David O. Russell films (especially his most recent entries) have the feel of a repertory theater company – the same actors pop up time and time again. That’s a touch that doesn’t look like it will be changing, as the Oscar-nominated director of Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle starts to line up his next project, Joy, a bio of Miracle Mop inventor Joy Mangano. The project has long been designed as a vehicle for Jennifer Lawrence (who earned an Academy Award for Silver Linings and was nominated one year later for Hustle), yet now it appears that another Russell regular is in talks for a role as well – Robert De Niro.
In a recent interview with Go, Russell chatted about about Joy, “We’re gonna take some risks we haven’t taken before, in storytelling and cinematically. I think I’d very much like (Robert) De Niro to be in it, I think he’s gonna be in it. And of course I always create a role for Bradley Cooper. I try to have things people have never done. Then they can get excited, and it’s exciting for audiences. That’s what makes it daring in some way.” And just like that, The Hollywood Reporter is claiming that the two-time Oscar winning screen icon is indeed in talks to reunite with Russell. De Niro previously co-starred in Silver Linings Playbook (and received an Oscar nomination) and made a cameo appearance in American Hustle.
It’s unclear as to what role De Niro will be taking, or how big it will be. At any rate, De Niro looks to have a busy 2015. The actor will also appear in the thriller Bus 657 opposite Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy), the boxing drama Hands of Stone opposite Édgar Ramirez (Zero Dark Thirty), and he is currently filming the comedy The Intern opposite Anne Hathaway and Rene Russo (Nightcrawler) from director Nancy Meyers (It’s Complicated). Also in the works is Dirty Grandpa, in which De Niro will star opposite Zac Efron (Neighbors), which is set to begin shooting in January.
Joy charts the rags to riches tale of Mangano, a struggling Long Island mom who became a superstar and fixture on the Home Shopping Network with her Miracle Mop invention. The screenplay was written by Bridesmaids‘ Annie Mumolo, though Russell is reportedly taking a second swing at the script before principle photography begins in February. Fox is handling distribution duties and has already planned a Christmas 2015 release to capitalize on a potential awards season run. Considering Russell’s previous three films have earned a combined 25 Oscar nominations, the odds appear to be in their favor.
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