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Ratner, owner of RatPac Entertainment, has agreed to finance Norton’s film adaptation of the classic detective novel “Motherless Brooklyn”.
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Brett Ratner and his partner at RatPac Entertainment, well-known film producer James Packer, have given Edward Norton the green light to direct and star in the film version of Motherless Brooklyn written by Jonathan Lethem. A 1950s Brooklyn crime novel featuring a detective with Tourette.
Norton, one of Hollywood’s most talented actors, has held the film rights on Lethem’s material for more than 15 years, but has been unable till now to raise the financing.
Now Ratner, who directed the Hannibal Lecter movie, Red Dragon, in which Edward Norton featured in a supporting role, has agreed to provide the necessary funding as well as being involved with the production with Norton and his partner in his production company Class Five Films, William Migliore.
James Packer will take the role of joint executive producer alongside Stuart Blumberg of Class Five Films.
Announcing his decision to finance the movie Brett Ratner stated that while most people who appreciate good movies are aware that Edward Norton is one of the most compelling actors of our generation, but not many people know that he is also an exceptional writer and filmmaker.
“As soon as I read the script for Motherless Brooklyn I knew this was a project I wanted to get involved with.” Ratner summed up.
In the somewhat unconventional movie Edward Norton will play the part of Lionel Essrog, a Brooklyn detective who has to cope wit the trials and tribulations of being a Tourette’s syndrome sufferer.
Norton has made some fairly serious adaptations to Lethem’s original work, most prominently switching the setting from the late 90s when it was originally written, to the mid-50s in one fell swoop transferring storyline into a period piece in addition to being a first-class as a crime drama.
Ratner and Norton are busy casting for Motherless Brooklyn with plans are that production will get underway later this year.
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Brett Ratner, a 1990 graduate of New York University began his career in the entertainment industry as a director of music videos, before making a successful breakthrough into the film industry with the action comedy Rush Hour released in 1998 which starred Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. Ratner refused to change a winning team keeping Chan and Tucker, on-board for two sequels, Rush Hour 2 which came out in 2001 and Rush Hour 3 released in 2007. Brett Ratner also directed X-Men: The Last Stand in 2006.
Five years ago. Ratner was chosen to direct the long-awaited follow-up to Beverly Hills Cop, where he will be continuing his working relationship with Eddie Murphy which began when he directed the high anxiety comedy movie Tower Heist, also starring Matthew Broderick and Ben Stiller.
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