James Marsden & Michael C Hall star in The Dead Circus
This sounds like a really interesting “fictitious” film, complete with Charles Manson and the mysterious death of singer Bobby Fuller in 1966.
We just learned that he might become one of The Three Stooges for Bobby and Peter Farrelly’s long-gestating big screen adaptation, but now James Marsden is taking on an even stranger role. Deadline reports the actor will play infamous criminal Charles Manson in The Dead Circus, a drama that crafts a fictitious storyline surrounding the mysterious death of I Fought The Law singer Bobby Fuller. Joining Marsden in the peculiar film will be Golden Globe winner Michael C. Hall (“Dexter”) and Oscar winner Melissa Leo (The Fighter). Adam Davenport wrote the script and will also make his directorial debut with the project.
The events surrounding Fuller’s death are a real-life mystery, and this film aims to create a story around that event. After Fuller’s song became a hit back in 1966, a week later the 23-year old singer was found dead. Though his death was ruled a suicide, it seems a little strange that his body showed signs of being battered, and gasoline had been poured down his throat. The story follows a grieving screenwriter (a role not yet cast) who attempts to solve the mystery of the singer’s death. Meanwhile, Leo will play a Manson Family matriarch who comes out of hiding five years after the murder to reveal to the writer that the answer to his questions might be found in 16 mm snuff films buried in Death Valley. Finally, Hall is playing one of Fuller’s managers.
As weird as this story sounds, it’s nice to hear about something original being made (production starts this summer) with such a stellar cast. Marsden seems to be taking a lot of risks lately with his career moving from a family film like Hop (opening this weekend), to a struggling comedy like The Three Stooges and now this. Of course Hall has been great in his cable television run on “Dexter” so it will be nice to see them on the big screen again. As for Leo, her performances in The Fighter and Red State have required that I give her my full attention. So count me interested. How about you?
Casting Melissa Leo as a Manson Family Matriarch will gurantee the success of “The Dead Circus”. She is one of the greatest actresses of our time! This movie will win her another Oscar! However, as her unpaid press agent, I would recommend that she immediately hold a press conference and invite the real Charles Manson to be her “Oscar date.” Since Manson is spending his life in prison, the studio can immediatley start a campaign to petition Governor Brown to release him for one evening in order to permit him to escort Melissa down the red carpet into the Kodak Theatre. Think about it! The media will go nuts. The movie and Melissa will be all anybody will talk about in 2011. People will forget all about Melissa’s “F” bomb at the Oscars this year. Acadamy voters will always vote for Melissa in the unlikely event that Manson will show up. Joan Rivers, Ryan Seacrest and “the Fashion Police” will spend countless hous comparing Manson’s prison garb to the latest fashions. The ratings for the Oscar telecast will soar! People will flock to the theatres to see “The Dead Circus.” As Charlie Sheen would say, “DUH WINNING!”