SYNOPSIS: A computer disc containing the memoirs of a secret service agent is lost and ends up in the hands of two gym employees who attempt to blackmail/extort him. Knowing the Coens this simple plan will not end nicely.

CAST

George Clooney - Harry Pfarrer

Brad Pitt - Chad Feldheimer

John Malkovich - Osbourne Cox

Tilda Swinton - Katie Cox

Frances McDormand - Linda Litzke

Richard Jenkins - Ted Treffon

JK SImmons - CIA Superior

David Rasche - Palmer DeBakey Smith, CIA Officer

 

NOTES: Shooting began on 27th August 2007 and ended in November.

This is the first Coen brothers movie not shot by cinematographer Roger Deakins since he began working with them on Barton Fink. Replacing him is Emmanuel Lubezki who did incredible work on 2006's Children of Men.

From Empire magazine's January 2008 issue as part of a 13 page Coen brothers feature; Joel Coen: "If you want to call it a comedy I wouldn't protest. It's sort of about the CIA, the culture of physical fitness and internet dating." Ethan Coen discussing how the came up with the idea: "Sort of what would happen if you threw those people [the cast] together. We just sort of said, 'Let's say that John Malkovich is a signals analyst for the CIA who gets fired at the beginning of the movie becaus he is an alcoholic, Fran is the manager of a gym in Virginia, and Brad is a trainer at the gym - how do you make a story out of all those things?" Joel: "It took a little while to get all these people together. Tilda we found late in the game, we didn't really know who would be in that part. But otherwise we wrote specifically for those actors. They had to be available to do the film at the same time."

HISTORY: The below has been taken from the Future Projects section. Now that it is an actual film, I just thought I'd pop this here so we could see histroically how the movie came to be and was reported upon;

One single mention of this so far (February 2006) within a brief interview with George Clooney on AICN where Clooney was asked about his collaborations with the Coen brothers. He had this to say: "I'm going to be doing another film with them probably in the Spring. It's called BURN AFTER READING. It's really fun, really funny. I'll do anything they want. I really will". Interesting, if a little scant.

On 23rd October 2006 Empire Online added a little news article with the following (pertinent) information- "The Coens have written BURN AFTER READING, a semi-comic CIA pic about an agency man who pens a book detailing some of his missions and then loses the disc with his manuscript on it. It’s loosely taken from former CIA chief Stansfield Turner’s book Burn After Reading: Presidents, CIA Directors And Secret Intelligence. Clooney will not be taking the lead role of the disc-misplacing agent, though – he’s agreed to play a hit man who also features in the plot." Apparently it will not go into production until at least August 2007 due to Clooney's commitment to Leatherheads.

On 20th April 2007, Empire Online (and many, many other places) reported that Clooney's buddy, Brad Pitt, has signed on to co-star. This would mark Pitt's Coen debut after the collapse of To The White Sea (see above). This article was followed by another regarding A Serious Man (below) confirming that shooting is due to start in the Summer (2007).

7th May 2007- This DEFINITELY looks on now. Joining Pitt and Clooney in the cast are Frances McDormand and the awesome John Malkovich,