, or to see the complete list, go to http://www.tvgen.com and give Al some support.
- July 9, 1998: Al Pacino will be stopping in Friday, July 10, at a ceremonial dinner from the legendary Friars Club of California who will be named Abbot to pass the gavel to him. The ceremony will be held at The Friars Club, 9900 Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills with the proceedings starting at 9 PM. Also present will be Burt Reynolds, Richard Dreyfuss, Milton Berle, and Steve Allen. Media is invited, so stop by and see Al if you can!
- May 31, 1998: Results are in for the 1998 MTV Movie Awards! Although the ceremony will not be broadcast until June 4th on MTV, the show was taped yesterday and the results have been made public. Click here if you want to see if Al won or not (I don't want to spoil it for anyone who doesn't want to know until Thursday).
- May 25, 1998: Filming for Al's tobacco movie "Man of the People" reportedly started filming in Louisville, KY, on May 18. Filming will also happen in L.A. (Stop by and see him if you're in Kentucky!)
- May 22, 1998: From Playbill Online from April 17 (sorry, this is a little old):
Faye Dunaway says that Al will play Aristotle "Ari" Onassis in the film version of the Tony-award winning play "Master Class." Dunaway, who owns the screen rights, played Maria Callas in the play on tour last year on a successful run. Onassis appeared only in Callas' memory in the play, written by Terrence McNally. Despite these plans, Dunaway doesn't know when the filming will actually start: "We need to shoot it at the end of the summer, but I don't thing we'll make it this year."
- May 22, 1998: Again belatedly from Playbill Online from April 28:
Rome's newspaper "Il Messaggero" reported on Apr. 27 that Al Pacino and (all you teenage girls are gonna love this) Leonardo DiCaprio are expected to perform at the "Festival dei Due Mondi" in Spoleto, Central Italy, which will run from June 26 to July 12. Pacino had been invited last year, but he cancelled at the last minute. DiCaprio, after appearing in 1996's version of "Romeo and Juliet," has been asked to read Shakespeare at the festival, even if it's a one-night only event. So if you just happen to be in Central Italy this summer, stop by and give Al a peek. The official program of the festival will be unveiled on May 27.
- April 25, 1998: Today is Al Pacino's birthday! He turns 58. Wish him a happy birthday here at BirthdayWeb on April 25.
- April 21, 1998: UPDATE: Dennis Quaid has been given the part of the ailing football star in Al Pacino's new movie, with the working title "On Any Given Sunday" (I've also heard the title "Gridiron" used). Quaid will play a legend football star who is pushed by his coach (Pacino) to play injured so he isn't replaced by a new hot-shot player (played by Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs). Oliver Stone, who will direct the project, is also talking to such actors as Edward Burns, David Duchovny, James Woods, Cameron Diaz, and Ving Rhames. Both Pacino and Stone have reportedly settled for less money for the project than usual, and the budget was trimmed to under $40 million so Warner Bros. would approve the deal for filming starting in November in Miami. The film will start after Al wraps his tobacco industry film "Man of the People," which should start filming this month. (See related notes April 1 and 6)
- April 14, 1998: In a very astounding but utterly pleasant surprise, Al Pacino has been nominated for an MTV Movie Award!!!!! He was nominated in the "Best Villian" category for "Devil's Advocate", and his competition is Nicolas Cage/John Travolta, Face/Off; Mike Meyers, Austin Powers; Gary Oldman, Air Force One; and Billy Zane, Titanic. The awards will be taped on May 30 in Santa Monica and is set to air at 9:00 PM on June 4 on MTV with Samuel L. Jackson hosting. The awards are chosen by a nationwide poll, just as the nominees were; you can cast your vote for Al (and please do - he needs all the help he can get!) through a special telephone number, on MTV Online, and at Blockbuster Video stores from April 16 through May 15. This proves that not only is Al an outstanding actor, he can also still hang with the homies.
PLEASE VOTE FOR AL!!!!!
- April 13, 1998: Get this - Variety has reported that Al is allegedly signing up to star in a romance, of all things. The movie is a remake of the 1958 feature "Marjorie Morningstar," based on Herman Wouk's bestselling book. In the original film, Natalie Wood stars as an upperclass Jewish girl who drops out of college to become an actress. She falls in love with an older entertainer (Gene Kelly), who eventually dumps her; she starts dating a doctor, originally played by Martin Balsam. She soon puts aside her aspirations for stardom and becomes a housewife. Pacino, who will also produce the film for Castle Rock, will star in the role Gene Kelly originally had. No word yet on a start date; Al first has to film his films "Man of the People" about the tobacco industry and "Gridiron" about the football industry.
- April 6, 1998: UPDATE - Pacino's new movie will be titled "Gridiron" and will also star Tommy Lee Jones! (see related note below)
- April 1, 1998: And no, this is NOT an April Fool's joke...
The Hollywood Reporter states that Pacino is set to team up with Oliver Stone and, of all people, Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs in a still-untitled film (although I've heard rumored the working title might be for now "On Any Given Sunday") about pro football. The film will center on a quarterback who is forced to play while injured so as not to lose his job to a younger athlete. The deal is still not set, but Al will play the coach while the Grammy-winning rapper will star as one of the players. Stone will direct the movie for Warner Bros., and filming is set to begin in Miami by September or October.
- March 2, 1998: Al's new movie about the tobacco industry has been renamed "Man of the People" and will be released in 1999 (see news on Feb. 4th and Feb 8th).
- February 17, 1998: "Devil's Advocate" is released in video stores. In a related twist, Warner Bros. has reportedly agreed with a sculptor to cut scenes out of the movie when it is released for sale because the sculptor claims a key prop, a white statue in the main character's apartment, defames and degrades his name. No word on which scenes will be cut. Total screen time for the statue is over 20 minutes, including the climax of the film.
- February 12, 1998: New Regency is near deals to adapt "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" as a Pacino vehicle. The script will be written by David Mamet ("Glengarry Glen Ross") and directed by Harold Becker ("Sea of Love," "City Hall"). Al's participation will be based on how the script turns out. Arrangements are still sketchy; first Al must start shooting "The Man Who Knew Too Much," a movie about the secrets of the tobacco industry.
- February 10, 1998: Another evidence of how unfair the world is...
Al Pacino is unjustly bereaved of a 1997 Oscar nomination, despite an appraised and vallant performance in "Donnie Brasco." In spite of fantastic reviews and much pushing from critics, the film could only muster one nomination: Best Adapted Screenplay. Many explain the reason for so little recognition is that the film debuted last February and has been forgotten. In related news, overrated and arrogant actor Dustin Hoffman gets a nod for "Wag the Dog," even though his performance was merely an impression of movie producer Robert Evans.
- February 8, 1998: Pacino's new movie has been given the working title "The Man who Knew Too Much" (see related note below).
- February 4, 1998: Variety reports that Al has signed on to star in a yet-untitled film about the tobacco industry. Pacino will play 60 Minutes producer Lowell Bergman, who told Jeffery Wigand, an executive at a large tobacco company, to come clean about what the industry knew about the effects of smoking. Wigand will be played by "L.A. Confidential"'s Russell Crowe, and Michael Mann of "Heat" fame will direct the picture. Shooting will begin in late April for Touchstone Pictures.
- January 20, 1998: There is more hope that Al will return to B'way: Pacino does four excerpted readings from "The Iceman Cometh" at the Falcon Theater in L.A. Paul Benedict, Pacino's "Hughie" costar, was in the cast, along with "Donnie Brasco"'s Bruno Kirby. The readings were also directed by Arvin Brown, who worked with Pacino in 1992 for "Chinese Coffee."
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