In the early days of a script in Hollywood, it's hard to know what kind of movie it will become. Scripts that get a lot of buzz early on can end up being bland and overly-managed drivel. Scripts that go by unnoticed can be sleeper hits. In the case of fledgling film The Beaver, frankly, things could go either way.
In 2008, The Beaver got noticed by the Black List, a ranking of the 10 best unproduced screenplays anonymously submitted by industry insiders and compiled by Franklin Leonard at Universal. Since then, this little movie has gotten a lot of attention. At various times in recent months, Steve Carell, Jim Carrey, and director Jay Roach (Meet the Parents) have all reportedly been attached. The Beaver is the story of (no joke) a man who is depressed, loses his job and family, but finds solace in the beaver puppet he wears on his hand, and which he treats like a living creature.
This sounds like a quirky-strange combination of Chucky from Child's Play and Lars and the Real Girl (incidentally, Lars was a Black List winner in 2005). And Steve Golin, who is co-producer with Keith Redmon, both of Anonymous Content, has shepherded dark, surreal comedies in the past like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Being John Malkovich. But there's a catch. Since garnering attention, other players have become attached to the project who are as conventional and light-hearted as a romantic summer popcorn movie.
For example, Jodie Foster has signed on to direct and co-star in The Beaver alongside Mel Gibson, who will play the downtrodden animal lover. (They last worked together in 1994's cute-as-a-button romantic period comedy, Maverick.) And Summit Entertainment, the company responsible for 'tween fare like the Twilight movies and the dance flick Step Up, just acquired the movie's rights.
So will The Beaver (slated for release in 2011) go the way of original, dark, and quirky or will it become a pat Hollywood product geared toward box office earnings by appealing to the widest possible audience? Only time will tell.
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