http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117977468.html?categoryid=14&cs=1Howard Zinn's 'History' comes to TVDocumentary miniseries to feature Damon, Vedder
By MICHAEL SCHNEIDER
Production is finally set to begin on a long-delayed TV version of Howard Zinn's landmark 1980 tome "A People's History of the United States."
The four-hour documentary miniseries -- titled "The People Speak" -- will include performances by Matt Damon, Marisa Tomei, Viggo Mortensen, Danny Glover, Josh Brolin, David Strathairn, Kerry Washington, Eddie Vedder and John Legend.
Zinn will host the longform project, which begins shooting next month in Boston. Project, to be exec produced by Zinn, Anthony Arnove and First Tuesday Media's Chris Moore, has not yet been sold to a network.
Damon and Moore have been looking to adapt "A People's History of the United States" on television for nearly a decade.
Damon, who lived next door to Zinn as a child, and Ben Affleck included a reference to Zinn and "A People's History" in their Academy Award-winning "Good Will Hunting." Soon thereafter, the scribes and Moore (also a "Good Will Hunting" producer) sold a 10- to 12-hour miniseries to Fox based on the book.
"A People's History" was slated to run on Fox in 1999, but that didn't happen; later, HBO developed a three-part version but eventually passed as well.
The new adaptation will draw from both "A People's History," and sequel tome "Voices of A People's History of the United States," which Zinn wrote with Arnove. Miniseries will center on the actors and musicians as they read from the books or perform music related to their themes: the struggles of women, war, class and race.
The longform will mix the performances with photos, interviews and archival footage.
"This project is about Howard Zinn, his books and using that body of work to remind and inspire us all that this is a country built on dissidence," Moore said. "Howard's work deserves to be on film, and it is time that we paid tribute and captured the struggles of the people."
Zinn, whose books chronicle the struggles of Native Americans, women, workers and other Americans, said he'd like to continue to inspire activists.
"Our hope is that these words from the past will speak passionately and clearly to the needs of the present," he said.
Cinetic Media is handling domestic sales for "The People Speak," which is also being readied for a DVD release after its initial TV run. Artfire Films' Art Spigel, Ara Katz and Dan Fireman are on board as producers; David Baerwald will provide the music score.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20071211/ten-uk-history-d3877cb_1.htmlDamon and Vedder to teach "People's History"By Carly Mayberry Reuters - Tuesday, December 11 10:24 amLOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Matt Damon, Marisa Tomei and Eddie Vedder will contribute their talents to a documentary miniseries based on historian-author Howard Zinn's 1980 book "A People's History of the United States".
Titled "The People Speak", the project will feature music and readings based on America's struggles with war, class, race and the rights of women. No network is attached yet.
Damon and Tomei, along with Viggo Mortensen, Josh Brolin, Danny Glover, David Strathairn and Kerry Washington, will provide performances for the project, which will interweave archival footage, photographs and interviews. Pearl Jam frontman Vedder and R&B singer John Legend will handle the music.
"It's going to be a great piece of entertainment but more importantly something people can watch and learn and remember how great this country has been and how individual people have changed the course of history," said executive producer Chris Moore. "It's going to make them think, laugh and cry and be proud to be American."
The project, also based on Zinn's companion book "Voices of a People's History of the United States" which he co-wrote with Anthony Arnove, will begin production in January in Boston.
Zinn, who will provide introductions and the historical context through on-camera appearances, also is executive producing.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
...Klingt ja mal ganz interessant. Wir werden ja sehen ob der Film bei uns auch irgendwann mal auf DVD rauskommt.