|
Post by greyowlette on Dec 19, 2008 14:24:55 GMT -5
Ace, do you know anything more about Heaven and Earth than that which was posted on Pierce's site on the 17th? I was curious as to what role he is playing? Thanks.
Wilma
|
|
|
Post by Ace on Dec 19, 2008 15:28:06 GMT -5
It's the first I've heard his being in the film though I've heard the story before and the film has been in development quite some time. Looks like The Ghost is starting principle photography a little later than recently reported. His listed schedule is rather insane - 4 films in one year when he only did one short one The Greatest last year (after one was canceled and 2 others postponed because of all the strikes and threats of strikes and Freeman's accident) IMDB has a cast list from when it was going to shoot last year but sadly Natasha McElhone's husband died suddenly and it was postponed. My guess is Pierce would be doing Purefoy's role. www.imdb.com/title/tt0377458/
|
|
|
Post by greyowlette on Dec 19, 2008 16:32:46 GMT -5
Thanks, Ace, for the information. I had checked IMDb before I asked you; however, when I did not see his name listed, I thought to go to the Source for all news PB-related.
|
|
|
Post by Andrea on Dec 19, 2008 16:59:37 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Ace on Jan 10, 2009 15:10:05 GMT -5
Here's an article on the film from Sept. Pierce is of course not mentioned (he wasn't cast yet) but it gives a good run down of the film www.guardian.co.uk/film/2008/sep/21/medicine.mcelhoneThe widow of a groundbreaking British surgeon will star in a film about a woman who dressed as a man to become a doctor in the 19th century In a poignant piece of casting, the British film star Natascha McElhone is to play a pioneering British doctor, just months after the sudden death of her husband, the groundbreaking surgeon Martin Kelly. The actress is to star in a screen version of the remarkable life of James Miranda Barry, who in 1812, while disguised as a man, became the first woman to graduate as a British doctor. Barry became the first UK surgeon to perform a successful Caesarean section, saving both mother and baby. Filming on Heaven and Earth, directed by the Oscar-winning Marleen Gorris, is to start in England and South Africa in the new year, and McElhone's portrayal of the part will have great personal resonance because of the work of her late husband, who died this year at the age of 43. Kelly, who performed reconstructive plastic surgery in London hospitals, also helped to set up the international charity Facing The World and developed a revolutionary new balm, called Heal Gel, for treating scars and burns. 'Barry defied every convention of her time,' McElhone said. 'She disguised herself as a man to attend medical school, then excelled in an entirely male world, achieving the highest position possible for a military surgeon. She was a fearless pioneer, pushing the frontiers of accepted medical practice to find new and effective ways of treating her patients, always putting her own safety and popularity at risk.' Barry's deception has been praised by feminists and surgeons. It was the inspiration for a biography and novel, as well as at least one play and a planned opera libretto, but Heaven and Earth is the first film to tackle her astonishing progress through medicine. Training as an army medical officer, she rose to the rank of inspector-general, the equivalent of a major-general. Her secret was only discovered on her deathbed when the charwoman who laid out the body is said to have exclaimed that it was the corpse of 'a perfect female', with stretch marks proving she had given birth. 'The devil, a general! It's a woman. And a woman that has had a child!' one historic document claims the servant called out. Friends believe that McElhone, who appears in the hit US television series Californication and is best known for her roles opposite George Clooney in the film Solaris and Robert De Niro in Ronin, had decided to play the part before her husband's death and planned to learn more about surgery from him. 'It has all been given further impetus now,' said Neil Randhawa, a close friend of the family and a consultant anaesthetist who worked with Kelly. 'Martin was a real man of vision and of action. In the environment we worked in, which was full of alpha males, many of us just felt left in his wake. He raised the bar and that raised everybody's game. He just did amazing work and was a great, great man. You don't meet many.' The film, with a script by Malcolm Kohll, also tells a love story. James Purefoy, recently seen as Mark Antony in the TV series Rome, will play Lord Somerset, a diplomat who sacrifices his career to safeguard Barry's secret. The story opens in 1825 in the South African Cape, where Somerset is governor of the garrison colony facing a rebellion. The skill of the new surgeon, known as James Miranda Barry, soon attracts his attention, but the attraction between the two must be suppressed in an era when any hint of homosexual activity would have led to execution. Once Somerset discovers Barry's true identity, they embark on a dangerous affair. Barry's hidden gender remains protected, while the governor is eventually disgraced. The film, which also stars actors Sean Pertwee and Mark Strong, goes on to chart the dramatic resolution of this love story. Following research revealed in the New Scientist magazine, Barry is believed to have been born in Ireland as Margaret Ann Bulkley, the daughter of a Cork grocer and Mary Ann Barry, the sister of James Barry, a professor of painting at the Royal Academy in London. She is thought to have taken her uncle's name to help her win a place at medical school, which was then barred to women. After studying at Edinburgh, she was apprenticed to a surgeon at St Thomas's Hospital in London before joining the army as a junior medical officer. Posted to South Africa as an assistant surgeon, it is believed Barry took an extended break on Mauritius to give birth to a child. Postings to the West Indies, Malta and Corfu followed and Barry earned a reputation as a moderniser, prioritising cleanliness in the operating theatre before its importance was fully understood. A small group of close friends may have been aware of Barry's gender, but most were fooled. During a serious illness at the age of 46 she gave orders that, if she should die, her body be rolled in sheets and not examined. In fact, the cross-dressing doctor lived on to the age of 70, eventually dying in London. One of the film's producers, Focus Film's David Pupkewitz, said: 'This is both an extraordinary story and an extraordinary project. It is great to bring together this actress with this story and this director, Marleen Gorris, the first woman to win an Academy Award for directing, with Antonia's Line.'
