ROTTEN TOMATOES: Sly Says Yo to "Poe"

Sly Says Yo to "Poe"

by Scott Weinberg | May 24, 2005

It comes from Variety -- otherwise I probably wouldn't believe it: Sylvester Stallone will write and direct a biopic about legendary author, drug addict, poet, and madman Edgar Allan Poe. Sly's been sitting on his screenplay since 2002, but recently signed a deal with Nu Image/Millennium Films to get the project going.

No casting news has been announced just yet, but apparently Mr. Stallone wants Robert Downey Jr. to play the lead role. "Poe" is expected to begin production in Europe later this year. Probably best known for his roles in the "Rocky" and "Rambo" movies, Stallone was also the screenwriter on all eight of those films. As a director, Sly has given us "Staying Alive," "Paradise Alley," and the last three "Rocky" entries.

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(1-16 of 16 posts) | Reply

Cassady writes:
on May 24 2005 03:38 AM

I love RDJ but Sly was supposed to be interested in Johnny Depp playing the role, and he would be a natural choice for it. $%@@$# pirate sequels! Johnny should be doing movies like this!

(Reply to this)

amamamy writes:
on May 24 2005 08:03 AM

In reply to this comment (#822426)
[b]Actually...[/b]
Johnny Depp should stick to doing movies that Sylvester Stallone has nothing do to with.

(Reply to this)

Cassady writes:
on May 24 2005 10:02 AM

Yeah, I'm not too crazy about the fact that Sly has the movie rights, but it means that no one else can make a bio-pic of Poe except him, right? And this was a project that Johnny was supposedly very interested in.

(Reply to this)

VML writes:
on May 24 2005 10:46 AM

It would be interesting if Tim Burton was also making the movie.

(Reply to this)

Now it's dark writes:
on May 24 2005 11:01 AM

This has been a rumour for decades. Sly once wanted to play the part himself!

Depp is still too pretty for the part. Downey is perfect, in look and life experience.

Hopefully, Slys directing skills have improved since Rocky V.

(Reply to this)

Count_Vertigo writes:
on May 24 2005 11:13 AM

If Sly's slew of "direct to video" crap is any indication, I don't have much faith in this film getting very far.

(Reply to this)

kbingham writes:
on May 24 2005 01:49 PM

[b]No, downey would be good for the part as well[/b]
Johnny's had plenty of business lately, and big $ money business as well. Depp is an A level actor if an A level actor ultimately means creating characters in films that are captivating and not soon forgotten: Ed Wood for example among many others.
However, RDowney would be a good choice too. He's go the talent, and frankly, he has more of a resemblance to Poe than Johnny--and he doesn't have quite the business of late that Johnny has had, so I don't mind a little sharing of the wealth among mostly equal actors (although Depp is by far my fav among the two).

As far as Sly making the film. I surely think he's got the skills to do a film like this justice, and I eagerly wait to see it.

(Reply to this)

new_school_critic writes:
on May 24 2005 01:53 PM

[b]Honestly[/b]
While the above posters both make good points, in my personal opinion, Johnny Depp would the perfect Edgar Allen Poe. I don't know what Poe looks like in his youth, maybe Downey is a better physical fit, but when I think of Poe, I think of Depp. Really in my opinion, no other actor can play that role if Depp is interested. Stallone hasn't proven much with his "direct to video" movies, but I will reserve judgement on this movie until more details are out about it.

P.S. Nothing against Downey Jr., love him as a actor, see him as a drug addict, just don't see him as this particular drug addict.

(Reply to this)

Vega-Star writes:
on May 24 2005 04:31 PM

In reply to this comment (#822426)
[b]i agree with you[/b]
Depp would be good for this role. however i also agree with the comment saying that Depp is too good for Stallone, and it's probably in everybodys best intersest that we don't cross the two together. it'll upset the balance of moviemaking.

(Reply to this)

poedude writes:
on May 25 2005 05:38 AM

[b]downey as poe; poe as philly; biopic rights[/b]
Downey as Poe could be genius; Depp would be good too.... Bigtime Philadelphia connections here.... I think Stallone has the rights to a particular author's biography of Poe; we are all free to produce or write our own biographies of Poe.... this one might work out though....

free weird fiction:

www.jerryclough.com

(Reply to this)

Local_Hero writes:
on May 25 2005 06:53 AM

Hey, I think it's a good idea. It's not that I'm disagreeing with the fact that Johnny Depp would be perfect - he can be anything at this point. However, this may be Sly's not-entirely-unclever attempt to choose a dark horse and demonstrate his own prowess. Robert Downey Jr. just has that air of self-defeat around him that epitomized Poe, and I have every ounce of confidence that he can pull it off - provided, of course, that his script is better than, say, Rocky IV.

Because, after all, if you can change, and I can change, we can all change. Truly spoken like a man who's been boxing for hours.

(Reply to this)

Cassady writes:
on May 25 2005 09:48 AM

If you read descriptions of Poe by his contemporaries, they are eerily similar to Johnny Depp. Here's just one example: "... his proud and beautiful head erect, his dark eyes flashing with the elective light of feeling and of thought, a peculiar, an inimitable blending of sweetness and hauteur in his expression and manner. . ." Others talk about his beautiful hands and delicate features. He was 5'8 or 5'10 (accounts vary) and about 140 lbs. He was 40 years old when he died. Depp will be 42 in a week (ok, I'm a fan, I know when his birthday is). Now I agree Robert Downey Jr is a brilliant actor, and he could probably do justice to it, but I strongly feel it's a role Depp was born to play. If it's true that someone else could do a rival biopic of Poe, then I'd prefer someone else instead of Stallone to be helming the project. But I was under the impression, when I first heard about this a couple of years ago, that Stallone had exclusive rights for at least the time being. Anyway, Johnny still has at least 10 years or so left where he could credibly play a man Poe's age. Originally Stallone had intended to play the role himself (can you imagine that?) but he got too old for it.

(Reply to this)

Now it's dark writes:
on May 25 2005 03:35 PM

If you've seen photos of Poe, you'd see one ugly mf. If you think Depp can do him justice, well I guess that's Hollywood...

Realistically someone like Steve Buscemi or Tim Blake Nelson would work much better. But Depp would bring in the $ and boost the budget.

(Reply to this)

Cassady writes:
on May 26 2005 07:09 AM

I don't know if I can post photos here, but here's a link with written descriptions and also a collection of daguerrotypes of him. He certainly doesn't look hideous to me. That prominent forhead is probably the hardest thing to match; but does casting really need to be done strictly on physical resemblance?
http://www.eapoe.org/geninfo/poeapprn.htm

(Reply to this)

Now it's dark writes:
on May 26 2005 12:21 PM

In reply to this comment (#822439)
I think it depends on the director and the style of the film. Does he want gritty and realistic or slick and with Hollywood gloss? Hopefully Stallone knows what he wants and chooses the actor he'll work best with.

(Reply to this)

sox1919 writes:
on May 27 2005 10:09 AM

[b]Here it is....[/b]
Get one of those Contenders to play Poe, They are true underdogs.

Did anyone else watch that show? BOO to the Finale.

Downey JR. would be much better than Depp.

Stallone said,"Expendable means, like, if you're invited to a party, and you don't show up, it doesn't really matter." -Rambo: First Blood Part II

(Reply to this)

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