I’m not sure how Zeta Jones’ name disappeared from the delayed project, but today Variety announces the fortunate news that Rob Marshall gets to add Nicole Kidman and Judi Dench to his stable of leading ladies for the fall shoot of Nine – this is the homage to Fellini and his notorious film 8 1/2, and adaptation of the Tony-winning Broadway musical that also happens to have been among the projects that was nixed because of the writer’s strike. The Weinstein Company project needed to rework Michael Tolkin’s screenplay.
The film and play are adapted from Federico Fellini’s 1963 classic autobiographical feature “8 1/2,” following the life of a famed film director and the many women in his life. Written by Michael Tolkin, Bardem would play director Guido Contini, who experiences a creative and personal crisis as he tries to balance all the women in his life. That includes his wife, mistress, his film-star muse, agent and even his mother. Raul Julia originated the role onstage, and Antonio Banderas played it in the revival. Cruz would play Carla, Contini’s mistress, while Cotillard is to play his wife, Louisa.