Plans to shoot Steven Soderbergh‘s “Liberace” have been thrown around a bit over the last year mainly due to the medical issues that plagued star Michael Douglas, but the actor has now come out noting the previously planned fall start later this year might still be in the works.
“We have to wait until September, I think,” Douglas told Showbiz411. “Matt Damon’s going off to make a payday picture this summer. And I have to gain some weight.” The “payday picture” for Damon that Douglas is referring to is, of course, Neill Blomkamp‘s “Elysium” though we don’t imagine a paycheck is what inspired Damon to team with the South African helmer on his follow up to “District 9.”
Last we heard, Damon said 2012 might be the go for the production but the actor’s schedule is fairly open for the rest of 2011 after shooting Cameron Crowe‘s “We Bought A Zoo” and Blomkamp’s “Elysium,” so perhaps a 2011 start could be back on the cards.
And while Soderbergh already has two films due for release this year (“Contagion” and “Haywire“), the man is a workhorse so if he started on a third film by the end of the year, we wouldn’t be too surprised. With his retirement looming, the director has one other project on his plate — the adaptation of ’60’s television series “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.” with George Clooney in the the titular role.
“Contagion” will hit theaters on October 21st (which makes sense as Soderbergh recently called it a horror film) while “Haywire” is due out this summer. “Liberace” in 2012? Let’s hope so.
