Hold onto your hats, folks! A Michael Mann-written Western is finally coming to the screen, but with a twist you might not expect. It's been a long time coming, but the project, titled Comanche, is officially moving forward, and it's got a surprising director attached: Scott Cooper.
Movie buffs, especially fans of Michael Mann's gritty, realistic style, have been eagerly awaiting updates on his Western projects. During a recent masterclass at the Lumière Festival in Lyon, Mann revealed some exciting news, as reported by Deadline. He confirmed that Scott Cooper, the director behind the upcoming Bruce Springsteen biopic, Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, will be taking the reins of Comanche. "I want to do a western. I have two screenplays, one of which I’m not going to do, I’m going to produce and Scott Cooper is going to do… it’s called Comanche," Mann stated.
But here's where it gets controversial... Comanche isn't just any Western. The script, co-written by Mann and Eric Roth in the early 2000s, has been kicking around for years. The story, according to Deadline, is "inspired by the story of Cynthia Ann Parker, a white woman who was kidnapped by Comanches as a child and later lived as a Comanche woman." This is a delicate subject, and interpretations of such stories can be fraught with issues of cultural sensitivity and historical accuracy. How do you think Hollywood should approach stories like this? Is it even appropriate for a white director to tell this story? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.
And speaking of Scott Cooper, his upcoming film Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere is already generating a lot of buzz. Early reports suggest that Jeremy Allen White's transformation into "The Boss" is remarkable. Springsteen himself was actively involved in the production, even spending time at the iconic Stone Pony venue with White. White recounted one memorable experience: "Bruce was there, like he was a lot of days, and he came out, and he kind of introduced me to the audience, so he gave them to me all warmed up. They made me feel like a star for three-and-a-half minutes. And then the first A.D. would say ‘Cut,’ and they would go silent. And I remembered, I am not Bruce Springsteen, I am just an actor.”
In other Mann-related news, the director is aiming to start shooting Heat 2 next year. And this is the part most people miss... It's not a direct sequel in the traditional sense. Reports suggest Leonardo DiCaprio is being considered for the role of Chris Shiherlis, originally played by Val Kilmer. Heat 2 actually takes place both one day after the original movie's events and years before the iconic heist, offering a broader, more encompassing narrative. Mann believes audiences are ready for this expansion of the Heat universe. "It’s sustained in culture. It’s known,” Mann said. “I could delude myself into thinking that the whole world is familiar with it, but when you check out its prominence in home video for over 20 years, this thing really has legs. People are still watching it, people are still talking about it. It’s a brand. It’s kind of a Heat universe, in a way. And that certainly justifies a very large ambitious movie.”
So, what are your thoughts? Are you excited about Scott Cooper directing a Michael Mann-written Western, especially one based on the life of Cynthia Ann Parker? And what about Heat 2 – are you on board with Leonardo DiCaprio potentially taking on the role of Chris Shiherlis, or do you think some roles should just be left untouched? Let's hear your opinions in the comments!