|
|
|
Post by Andrea on Jan 26, 2009 17:24:48 GMT -5
Apparently it's really about to happen ... www.sabcnews.com/portal/site/SABCNews/menuitem.5c4f8fe7ee929f602ea12ea1674daeb9/?vgnextoid=6ac74a3ffe70f110VgnVCM10000077d4ea9bRCRD&vgnextfmt=defaultCape Town to host Hollywood's A-listers January 24 2009, 1:45:00 The City of Cape Town is bracing itself to welcome a number of leading Hollywood film stars next week. Stars such as Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon will visit the Mother City to shoot a movie called The Human Factor which is based on the 1995 Rugby World Cup. Later, former James Bond, Pierce Brosnan will also shoot a secret love story titled Heaven and Earth. Nicole Klassen of the Cape Film Commission says Cape Town is now a popular destination for A-list stars. “When a big feature of this size comes out to film in the city and province, there are a number of benefits. There's employment for crews, there's a spin off of actual tourism and tourism benefits and it is exposure for South Africa that we have the infrastructure to host and facilitate big Hollywood-style feature films,” said Klassen.
|
|
|
Post by mel71pierce53 on Feb 3, 2009 12:41:35 GMT -5
Pierce Brosnan heads to SA for latest movie Tuesday, 03 February 2009 Pierce Brosnan will add his name to the list of Hollywood stars who have made films in South Africa as he heads to our shores for the shooting of his latest film, Heaven and Earth.
Pierce Brosnan heads to SA The former lead star of four James Bond films will lend his acting talent to the role of Lord Charles Somerset in a romantic drama set in 1826 in the Cape Colony.
"Heaven and Earth is the true story of James Miranda Barry who was appointed Army Surgeon at the Cape Colony and rose through the ranks to eventually become Surgeon General of the British Army," explains Brosnan in his online blog. "Only when the undertaker was laying out the body of the eminent physician was a startling discovery made - Dr. James Barry was in fact a woman."
Barry, who will be played by British actress Natasha McElhone (The Truman Show and Ronin) disguised herself as a man in order to graduate as a British doctor. She was also the first UK surgeon to perform a Caesarean section.
In an interview with the UK Guardian, McElhone described Barry as a fearless pioneer; "She was a fearless pioneer, pushing the frontiers of accepted medical practice to find new and effective ways of treating her patients, always putting her own safety and popularity at risk
"Barry defied every convention of her time. She disguised herself as a man to attend medical school, then excelled in an entirely male world, achieving the highest position possible for a military surgeon," added McElhone.
South African actors may be cast in supporting roles. Spier Films, a Cape-based production company, is auditioning for extras.
Nicole Klassen of the Cape Film Commission says Cape Town is now a popular destination for A-list stars.
"When a big feature of this size comes out to film in the city and province, there are a number of benefits. There's employment for crews, there's a spin off of actual tourism and tourism benefits and it is exposure for South Africa that we have the infrastructure to host and facilitate big Hollywood-style feature films," she told SABC News.
