If we had a measuring stick we’d say that Philip Seymour Hoffman‘s rise to fame came almost a decade back with noticeable supporting roles in Boogie Nights (97) and The Big Lebowski (98) and the memorable lead part in the Solondz’s ensemble pic Happiness (1998). Now in the perfect position to add some clout to projects in development, the actor will start wearing a producer’s hat in a deal that Variety reports as a two-year, first look contract with Overture Films.
Hoffman and Emily Ziff’s Cooper’s Town Prods. will commence with a feature adaptation of Brett C. Leonard’s play Unconditional. Leonard who made the little seen film Jailbait, will also write the screenplay. Playbill describes the play about nine characters and nine New York stories “as a racially and sexually charged tale of rage, love, justice and betrayal.” Leonard gravitates toward the unsung and unrecognized and unappreciated in the American social system.”
The trade reminds us that CEO Chris McGurk and Danny Rosett of Overture originally worked with Hoffman and Ziff on Capote while McGurk was at MGM and Rosett at United Artists. Hoffman will next be seen in Doubt (a Venice or TIFF debut to be expected) and was just recently showcased at Cannes with Synecdoche, New York.
