Delorean movie news

[howlingwind13]

Not sure if this has been posted here yet, but, well here's news coming out of Detroit today on the John Delorean movie.
http://www.deadlinedetroit.com/articles/5884/a_john_delorean_movie_is_in_the_making#.UfxOexbD_I U

mike

[pezzonovante88]

Sweeeet. I can't wait!

[Michael]

I was just wondering last week if the bio-pic would ever take off. It's hard to really take all this without the proverbial grain of salt so I will just say I will not get my hopes up, but I sure would like to see a huge box player like Jackman star in this, but man its really sounding too good to be true.

So let's say this is all true and there would be some major talent star in this and it will start filming in a few months. I guess that would make it around 2 years from now to big screen....best case scenario.

[louielouie2000]

I'll believe it when I see it. There's been talk of movies on DeLorean for decades now. Several years back there was talk of a biopic starring George Clooney, and it obviously never materialized. If one comes about & is a decent film which makes even a minor splash, it will be infinitely good for the marque. The cars reached a tipping point sometime in the past decade in regards to being viewed positively as a legitimate collectibles. A feature film could really help cement the car's place in history.

[martydmc12]

So here's my two cents, and just some of the facts of what's really going with the DeLorean biopic(s). I can speak on this, because I'm involved in one of the many different projects being developed.

I don't have the actual number in-front of me, but since as early as 1980, there have been more than a dozen different projects based on John DeLorean's life that have been through the development slog that is Hollywood. This goes back before the 1982 FBI sting operation.

This particular project that was in the news again today, is being produced by Steve Lee Jones, with Mayor Morganroth consulting. The two previously worked together on the TV movie biopic, "You Don't Know Jack", based on Jack Kevorkian's life starring Al Pacino. Morganroth was Kevorkian's attorney, and that's how he got involved in the movie business. Jones announced back in 2009 that he was going to do a DeLorean biopic, with Morganroth consulting, simply because he was one of John DeLorean's former attorney's. This is the same project that had stated they had George Clooney on-board.

The fact is, getting a movie like DeLorean produced is extremely difficult, especially in this climate of the movie industry. The studios only want big blockbusters, comic book movies; something that already has a large and recognizable brand to it. Biopics and dramas aren't those kind of movies. If Jones and his team do have financing in place, it's going to be done independently. But to state that they're three months away from production, without a director or star in-place; as stated by Michael, take it no more than a grain of salt. They would be already in pre-production if they were that close to filming.

The fact is, a DeLorean movie will happen... eventually. When or by whom, who knows. My ultimate prediction is that there will be more than one. Just like how there is the upcoming Steve Jobs movie "Jobs" starring Ashton Kutcher, and yet the "official" movie based on his autobiography is still in development at Sony. And then there was the Noah Wyle TV movie "Pirates of Silicon Valley" about Jobs and Bill Gates, which to-date, was the best one yet. Two different movies about Alfred Hitchcock were produced last year, and dozens of other biopics just like it. A lot of it is producers jumping on the bandwagon trying to cash in on the "hot property" of the moment. Others do it to earn credibility and win awards. Making a movie like DeLorean surely would be a contestant when it came to Awards season, or so many would think. But very few of them are doing it to try and make a great movie.

As for myself, I've spent the last fifteen years trying to tell the story of John DeLorean cinematically. John himself was on the same path before he passed away in 2005.

[howlingwind13]

Well I know there have been rumors about this for a while, but a friend in the Michigan film office called me, because of my car...and said there were people in the office filling out forms and such for the movie. Then directed me to the article...sooo motion has been set...we'll see if it actually happens.
mike

[Patrick C]

Another article in the Detroit News:

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130802/LIFESTYLE/308020041/Society-confidential?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CFRONT PAGE%7Cs

[DMCNI]

Hmmm I wonder if they would actually film at the factory in Northern Ireland?

They would obviousily need to use cars for the filming so us Northern Irish owners could have our cars used for the big screen ;)

I would also be happy with a behind the scenes walk on part at the factory :p

[DMC3165]

If it does get made I hope it doesn't have a stupid name like "Coke.... The John DeLorean story" The man had such a fascinating life and really revolutionized the American car industry. It would be a shame if a movie only focused on his scandals. But lets face it Hollywood loves scandals!

[dvonk]

...The man had such a fascinating life and really revolutionized the American car industry. It would be a shame if a movie only focused on his scandals...

+1.

[martydmc12]

I don't know what exactly what the film will entail, but here's producer Steve Lee Jones own personal plot summary about this DeLorean project...

"John Z. Delorean was the last American Maverick of industry when it entailed steel and rubber not computer chips. Today the "Mavericks" we track are computer geeks that cow- tow to boards of directors and stockholders. DELOREAN takes us back to a time when rare, powerful, self validated men ruled from their gut not by proxy. He had it all; looks, smarts, money, style, hot women by his side and arguably the best job in Detroit. He had the world by the balls, and he gave it all up to take on the AUTO INDUSTRY behemoth General Motors, the most powerful company in the world at that time... to pursue his dream... to launch a namesake car that embodied his everything: sleek, sexy, fast and reckless abandon. DELOREAN examines this extraordinary mans struggle against a giant that would do anything and everything to crush him with no holds barred. An inspiring story of brotherhood and passion against unbeatable odds."

