MOVIE NEWS: Filming Began July 2004 in Ontario, Canada
March 29, 2004
Meet the 'Defiant' One: Moore the Big 'Prizewinner'
By Michael Fleming
DreamWorks and Revolution Studios are joining forces to make "The Prizewinner of Defiance, Ohio," with Julianne Moore in line to star.
Project will mark the feature directing debut of Jane Anderson, who wrote the script and is coming off the acclaimed telepic "Normal," which starred Tom Wilkinson and Jessica Lange.
Fact-based story concerns a mother of 10 who saved her family when she entered and won contests, supporting her kids with jingle writing in the 1950s. ImageMovers partners Robert Zemeckis, Rack Rapke and Steve Starkey are producing.
Pic had been developed at DreamWorks, which has domestic, but the Revolution pair-up and fast-tracking of the project came about last week when the script circulated and several top actresses angled for the lead role. Revolution has international.
Anderson also wrote the script for "The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom," "When Billie Beat Bobby," and "How to Make An American Quilt."
The job will go to Moore, who stars with Pierce Brosnan in "Laws of Attraction" and toplined the Revolution pic "The Forgotten," which opens in September. A formal offer is expected to be made and negotiations to commence this week.
June 16, 2004
Harrelson Moves to 'Ohio' — Thesp to Join Moore in True Story of Jingle Writer
By Nicole LaPorte
Woody Harrelson is in negotiations to star opposite Julianne Moore in DreamWorks' and Revolution Studios' "The Prizewinner of Defiance, Ohio." The film will mark the directing debut of Jane Anderson, who wrote the script and is coming off the acclaimed "Normal," starring Jessica Lange.
ImageMovers partners Robert Zemeckis, Jack Rapke and Steve Starkey are producing.
Harrelson next stars in Sony Pictures Classics' summer release "She Hate Me," by director Spike Lee. He recently wrapped New Line's comedy "After the Sunset" starring Salma Hayek. He's also starring in Warner Independent's 2005 film "A Scanner Darkly," directed by Richard Linklater, and is teaming with Holly Hunter and Robin Williams for Lions Gate pic "The Big White."
Posted: Tue., 5/8/01, 7:23pm PT
Zemeckis wins 'Prize'; Bette's book nixed
Mother's Day has arrived early for Terry Ryan.
Dreamworks and Robert Zemeckis' Imagemovers have optioned Ryan's memoir, "The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less."
Ryan is the sixth child of Evelyn Ryan, a midwestern housewife and composer of ad jingles for everything from Dial soap to Kleenex. In the 1950s and '60s, the elder Ryan rescued her family from debt by entering contests for ad slogans sponsored by consumer product companies.
She lost plenty of them, but Ryan was successful enough to bag toasters, cars, supermarket shopping sprees and enough cash to cover the mortgage on her house.
"There's such an innocence in those entries and a feeling of love for the product," says Terry Ryan, who writes the T.O. Sylvester cartoon for the San Francisco Chronicle.
Ryan, repped by the Amy Rennert Agency and Endeavor, is now on a publicity junket of her own, promoting the book, just out from Simon & Schuster, on such venues as the Rosie O'Donnel show and CBS Sunday morning.
Imagemovers has a first-look deal with Dreamworks.