The way the box office is going this should end up above $60m ww, I could even see it go above $70m. We have to see how all the South American will go but it's performing ok so far.
Regarding that new project... meh tbh.
They try comparing it to The Wolf of Wall Street (which I really like) and The Big Short (which I haven't seen yet but expect to like too) but tbf I have my doubts that this would end up similarly good.
Both of those projects work because they have exceptional scripts and directors (and cast for that matter). And Zac has not shown so far that he can attract anyone of that caliber to work on his development projects. Furthermore, those 2 projects have a clear story with a good climax for the 3rd act but from what I get about this book/story (which I have to admit I have not read but going by summaries and articles I've read) this sounds like it doesn't have much overall plot at all. The big picture of LeFevre's wasn't particularly interesting, he wasn't even arrested... it's "just" an investment banker who lived the wild life for a few years until he decided to quit. There is no housing crash or anything of note happening on the banking side - it's just a collection of crazy stories with excess. Which can make an interesting book but imo is not suitable for a good movie because there you need a good overall story.
Which brings me to my other issue - this is clearly more The Wolf of Wall Street with all the alcohol, drugs, sex and prostitutes. Zac really needs to stop going permanently after drug-fueled movies. And the character here would be again a douchey, white, rich guy living it up amidst crazy deals happening around him and with no interesting plot but plenty of misogyny instead. Martin Scorsese and Leo might be able to pull this off but The Wolf of Wall Street even had an actual story and wasn't done before... this would be just a 2nd tier (or lower?) imitation of that.
Having said all that, the upside is that I can't see this actually going into production. I mean, he might start developing it and Paramount might pay a screenwriter to write a draft but I would be seriously surprised if this would happen. It looks like a typical project which will end up in development hell to me.
Like Cady, if this would be more like The Big Short where it's about something happening in the banking industry instead of excess partying it would be actually interesting. But the way this sounds right now... meh.
I think your story analysis is correct - there really isn't a story. A good drama needs a beginning, a middle, and an end. This story seems like a series of incidents without a conclusion; the protagonist doesn't triumph or crash and burn, he just quits.
The one bright note is that if Zac played the lead, he would mostly appear fully clothed. No doubt the powers that be would force some kind of shower scene or whatever, but Zac really needs to get away from displaying his body and get into displaying his acting abilities.
There would be plenty of opportunity to have Zac naked since the book features stories about sex and prostitutes. LeFevre eg mentioned in an article that he woke up in a Hong Kong hotel with a prostitute at his side not knowing how he got there. There might be more female nudity but I don't think Zac would be clothed all the time.
The way the box office is going this should end up above $60m ww, I could even see it go above $70m. We have to see how all the South American will go but it's performing ok so far.
Regarding that new project... meh tbh.
They try comparing it to The Wolf of Wall Street (which I really like) and The Big Short (which I haven't seen yet but expect to like too) but tbf I have my doubts that this would end up similarly good.
Both of those projects work because they have exceptional scripts and directors (and cast for that matter). And Zac has not shown so far that he can attract anyone of that caliber to work on his development projects. Furthermore, those 2 projects have a clear story with a good climax for the 3rd act but from what I get about this book/story (which I have to admit I have not read but going by summaries and articles I've read) this sounds like it doesn't have much overall plot at all. The big picture of LeFevre's wasn't particularly interesting, he wasn't even arrested... it's "just" an investment banker who lived the wild life for a few years until he decided to quit. There is no housing crash or anything of note happening on the banking side - it's just a collection of crazy stories with excess. Which can make an interesting book but imo is not suitable for a good movie because there you need a good overall story.
Which brings me to my other issue - this is clearly more The Wolf of Wall Street with all the alcohol, drugs, sex and prostitutes. Zac really needs to stop going permanently after drug-fueled movies. And the character here would be again a douchey, white, rich guy living it up amidst crazy deals happening around him and with no interesting plot but plenty of misogyny instead. Martin Scorsese and Leo might be able to pull this off but The Wolf of Wall Street even had an actual story and wasn't done before... this would be just a 2nd tier (or lower?) imitation of that.
Having said all that, the upside is that I can't see this actually going into production. I mean, he might start developing it and Paramount might pay a screenwriter to write a draft but I would be seriously surprised if this would happen. It looks like a typical project which will end up in development hell to me.
Like Cady, if this would be more like The Big Short where it's about something happening in the banking industry instead of excess partying it would be actually interesting. But the way this sounds right now... meh.
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The one bright note is that if Zac played the lead, he would mostly appear fully clothed. No doubt the powers that be would force some kind of shower scene or whatever, but Zac really needs to get away from displaying his body and get into displaying his acting abilities.
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