One of the other DeLorean projects, at one time with director Brett Ratner attached to direct, and being produced by movie legend Robert Evans; well there's an apparent sizzle reel up on YouTube that claims to be from the Robert Evans Company...

http://youtu.be/c_x0_bnetkg

The sizzle reel being a mock trailer created to entice studio executive and investors, not usually meant to be seen by the general public. I can't confirm if it is indeed one created by the Evans company or not, but I'm guessing it's most likely real.

All I can state from the knowledge that I've obtained about each individual DeLorean biopic, is that the majority of the focus is going to be on the FBI sting operation and the 1984 drug trial. Very little will be focused on our little stainless steel coupes, or the Irish men and women who built the cars.

And even if the producers are already working with the Michigan film offices, again, doesn't necessarily mean anything. They could be just filling out forms to acquire tax incentives for if and when they ever do shoot. I'm not saying that it's not happening either, I'm just leery whenever new information continues to come out, especially with this particular project.

[yellowmxwheels23]

I doubt Hugh Jackman is going to be in it if they are starting in 2-3 mos. He's about to start filming the xmen movie.
Love Richard Dryfus But If I'm not mistaken, I think he's retired. What was the last thing he was in? Down and out in Beverly Hills?

[thirdmanj]

I doubt Hugh Jackman is going to be in it if they are starting in 2-3 mos. He's about to start filming the xmen movie.
Love Richard Dryfus But If I'm not mistaken, I think he's retired. What was the last thing he was in? Down and out in Beverly Hills?

R.E.D. But wouldn't be a bit old to play JZD?

[martydmc12]

I doubt Hugh Jackman is going to be in it if they are starting in 2-3 mos. He's about to start filming the xmen movie. Love Richard Dryfus But If I'm not mistaken, I think he's retired. What was the last thing he was in? Down and out in Beverly Hills?

X-Men: Days of Future Past has been in production since April, and should wrap in the next month or two. From what I've been able to gather, Jackman's schedule is pretty much wide open after that. So it is possible. Personally, I think Hugh Jackman as John DeLorean is not appropriate casting at all. I like the man and his work, but I just cannot see him portraying John DeLorean. Who knows, it could be nothing more than a lot of "hot air" made up by Morganroth. He probably saw a Wolverine poster at a bus stop on his way to this party he was interviewed at, and when questioned about who would play DeLorean, he immediately thought of Logan, The Wolverine; because he had to feed the reporter something.

Richard Dreyfuss (or Dustin Hoffman, as mentioned by Morganroth) would be playing Morganroth, from what I gather. My own personal theory on this is, is that Morganroth's character would be a hybrid of him and and John DeLorean's other more famous attorney, Howard Weitzman (the man who defended John during the drug trial). They probably couldn't get clearance from Weitzman to use his name and likeness, because at one point in time, Weitzman was trying to get his own DeLorean movie made. Easier to bend the truth and create a new character out of two or three different people, rather than paying people off to use their name. Like I said, it's just a theory, nothing more.

Who knows for sure though, everything is speculative at this point. But considering that between this project, three other movies and a mini-series that are all currently in development, who knows what the future holds. But as I stated in my first post on this topic, a DeLorean or multiple DeLorean movies will happen... eventually. And at the end of the day, it comes down to who tells the best factual and entertaining story that's the most important in the end. Right now it's just a rat-race to be the first to the finish line, so that they can say they made the first John DeLorean biopic, and they'll use the title "DeLorean", that way, because of MPAA rules, nobody else can call there movie "DeLorean" as well.

[ALEXAKOS]

I also found out a TV mini series are filmed. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1520859/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1)
Date is 2014 but no further info

[martydmc12]

I also found out a TV mini series are filmed. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1520859/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1)
Date is 2014 but no further info

That's the project I'm involved with. It's not likely we'll have it ready for 2014. On a side note, it's tough to get IMDb to change/correct that sort of information.

[martydmc12]

So just a quick update, the "DeLorean" biopic that started this thread, has now moved from a feature film to a "TV movie". Just to clarify, this is not the TV mini-series; they are both two different separate projects. My guess is that the TV movie will only be a two hour project, whereas the mini-series has been written as a three-part 6 hour miniseries.

More to come; stay tuned...

[martydmc12]

Sorry for the double-post, as I didn't finish my original post; technical issues. This is what my full post should have read...

So just a quick update, the "DeLorean" biopic that started this specific thread, produced by a company called Bee Holder Productions, has now moved from a feature film to a "TV movie". Just to clarify, this is not the TV mini-series; they are both two different separate projects. My guess is that the TV movie will only be a two hour project, whereas the mini-series (produced by Stainless Steel Productions (http://www.stainlesssteelproductions.com)) has been written as a three-part 6 hour miniseries.

Also, the producers of the Bee Holder Productions project, claim they hold the "exclusive rights" to the DeLorean story. I'm not sure what "rights" they claim to have, as to my knowledge, they aren't dealing with the John DeLorean estate. This project is being produced with JZD's former attorney, Mayer "Mike" Morganroth. Truth be told, JZD fought many legal battles against Morganroth for years, and was actually the primary reason for JZD's personal financial collapse.

More to come, stay tuned...