THR reported last week that Ryan is set to star opposite Reese Witherspoon in the upcoming drama “Big Eyes”. Filming is scheduled to begin this spring.
The film, which Tim Burton will produce, is based on the true story of Margaret and Walter Keane, whose pop-eyed paintings became a sensation in the 1960s.
Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Reynolds are attached to star in the indie biopic Big Eyes, which is based on the true story of Margaret and Walter Keane, whose pop-eyed paintings became a sensation in the 1960s.
Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski will write and direct the film, with Tim Burton set to produce via his Tim Burton Productions. Lynette Howell and Jamie Patricof will also produce through Electric City Entertainment. Principal photography is scheduled to begin this spring.
The Keanes’ lives were filled with controversy: Though Margaret (who will be played by Witherspoon) was the true talent, Walter (Reynolds) claimed credit for her work, which was sold under his name.
“We are ecstatic to have this dream cast for our dream project,” Alexander and Karaszewski said in a joint statement. “Walter is a larger-than-life antihero — charming, funny, dangerous, and a little crazy. Ryan will knock it out of the park. As for Reese, she will be perfect as Margaret — soulful, decent, transforming from vulnerability to learning to fight for herself.”
Karaszewski and Alexander, whose credits include The People Vs. Larry Flynt and Man on the Moon, previously collaborated with Burton on Ed Wood.
Reynolds will next been seen in the Universal thriller Safe House, whichs bows Feb. 10. Witherspoon will next appear in Fox’s This Means War, which opens Feb. 17.
Alexander and Karaszewski are represented by UTA. Reynolds is represented by CAA and Witherspoon is represented by CAA and Management 360. Burton is repped by WME.
Background Plot
“Walter Keane became a national celebrity and talk show fixture in the 1950s after he pioneered the mass production of prints of big-eyed kids, and used his marketing savvy to sell them cheaply in hardware stores and gas stations across the country. Unfortunately, he claimed to be the artist. That role was played by Margaret, his shy wife. She generated the paintings from their basement and Walter’s contribution was adding his signature to the bottom. The ruse broke up their marriage, and when she tried to make it known that she authored the paintings, they ended up in a court battle after Walter called her crazy. The case culminated in a dramatic courtroom showdown. The judge put up two easels, side by side, and challenged each of them to start painting. He begged off, blaming a shoulder injury, while she dashed off her familiar big-eyed creation.”
