Jake's tribute to the director with a giant brain and UMP to get a re-re-re-re-rewrite

Although the quality's not great, we must be grateful indeed to the kind Jake fan who has posted a clip of Jake Gyllenhaal introducing David Fincher - Director in Residence (you just have to hear how Jake says that) - at the Santa Barbara Film Festival a few days ago.



While Jake admits that David's directorial technique is 'tough' on 'fakers' like him 'This is something you need to know - David Fincher has a huge heart - he has painstakingly tried in every single one of his films to avoid giving in to it but it's evident nonetheless - and he has a giant brain... figuratively speaking. An eye like no other, and a thirst for the technical that is unquenchable and a passion for movie making that exceeds that of everyone that I've ever worked with or have known. And I know some pretty crazy people. Unlike his actors, his movies will never grow old.'


David! Don't fight it, give him a job!

Talking of David Fincher, I was chuffed to see a transcript from the Guardian's Q&A with David at the BFI in London that I was truly lucky to attend and flutter my eyelashes through. Although not all of David's spider fears made the transcript, it's great to have a record.


There was some news today about one of Jake's future - hopefully - projects, the Unnamed Moon Project, affectionately known as UMP. It turns out that, for at least the third time, someone else is looking at the script and reworking it. According to THR: '"Black Hawk Down" screenwriter Ken Nolan has been brought on to rework the script for Paramount's untitled moon project. Nolan is the latest writer to bring his take to an action film about lunar colonization that has Jake Gyllenhaal attached to star. Doug Liman, who is producing and directing the film, wrote an original screenplay with John Hamburg ("I Love You, Man"). "Black Hawk Down" book author Mark Bowden revamped that script, then Dan Mazeau did a new version off material compiled from the story work of Liman, Bowden and Simon Kinberg, who also is producing.'


Is it a qualification that those who work on the script have to have been involved in Black Hawk Down? So, while it is assuredly a good thing to have a good script, one has to wonder what kind of state it was in to start with. I remember the account of the Possible Dreams MV auction for a visit to the Doug Liman/Jake Gyllenhaal set. 'Mr. Liman said he had already talked to winner Mr. Burstein, whose son David is a young filmmaker, about sitting in on the writing process for the film at Mr. Liman’s home as a part of the dream.' But, as we said then, at least this means there is life in the old (space)dog yet. However, at this rate, I wouldn't bet on this being Jake's next project.


It seems to me that Doug is clearly still in some need of help for the film that remains unnamed. Perhaps it is time that he called on us - who obviously have a vested interest in the release of a film featuring Jake in Space in Spandex - to give him some direction, while we're all still young enough to enjoy the film. If you have any ideas of possible scenes and plot directions, I'm sure Doug would love to him them. My main suggestions would be a) the requisite naked shaving scene, and b) well, I can't really get past a, to be honest.

Maybe, until the script is settled, Jake will have to pass the time with another film - perhaps one about Joe Namath, say...


Includes pictures from IHJ.