Source: Spunk-Ransom.comWhat might have Dalí that, suddenly, explodes a fever in Hollywood for bringing to the cinema the surrealist life of the painter of Port Lligat?
In the middles of April is releasing the biopic Without Limits, in which Robert Pattinson (famous for his role as a vampire in Crepúsculo (Twilight)) plays the artist. But other names of the cinema -much more distinguished- want to put on his moustache: Antonio Banderas, Al Pacino, Johnny Depp, and even Peter O’Toole. There is a lot of story, indeed, and juicy anecdotes for taking hours and hours of filming.
But the problem is that all these projects are rejected by the Foundation Gala-Salvador Dalí, owner of the rights of the artist. Their responsibles watch over so that any of these hypothetic movies throw into rubbish 15 years of effort of re-putting the painter in the “serious” history of XX century art, further than scandals, affairs and legends of all types, some of them about forging graphic work implicated in his last years.
“The last that needs now Dalí is a bad movie that has success”, commented Joan Manel Sevillano, business manager of the foundation, who explains how in the last six years have passed through his hands at least 11 scripts for taking to the big screen the life of the painter. Excepting “Without Limits” (Little Ashes in its English version), no one has had the consent of the foundation. “The life of Dalí is already enough interesting like for being necessary to invent other things. It’s not our intention of censoring, but we watch over so that he is figured with respect and without hiding anything, but without trivializing neither telling things that are not. Hollywood can change the story, and that’s why we are strict”.
“Without Limits”, a modest Hispanic British production that has cost around 3 million euros, focuses in the youth of Dalí and the relationship he established in “The Students Hostel” with García Lorca (that is played by Javier Beltrán) and Luis Buñuel (Matthew McNulty). The film, produced in Spain by Factotum Barcelona, counts with a script of Philippa Goslett that doesn’t shy away from tricky scenes, like the supposedly homosexual relationship between Lorca and Dalí. The foundation, comments Sevillano, doesn’t see any inconvenience that it’s talked about this issue, dealt by many biographies, “as far as they stay in the ambiguous tono in which Dalí always talked about his relationship”.
But what the foundation didn’t accept were Andrew Niccol’s project (director of movies like Gattaca or The show of Truman) of bringing to the cinema the polemic book Dalí and me. One surreal story, of Stan Lauryssens, that would have Al Pacino has main character.
The book is a supposed autobiography by Lauryssens in which he confesses how he falsified dalís without scruples and explains impossible dialogues with friends and collaborators of the artist while in a visit in Cadaqués, friends that “reveals” his supposedly sexual perversions and his connivance in falsifications. The Dalí Foundation, through the law firm Roca Junyetn Abogados Asociados, has already started in the court of Figueres the proceedings of the private prosecution and slander against Lauryssens “that could be widened to the editorial or to who might be necessary”, points Sevillano.
The business manager from the foundation, who has travelled several times to Los Angeles in order to meet with various producers, has even sent a letter to the agent of Al Pacino explaining the situation and asking him not to “lower himself” in entering in this production. In fact, when he was last year in Madrid, the actor commented his interest of playing Dalí, although he added: “Up till now I haven’t read any perfect script and I wont do it till there is no good one”.
The one that has said yes to put into the skin of the artist is Antonio Banderas, who has announced that soon will start the shooting of Dalí, directed by Simon West (producer of Tomb Rider) and that will cover all the life of the artist introducing animated scenes in his paintings. Neither has this script the permission of the foundation.
“I have talked many times with West and have explained them our position”, adds “the only thing we ask for is that the script to be modified. Of course the shooting still can be done, but anyone who does the film about Dalí without the permission will have serious problems with us. And up till now we have never lost any trial”.
About the other projects announced from long time ago, there is nothing safe at the moment and yes many rumours. From the movie with Peter O’Toole, named Goodbye Dalí, there are not much solid news. And regarding to Johnny Depp, who initially would direct the movie and interpret the painter, seems that still is searching for script. Documentation won’t be what will lack him.
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