Kaufman Casts Paul Reubens, Elizabeth Banks & Catherine Keener in 'Frank or Francis'

Described as a musical satire that takes on Hollywood, Charlie Kaufman (Synecdoche, New York) has been casting a whole bunch of actors for his latest film Frank or Francis.  The latest to join are Paul Reubens, Elizabeth Banks and Catherine Keener.  Other actors already signed include Steve Carell, Jack Black, Nicolas Cage and Kevin Kline.

Here’s a quick take on Frank or Francis:

The story centers on a contentious dispute between Frank, an intellectual film director (Carell) and Francis, an online blogger (Black) who still lives with his parents and who delights in attacking the man’s films.

Nicolas Cage is playing a actor known for his “high-concept films”; Kline will be playing “the director of the world’s top-grossing movie as well as the character’s brother, who turns into an animatronic head.”

Elizabeth Banks will play a “highly-regarded actress making formulaic comedy bombs who is having an affair with Carell’s Frank…” and Paul Reubens will be playing an old-school film critic.

Although previous reports said that Kate Winslet was also cast, THR reports that Winslet is not in the film, even though the actress has worked with Kaufman before in Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind (written by Kaufman).  Catherine Keener could also be seen in Kaufman’s other written work Being John Malkovich.

The film has a tentative 2013 release date.