Most famously, he never filmed his much-researched biopic of Napoleon (Bonaparte) I of France, which was originally to star Jack Nicholson as Napoleon after Kubrick saw him in Easy Rider. Kubrick and Nicholson eventually worked together on The Shining. After years of preproduction, the movie was set aside indefinitely in favor of more economically feasible projects. As late as 1987, Kubrick stated that he had not given up on the project, mentioning that he had read almost 500 books on the historical figure. He was convinced that a film worthy of the subject had not yet appeared.
Napoleon
After the success of 2001 Kubrick planned a large-scale biopic of Napoleon Bonaparte. He did much research, read books about the French Emperor, and wrote a preliminary screenplay. With assistants, he meticulously created a card-catalogue of the places and deeds of Napoleon's inner circle during its operative years. Kubrick scouted locations, planning to film large portions of the story in the historical places where Napoleon's life occurred.
In notes to his financial backers, preserved in The Kubrick Archives, Kubrick told them he was unsure how his Napoleon film would turn out, but that he expected to create 'the best movie ever made.' Ultimately, the project was cancelled for three reasons: (i) the prohibitive costliness of location filming; (ii) the release, in the West, of Sergei Bondarchuk's epic film version of Leo Tolstoy's novel War and Peace (1968), and (iii) the commercial failure of Bondarchuk's Napoleon-themed film Waterloo (1970). Stanley Kubrick's screenplay for this film has been published on the Internet. Much of his historical research would influence Barry Lyndon (1975), set in the late eighteenth century, just before Napoleon's wars.
As long as spielberg doesnt touch them. Although I thought A.I was decent.
Making a movie about Napoleon sounds COMPLEX!
Making a movie about Napoleon sounds COMPLEX!
I get jokes!
I don't know about your Napoleon jokes. When I think of Napoleon, I think of Jack Nicholson, letting Roman Polanski rape chicks at his house, and sitting under glass coffee tables as he pays high priced Hollywood hookers to shit on top of it. And Kathy Bates's titties.
Jack Nicholson would have made an awesome Napoleon. You know who would make a shitty Napoleon? Heath Ledger.
Eh I dunno if it's fair to blame spielberg for all of AI's problems. A issues people have with it (the ending) was all Kubrick.
And didnt Kubrick storyboard the entire thing?
[youtube=425,350]8k6GcN9Bc6s[/youtube]I've seen Spielberg talk about Kubrick and AI a lot before. He likes to talk about how Kubrick faxed him endless pages in the middle of the night of what to do.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=8k6GcN9Bc6s
Interesting interviews. Seems like youtube took down the video where Spielberg talks about AI. He basically says that the ending was entirely Kubrick's idea (the fairy, aliens, etc)
Interesting interviews. Seems like youtube took down the video where Spielberg talks about AI. He basically says that the ending was entirely Kubrick's idea (the fairy, aliens, etc)
I wonder if he didn't die (he wasn't THAT old, 70 is less than average) if the film would have been a "classic" with him directing.
My local art theater has been doing a Kubrick series with them playing a Kubrick movie each week on the big screen, they included AI with all the others interestingly.
I told you about it when it started I thought, Downtown Ann Arbor's theater. Every monday at 4 they have played a Kubrick movie. Every single one in chronological order, this monday was the end of it with AI. Last week was Eyes Wide Shut..etc.I wonder if he didn't die (he wasn't THAT old, 70 is less than average) if the film would have been a "classic" with him directing.
My local art theater has been doing a Kubrick series with them playing a Kubrick movie each week on the big screen, they included AI with all the others interestingly.
omg where.