Big Names Commit To Eszterhas Film

Mon., June 24, 1996

The Hollywood Reporter

Director Milcho Manchevski has signed on to direct “An Alan Smithee Film,” the comedic take on Hollywood by writer Joe Eszterhas that is now making the rounds of Hollywood.

While the film has yet to be set up at a studio, Manchevski joins several other high-profile figures who have committed to it.

Those include Whoopi Goldberg, Sylvester Stallone, the Hughes brothers, Robert Evans, Robert Shapiro, Shane Black and private eye Anthony Pellicano.

One celebrity who was approached who did not commit to the film is Arnold Schwarzenegger. Eszterhas denied reports that Schwarzenegger turned the project down, noting jokingly that “I fired him.”

Because of Schwarzenegger’s slow response, Eszterhas said he rewrote the Schwarzenegger role and gave it to Goldberg.

Eszterhas has been reluctant to divulge details of the project, which sources described as being in the vein of “The Player.”

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