Mel x
|
|
|
Post by Ace on Feb 9, 2009 12:48:23 GMT -5
www.piercebrosnan.com/menu.php?mm=1&sm=1&pn=1Feb 7, 2009 Greetings One and All, I am currently making a picture called Heaven and Earth which is shooting entirely on location in South Africa. Heaven and Earth is the true story of James Miranda Barry (portrayed by Natasha McElhone) who was appointed Army Surgeon at Cape Colony and rose through the ranks to eventually become Surgeon General of the British Army. Only when the undertaker was laying out the body of the distinguished physician was a startling discovery made - Dr. James Barry was in fact a woman. This spring, I will be working with Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Roman Polanski, who is set to direct and produce his first contemporary thriller in more than twenty years. The Ghost, based on the book of the same name by best-selling author Robert Harris, details the story of a former British Prime Minister and his anonymous ghostwriter who is drawn into a political and sexual conspiracy. The talented cast includes Ewan McGregor, Tom Wilkinson, Kim Cattrall, Jim Belushi, Robert Pugh, and Olivia Williams.
|
|
|
Post by Ace on Feb 9, 2009 12:51:02 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Ace on Feb 9, 2009 12:59:41 GMT -5
Feb 2-7, 2009 Our Stars Arrive - COSTUME FITTING IN UK for MAIN CAST Pierce Brosnan & Natascha McElhone, Main Cast TRAVEL - LHR TO CPT, Arrive Cape Town , CAST REHEARSALS & FITTINGS, Dance Lessons, Riding Lessons , Armory lessons, COSTUME FITTINGS, MAKE UP AND HAIR fittings, HORSE/BUGGY RIDING LESSONS, Armory Lessons, Gym Training, Animals - Natascha to meet Psyche the dog..... thechancemuse.blogspot.com/2009/02/kates-fantastic-costumes.htmlA post with some gorgeous sketches of costume design. These are for Lord Somerset (Pierce)
|
|
|
Post by brosnangirl on Feb 9, 2009 13:19:01 GMT -5
amazing blog!!
|
|
|
Post by Bea Bittencourt on Feb 10, 2009 11:15:56 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Ace on Feb 10, 2009 12:24:46 GMT -5
Thank you! Very nice teaser poster art - though the description on the side needs to be updated from Purefoy to Pierce.
|
|
|
Post by Bea Bittencourt on Feb 10, 2009 16:09:03 GMT -5
You´re very welcome. Very true. Guess someone forgot to update it.
Hope we have some more soon.
Love to all.
|
|
|
Post by Ace on Feb 11, 2009 19:34:58 GMT -5
I love this blog. The breakdown for the days are just wonderfully detailed. Today on Pierce's slate -- dance rehearsals and show & tell for chess and ... moths! Wednesday, February 11, 2009 Set build Strandfontein Wednesday, February 11, 2009 -- VFX Aerial Stills Shoot TBC EXT CAPE TOWN PORT - TABLE BAY DAY Aerial Stills: Mountain/Fort/Port/Boats... S'fontein Cast Dance Rehearsals:Natascha (#1 Barry) Pierce (#2 Somerset)Eleanor (#5 Georgina) Elliot (#7 Hatch) Candice (#16 Edwina) Miranda (#21 Helena) Costume Fittings: Liam Cundill (#32 Rev Mulder) Leon Clingman (#17 Josiah Walker) Make Up & Hair Fittings: Leon Clingman (#17 Josiah Walker) Liam Cundill (#32 Rev Mulder Weapon Training: Natascha (#1 Barry) to meet with Pete Smith CAST MEETINGS: Natascha (#1 Barry) to meet with Marleen for lunch Tim Spall (#4 Plaskett) meets with Marleen Animals: Natascha (#1 Barry) to meet with Nicole & Psyche Position and set dressing Cast Rehearsals Final camera and synch sound tests Weapons Training/ Military Advice:Steven Pillemer (#18 Sgnt. Smith) Grant Swanby (#15 Grimes) Elliot Cowan (#7 Hatch) Adrian Collins (#10 Adamson) Karl Thanning (#19 Russel) Horse Riding:Adrian Collins (#10 Adamson) Karl Thanning (#19 Russel) Darron Meyer (#30 Officer #1) Stephen Jennings (#22 Bolton) Steven Pillemer(#18 Sgnt Smith) Grant Swanby (#15 Grimes) Graham Clarke (#8 Hennesy) Elliot Cowan (#7 Hatch) Show & Tell:Military Extras with weapons Natascha (#1) & Pierce (#2) Chess Advice Pierce (#2) - Moth advice (Lepadoptrist)Props Show & Tell Show & Tell Cavalry Men Horse & Carriage show & Tell
|
|
|
Post by Lauryn on Feb 12, 2009 14:32:32 GMT -5
Thank you! Very nice teaser poster art - though the description on the side needs to be updated from Purefoy to Pierce. Not that I don't think the SMA will look incredibly dishy decked out in the style of the period but it is a tiny shame that Purefoy missed out as Lord S. His family roots are actually in Somerset.
