Since he quit the hotseat of The Golden Compass citing ‘creative differences’, British director Anand Tucker has kept his head down. He recently directed Nineteen Eighty-three, an adaptation of David Peace’s Yorkshire Ripper novel for Channel Four Film, but now he’s clearly chomping at the bit to do something more commercial.
And so he’s signed on to direct Leap Year, the high-concept romantic comedy starring Amy Adams as a girl who travels to Ireland on February 29 to propose to her boyfriend, based on the rather spurious notion that an Irish tradition dictates that, because it’s a leap year, he must say yes.
Along the way, of course, she encounters all manner of mishaps. Will she learn the true meaning of love? You betcha!
The last time we reported on this, we were ever so slightly cynical, fearing that the combination of screenwriters Harry Elfont and Deb Kaplan (the geniuses behind Made Of Honor and Surviving Christmas) and a Hollywood rom-com set in Ireland would lead to an avalanche of teeth-grinding cliché and schmaltz. Begorrah, top o’ the mornin’ to ye etc. etc.
The appointment of Tucker to the director’s chair, though, combined with Adams’ presence, has given us some hope that this might be closer to the under-rated and rather sweet Shopgirl than it is to Made Of Honor 2. Please, God, anything but Made Of Honor 2.
Filming on the movie, which is produced by Benderspink and Spyglass Entertainment, will start in February.