The Playlist has debuted the first image (shown above, click for a larger view) of Philip Seymour Hoffman as Oakland A’s manager Art Howe in the upcoming film Moneyball. The stellar cast, of which Hoffman appears to be only a supporting part, also includes Brad Pitt as Billy Beane and Jonah Hill as Paul De Podesta.
One of the more interesting things about the film, as noted in the report, is that the filmmakers aren’t too worried about making the actors match the appearance of the real people they are portraying. The Hoffman role, for example, would require a taller, skinnier actor if faithful appearance was more of a concern for director Bennett Miller (Capote).
Moneyball began filming in mid-July and is still currently shooting in Los Angeles. Scheduled for a 2011 release, this adaptation of Michael Lewis‘ nonfiction book has gone through multiple rewrites and casting changes. Hopefully the finished product will be worth the struggle. I, for one, wasn’t a big fan of Capote, but needless to say, this is a completely different direction for Miller. And it’s tough not to get excited about the cast.
Do you think Moneyball will be a successful sophomore effort for Miller?
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