Though producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura is best known for his huge tentpole films like the Transformers franchise and the G.I. Joe series, his resume is also filled out with more character-centric pics like Side Effects and Red. Steve recently spoke with di Bonaventura in anticipation of G.I. Joe: Retaliation and got updates from the producer on a number of upcoming projects, and today we’re sharing what the producer had to say about a couple of “smaller” films that he's producing: an adaptation of the Vince Flynn novel American Assassin and the true story Deepwater Horizon.
American Assassin tells the story of a college scholar and athelete who becomes a relentless anti-terrorism agent for the CIA, while Deepwater Horizon is a feature film based on the events of the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil rig disaster that killed 11 people and injured 16 others. Di Bonaventura gave an update on the progress of American Assassin and talked about his passion for Deepwater Horizon, which he likens to A Perfect Storm. Hit the jump to see what he had to say about these two projects as well as the hostage rescue film The Mission.
American Assassin has hit a couple of stumbling blocks along the way, as Chris Hemsworth was initially set in the lead role before dropping out due to scheduling conflicts. Di Bonaventura offered an update on the film’s current status:
“We’re tryin’ to make it. We’re tryin’ hard. We’ve got a great script, Bruce Willis is onboard to play the Hurley character, which is a great character in the series. We’ve got to find the right guy to play Mitch Rapp and hopefully you’ll be hearing about it soon.”
Steve also asked di Bonaventura about other projects he has bubbling up, and the producer was eager to talk about Deepwater Horizon:
“Deepwater Horizon is a project that I love. What’s interesting is, the heroism that was exhibited on that rig as it’s imploding—and every story has really been about what happened after the fact, the oil spill—this has nothing to do with the oil spill in a sense, it has everything to do with the people on that rig and the heroism they exhibited in trying to get off it and save each other. And that’s really the story, it’s very akin to A Perfect Storm.”
Ric Roman Waugh was previously eyed to direct the film, but it appears that he has since moved on as di Bonaventura said that they’re currently on the hunt for a director:
“We’ve got a really good script and we’re trying to find the right director. It’s very director-oriented, it’s very important to deliver the right director for it.”
Finally, di Bonaventura talked briefly about The Mission, which tells the true-life story of a six-year mission between American and Columbian covert operatives to free 15 hostages from the Columbian jungle:
“The Mission [is bubbling up], which is a great story. I love that script, that’s just a phenomenal story and has a lot in the roots of movies that I was involved in years ago like Three Kings or Training Day, it’s got a real sense of weight about what these characters are going through in a difficult environment. And it doesn’t resemble the kind of movie that everybody’s making right now, which I think is an opportunity.”
Watch the portion of Steve’s interview with di Bonaventura regarding American Assassin, Deepwater Horizon, and The Mission below, and look for the full interview later this week.
If you missed what di Bonaventura had to say about Red 2 and Jack Ryan, click here.
LORENZO DI BONAVENTURA: We’re tryin to make it. We’re tryin hard. We’ve got a great script, Bruce Willis is onboard to play the Hurley character, which is a great character in the series. We’ve got to find the right guy to play Mitch Rapp and hopefully you’ll be hearing about it soon.
What are some of your projects that are bubbling up that we’ll be hearing about in the next few months?
DI BONAVENTURA: Deepwater Horizon is a project that I love. What’s interesting is, the heroism that was exhibited on that rig as it’s imploding—and every story has really been about what happened after the fact, the oil spill—this has nothing to do with the oil spill in a sense, it has everything to do with the people on that rig and the heroism they exhibited in trying to get off it and save each other. And that’s really the story, it’s very akin to A Perfect Storm.
How far are you in terms of landing a director, the script?
DI BONAVENTURA: We’ve got a really good script and we’re trying to find the right director. It’s very director-oriented, it’s very important to deliver the right director for it.
What else is bubbling up?
DI BONAVENTURA: The Mission, which is a great story. I love that script, that’s just a phenomenal story and has a lot in the roots of movies that I was involved in years ago like Three Kings or Training Day, it’s got a real sense of weight about what these characters are going through in a difficult environment. And it doesn’t resemble the kind of movie that everybody’s making right now, which I think is an opportunity.