'Inglourious' Christoph Waltz Stung by 'Green Hornet'

We were really lucky to see three great leading performances this summer that could wind up in the discussion for Oscars, and that almost never happens between May and August. Topping the list, for my money, is Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker. The other two, in order, would be Christoph Waltz from Inglourious Basterds and Sharlto Copley from District 9, who probably doesn't have a strong chance for a nomination, even though it was such a great performance. Waltz, on the other hand, could be a lock. Basterds is a welcome return to form for Quentin Tarantino, and then some. I doubt he'll get a Best Director nomination, but the script seems likely to at least wind up in the running and with Waltz already taking home Best Actor at Cannes, it wouldn't be a stretch. So what does he follow it up with? Playing the villain in The Green Hornet, according to Deadline Hollywood (via Geek Tyrant). He'll replace Nic Cage, only not really; Hair Plugs was never officially signed to the film but he did bow out of negotiations within the last couple of weeks. Waltz is in high demand, and Sony/Seth Rogen/Michel Gondry deserve a ton of credit for locking him in for an already troubled film. Green Hornet is filming now with Rogen, Jay Chou, and Cameron Diaz, and will open on December 17, 2010. Or at least that's the plan as it exists today. Without having read the script, it's impossible to say whether or not he's a better pick than Cage, who - like him or not - can play crazy very, very well. All things being equal, though, I think the studio would prefer the bigger star. Short of that, getting a guy who seems destined to buy a new tux this winter isn't a bad back-up plan.

Comments

[MRPigg]

I wouldn't bet against QT just yet... Let's wait until we get more buzz from the Holiday releases. If the year ended today, Quentin and Kathryn Bigelow would most certainly be frontrunners in the Best Director category. But maybe that's just wishful thinking.

The stupid "top ten" Best Pictures is going to make the director noms harder to predict, I expect.

[SEAN]

Great post lol, loved the part about the hair plugs hahah....so true..Nic Cage has dissapointed in recent years and continues to do so..

But any hoo... CHRISTOPH WALTZ this veteran actor is a brilliant brilliant man, he literally STOLE the film from Brad from everybody!!! Tarantino's writing was in 2nd place and I THOUGHT IT WAS HIS BEST FILM SINCE PULP FICTION, so that says something about Mr. Waltz...

I'am dissapointed with him taking this role, I mean Ive been sooo harsh on The Green Hornet and deservingly so because of the plague of bad problems...

Now I wonder why would he sign? Maybe he thought potential?? Maybe he just wants to create a bigger buzz and bigger his STARDOM which I HONESTLY AM OKAY WITH IN THIS CASE because HE IS MAGNIFICENT and deserves to be more a household name and this film will most likely do that....

So Christoph Waltz you get a pass by me lol....Hopefully he'll do some major rewrites on his character and improve it, if they let him...

[Get The Big Picture]

Yes, probably. I just wasn't as floored by his direction as I was his script.

[SEAN]

QT - best director nod
QT- best original screenplay nod
Christoph Waltz - best actor nod

that would ideal kids...

[MRPigg]

SPOILERS

"Yes, probably. I just wasn't as floored by his direction as I was his script."...

A: The violence in the basement...

2: The shot through the smoke in the theater..

and D: Everything about the first scene...

...I rest my case.
Plus, it is no accident that actors do some of their best work with Tarantino behind the camera. It is more than just the words he puts in their mouth.

[Get The Big Picture]

The cellar scene was the hardest to sit through. It needed to be ten minutes shorter. And you can't rest your case on three scenes, especially when only one of them was truly special. Still, I'm not saying he won't get a nomination, just that it's more likely his script will than his direction.

In this case, it's more the words he put in their mouth.

[anybody]

I wouldn't be disappointed or surprised to see QT get the director nod but I would be both if his script wasn't recognized. I have a feeling though that Waltz may end up in the supporting category (not that I agree with it because he probably has the most screen time in the film but as we saw with Assassination of Jesse James, Pitt was the lead and Affleck the Support despite the same issues there). Either way he deserves to be there.

However I would love to see (and think he deserves, at this point at least) Sharlto Copley walk away with a Best Actor nom because he was outstanding is D9. Renner was also impressive but I can't get the bitter taste of the Top Gunnish last shot&score of the film out of my mouth (maybe that was Bigelow's intent but it, unlike the rest of the film which was brilliantly done, seemed over the top and out of place).

IB was probably the most entertained I've been at the theatre in a long time and sits atop of the three for me, with D9 in second then the Hurt Locker (unless Hunger falls into this years race, then it jumps into the second, maybe even the first spot with McQueen deserving a nom as well as Fassbender).