1997 Cannes Film Festival Diaries
Day 9: Robin Williams's Announcement
CANNES, May 15 -- Whereas Cannes was once the exclusive domain of actors
and filmmakers with features in competition, the festival has increasingly
become a launching pad for new projects as studios clamor to exploit the
large media presence by announcing upcoming films. Ever since Stallone and
Schwarzenegger began the trend about a decade ago, some 4,000 journalists
have seen their Cannes calendars filled with less screenings and more press
conferences designed to generate excitement for films that have not yet
even entered the pre-production phase.
This year's major announcement took place Thursday at the Majestic Hotel
as Robin Williams and Cuba Gooding, Jr. announced their participation in
"What Dreams May Come," a big-budget fantasy about the afterlife
to be directed by Vincent ("Map of the Human Heart") Ward. Also
starring Annabella Sciorra, the story talks about a man who dies in an accident
and must travel through heaven and hell to be reunited with his wife. Academy
Award-winner Gooding will play the guide who accompanies Williams' lost
soul through the mystical Summerland.
"It's a love story," said Ward, who has had two films in Cannes
competition during his relatively young career. "It's a very human
story. It's not a comedy, but it has comedic elements."
An estimated $70 million budget will help cover the film's expensive special
effects created by an award-winning team of technicians headed by cinematographer
Eduardo Serra.
"The visuals are stunning, along with this amazing emotional stuff,"
Williams said. "If we're going to use the effects, we might as well
go to heaven and hell."
The half-hour press conference was dominated by the witty repartee between
Gooding and Williams. Gooding said the chemistry between the actors was
apparent to him when they did a read-through together for "Jerry Maguire"
a couple years back.
"That was a fun three hours," Gooding said, "so I thought
four months would be amazing."
Ward sat back and enjoyed the banter of his two main actors, joking that
he was "terrified" to be on set with them.
"I'm hoping they'll tell me what we're going to do and I can keep up
with them," Ward quipped.
Cameras are set to roll on the Polygram production late next month in San
Francisco and Montana. The studio anticipates a fall 1998 release date.
More from Robin Williams...
On Cannes: "It's like Disneyland by Dante."
On co-star Gooding's famous catchphrase: "Today's he walking around
the streets of Cannes yelling, 'Show me the Monet!'"
On his past bouts with depression: "I'm playing in the Prozac amateur
open..."
On cloning: "They've been doing it in the deep south for years. It's
called cousins."
On his dreams: "My dreams are pretty vivid to the point where Freud
would go 'give up.' The dancing penis one is pretty amazing... They could
make another movie and call it 'Wet Dreams May Come.'"
On a possible sequel to "Mrs. Doubtfire," his 1995 hit: "'Mrs.
Doubtfire -- she's back and she's pissed. She's packing heat'... I don't
think [a sequel will be made], the make-up is so hard to do."
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