Being Flynn (opening in theaters on March 2^nd), adapted from Nick Flynn’s 2004 memoir Another Bullshit Night in Suck City, explores the often unconventional bond between parent and child. In the film, Nick (Paul Dano) is a young writer who misses the loving nature of his late mother (Julianne Moore) and hasn’t seen his father, Jonathan (Robert De Niro), a self-proclaimed “master storyteller,” in 18 years. After serving time in prison for cashing forged checks, losing his job as a cab driver and becoming homeless, Jonathan impulsively reaches out to Nick, who tries to integrate his father into his life, but quickly learns how complicated that truly will be.

At the film’s press day, director/screenwriter Paul Weitz spoke to Collider for this exclusive interview about what made him want to bring Nick Flynn’s story to life, why he’s drawn to father-son stories, why he went through 30 drafts of the script prior to filming (and how the final draft was ultimately the same as the first draft, at its core), and what the real-life father and son thought about the actors who played them. He also talked about how he’s developing something with Tina Fey, and that he’s going to be doing a play in New York in the Spring, with Topher Grace (reprising the character that he played in In Good Company) and Olivia Thirlby. Check out what he had to say after the jump.

We have 5 clips for you from Being Flynn, an adaptation of Nick Flynn‘s memoir Another Bullshit Night In Suck City written and directed by Paul Weitz (Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant).  Paul Dano stars as the fictional Nick Flynn, a young writer who unexpectedly reunites with the father (Robert De Niro) who abandoned him 18 years ago and describes himself as “a master storyteller.”  Olivia Thirlby, Lili Taylor, Wes Studi, and Julianne Moore also star.

Being Flynn opens on March 2.  Watch the clips after the break.

Being Flynn (opening in theaters on March 2^nd), adapted from Nick Flynn’s 2004 memoir Another Bullshit Night in Suck City, tells the story of Nick (Paul Dano), a young writer who misses the loving nature of his late mother (Julianne Moore) and hasn’t seen his father, Jonathan (Robert DeNiro), a self-proclaimed “master storyteller,” in 18 years. When Jonathan impulsively reaches out to Nick, the young man finds himself overwhelmed and ends up taking a job at a homeless shelter, where he works alongside a young woman named Denise (Olivia Thirlby), with whom he attempts to sustain a romance.

At the film’s press day, actress Olivia Thirlby spoke to Collider for this exclusive interview about why she fought for this role, the lack of pressure in playing a fictional character in a real-life story, spending time volunteering in a homeless shelter for research, and how open director/screenwriter Paul Weitz was to fostering a collaborative environment on set. She also talked about how her desire to be an action heroine attracted her to Dredd (starring Karl Urban as the title character), how much fun she had kicking ass and learning how to handle weapons, and how incredibly dynamic and complex her role is. Check out what she had to say after the jump.

Focus Features has released the poster and new images for Paul Weitz‘ dramedy Being Flynn.  Paul Dano stars as a young writer who takes in his estranged father (Robert De Niro) when he finds him at a homeless shelter.  The film is based on Nick Flynn‘s memoir Another Bullshit Night in Suck City, and also stars Julianne Moore, Lily Taylor, and Olivia Thirlby.

Hit the jump to check out the poster and images.  Being Flynn opens in limited release on March 2nd.

One of the many films to premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival was writer-director So Young Kim‘s (In Between Days) For Ellen.  Led by a fantastic performance by Paul Dano, the film’s about a struggling musician trying to keep custody of his very young daughter even though he’s never been around.  The film also stars Jon Heder, Jena Malone, Margarita Levieva, and Shay Mandigo.

Shortly after seeing the film I got to sit down with Dano for an extended interview.  We talked about being at Sundance, how he got involved in For Ellen, what it’s about, who he plays, how much fun he had playing a “narcissistic prick,” what it’s like to be in almost every frame of the movie,  and if more people want to talk to him about The Girl Next Door, Little Miss Sunshine, or There Will Be Blood?  In addition, with Dano involved in so many other projects, we also talked about Rian Johnson‘s Looper, Being Flynn with Robert De Niro, director Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris‘ He Loves Me, and how he’s hoping to do a film called Night Moves with Meek’s Cutoff director Kelly Reichardt.  Hit the jump to watch.

We’ve got a few synopses to share with you today. First up is the very first logline for director Alfonso Cuaron’s ambitious 3D sci-fi flick Gravity. While all we’ve previously known about the mysterious project is that Sandra Bullock and George Clooney play astronauts, and Bullock occupies much of the screentime alone, stranded in space. This synopsis sheds a bit more light on what to expect, and Gravity still stands as one of my most anticipated films from 2012.

Additionally, Focus Features has released a batch of synopses for their 2012 slate including Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom, the apocalyptic flick Seeking a Friend for the End of the World starring Steve Carell and Keira Knightley, the 3D stop-motion comedy ParaNorman, and more. Hit the jump to get a peek into what 2012 has in store.

Focus Features has set 2012 dates for Wes Anderson‘s Moonrise Kingdom, Paul Weitz‘s Being Flynn, and the apocalyptic rom-com Seeking a Friend for the End of the World starring Steve Carell and Keira Knightley.  According to TOH,  Being Flynn rolls out first and will hit theaters on March 2nd.  Paul Dano stars as a young writer who takes in his estranged father (Robert De Niro) when he finds him at a homeless shelter.  The film also stars Julianne Moore, Olivia Thirlby, Dale Dickey, and Lili Taylor.  Seeking a Friend hits on April 20th and focus on two people who don’t want to be alone as the end of days approaches.  The ensemble also includes Patton Oswalt, Connie Britton, Rob Huebel, Melanie Lynskey, Gillian Jacobs, Derek Luke, and Lindsay Sloane.  Finally, Moonrise Kingdom opens in limited release on May 25th.  The film focuses on two teens fall in love and run away, which turns their town upside down (and possibly for the better).  The film stars Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, and Harvey Keitel.

Hit the jump for a recap of what competition these films will have on their release dates.