Hollywoodland (film)

Hollywoodland is a biopic directed by Allen Coulter about a detective, Louis Simo (Adrien Brody), investigating the mysterious death of George Reeves (Ben Affleck), television's Superman. Toni Mannix (Diane Lane), the wife of studio executive Eddie Mannix (Bob Hoskins), has been involved in a romantic relationship with Reeves.

Plot

In the past, George Reeves had a long, successful career from the late '30s, starting with Gone With the Wind and ending with The Adventures of Superman. Despite his fame, he is discontent with being typecast as Superman and cannot find anymore roles. Reeves is also having drinking problems and has engaged in an affair with Toni Mannix, the luscious wife of television mogul Eddie Mannix. He has sunk to the point of doing wrestling matches in his Superman costume, a point from which he can go no lower.

Following June 19, 1959, Reeves has been declared dead after a suicidal gunshot to the head. Although the police officially closed the case, his mother Loni Reeves demands justice, or at least answers. Her resolve is to have a private investigator look into the supposed "suicide."Dectective Louis Simo is assigned to investigate Reeves' strange death, interested only because his young son Evan looked up to Reeves as Superman. While delving further into the case, he makes even stranger discoveries about the actor's private life, as well as startling connections to his own life. In the process, he is stalked, beaten, and at one point, burned, but the affair Reeves had with Mannix's wife may hold a key to the truth...

Trivia

* The film's original title, Truth, Justice and the American Way, was changed in February 2006 after Warner Bros. Pictures threatened to file legal action over the use of a well-known slogan associated with their character Superman.
* Nicole Kidman was considered for the role of Toni.
* Joaquin Phoenix tested for the role of Louis Simo. This is the second time Phoenix and Brody have lobbied for the same role; the first time being for the part of Lucius Hunt in The Village.

Focus Features is forbidden from showing the Superman 'S' in promotional material.

* Benicio Del Toro also read for Louis Simo, but the part went to Adrien Brody. Interestingly enough, Brody lost the role of Jackie Boy to Del Toro in Sin City.
* Hugh Jackman read for the part of George Reeves, but he turned it down due to conflicts with the shooting of X-Men: The Last Stand.
* The opening credits of the film are based on those of the original television show. The reason the credits were shot again was because Warner Bros. refused to let them use the original credits.
* During the years the script spent in development hell, it was praised as "one of the best scripts unproduced."
*The film's title, Hollywoodland, may be a reference to the Hollywood sign as it originally appeared.
* While it was originally reported that the Superman costume in the film is missing the "S" because Warner Bros. owns the film likeness of Superman, on July 6th, 2006, the website Ain't It Cool News reported that Focus Features is forbidden from showing it in promotional material but that the costume will sport the iconic letter "S" in the film.[1]
* Portions of the movie were filmed on location in Long Beach, CA.

See also

*George Reeves
The Adventures of Superman

External links

*Online trailer (Requires Quicktime)