|
|
|
Post by Lauryn on Feb 12, 2009 14:42:09 GMT -5
I love this blog. The breakdown for the days are just wonderfully detailed. Today on Pierce's slate -- dance rehearsals and show & tell for chess and ... moths! Well, no wonder he needs to brush up! It was Lazenby's Bond in OHMSS whose expertise extended to lepidopterae. <wink> I agree, this blog is deliciously detailed and visual. So often, movie production blogs, more especially official ones, aren't. Speaking of James Bond, their studio sanctioned blogs / diaries have been one of the aforementioned bad examples...
|
|
|
Post by mel71pierce53 on Feb 14, 2009 4:49:23 GMT -5
Filming of Cape drama delayed by cash crisis February 14, 2009
By By Bronwynne Jooste
A funding crisis is threatening to scupper one of the biggest film projects being undertaken in Cape Town this year - Heaven and Earth, starring Hollywood star Pierce Brosnan.
Producers of the multi-million- rand feature film, based on the life of the Cape Colony's medical inspector James Barry, are putting their faith in bridging finance while they wait for promised funds to arrive.
Pre-production has already started in the city, with significant expenses already incurred.
The finance promised by a backer from Britain has been delayed several times.
Brosnan has already arrived in the city to start shooting. He plays Cape governor Lord Charles Somerset, believed to have been Barry's lover.
The drama tells of a secret love affair between Somerset and James Miranda Barry, who was a woman posing as a man. Some of the film is set to be shot at The Castle.
Filming was scheduled to start on Thursday, but was delayed on account of the cashflow problems.
It is now scheduled to start tomorrow, but it is not clear whether funding will come through.
The film is being produced by British production company Focus Films. It approached Spier Films, which has offices both in Cape Town and London, to be the official South African co-producer but the deal will only become official once all legal and financial documentation is signed.
Until then, Focus Films will be the lead producer, and has already pumped millions into the project since pre-production started in December.
Spier Films also produced the award-winning musical, U-Carmen eKhayelitsha.
Michael Auret, the joint managing director of Spier Films, said although Focus Films had been sourcing bridging finance, they had "met all their financial obligations" to this point.
"Prior to the closing of the financial agreements, Focus Films have been responsible for the pre-production of the film and have to date invested more than R10-million on preparing this wonderful project."
He said they expected legal agreements to be signed before shooting was scheduled to start on Sunday, although pre-production has already begun.
Auret said a range of factors was holding up the process.
These included negotiations with lawyers, adding that it was "not unusual" for these agreements to be finalised long after shooting had commenced.
"The legal agreements have not closed as yet, but we believe this will happen soon and that shooting will start as scheduled.
"Focus Films have been meeting their financial obligations in the pre-production period, as far as we are aware, and will continue to do so via bridging loans until the legal agreements are finalised and the rest of the finance flows into the production."
David Pupkewitz, the film's executive producer with Focus Films, was unavailable for comment but the Focus Films website states that Heaven and Earth has a $15m budget. Mel x
|
|
|
Post by Ace on Feb 16, 2009 12:41:24 GMT -5
Alas, no word on the blog that the financing was straightened out and filming has started. It would be horrible for them if financing came too late. A lot has already been invested, in terms of time as well as money and actors and crew etc might have other obligations (when does PB have to be in Germany for Ghost) or just need other work.
|
|
|
Post by Ace on Feb 16, 2009 19:51:40 GMT -5
www.independent.co.uk/news/people/pandora/pandora-cash-flow-hiccup-keeps-pierce-waiting-1623808.htmlPandora: Cash flow hiccup keeps Pierce waiting By Henry Deedes The British film industry has suffered more than its fair share of knocks over the years, so it gives some regret to report that the credit crunch is threatening to scupper one of its biggest projects of the year. Pre-production recently began in Cape Town on Heaven and Earth, a big-budget biopic of James Miranda Barry, the doctor who was supposedly a woman forced to disguise herself as a man to follow a medical career. Cameras were due to begin rolling on the $20m film, which stars Pierce Brosnan, pictured, and Natasha McElhone, last Thursday. However I hear that filming has been delayed after funds from an unidentified British backer failed to materialise on time. The movie's London-based producers, Focus Films, say they're hoping filming can begin this week. Yesterday, however, it was still unclear whether the necessary funding would come through.
|
|