It’s been just a few years since we’ve seen the work of Charlie Kaufman on the big screen. After directing 2008’s Synecdoche, New York, the Oscar winning screenwriter is gearing up for Frank or Francis — his next project which will star funnymen Steve Carell, Jack Black and Nicolas Cage. At a BAFTA Screenwriters Lecture (via ThePlaylist), Kaufman has just given us new (musical) details on the project.
Frank or Francis tells the story of Frank Arder (Carell), Francis (Cage), and Alan Modell (Black). Arder has been nominated for 29 Oscars for his film You, as a result of including women, children and characters of multiple races. Francis is a film-blog commenter who has gained some stardom. Modell is and Oscar host who stars in the film series Fat Dad.
Kaufman recently gave a “truly inspiring/gloriously uncommon speech about writing” at the lecture and while he discussed screenwriting in general, the director confirmed that Frank or Francis is an “all-out musical, not a film with musical elements.” Check out his quote below.
“I always try to do something different, but I’m a person with a very specific existence and a very specific background… This thing that I just wrote that will hopefully get made is a musical, and I’ve never done that before, so I did it.”
The fact that Kaufman hasn’t jumped into the world of musicals makes Francis all the more intriguing, especially with such a varied cast. Musicals aren’t really my forte, but I’m a little biased in thinking that Kaufman can do no wrong when it comes to a script. Shooting has yet to begin, but expected for this spring, so it’s likely that Frank or Francis will hit theaters sometime in 2013. If you’re interested, check out the full screenwriting lecture video below or the transcript here.
What do you think of Kaufman doing an all-out musical for Frank or Francis?