Kevin Costner Turned Down Offer to Head Orion Pictures



Do you remember when Kevin Costner was "The Shit (tm)"? He was in for a time, it seemed, every conceivable film in every conceievable genre. Action: Costner; Drama: Costner; Western: Costner. And then there was "Robin Hood," where, apparently, the thumoeideitic zeal of his early Middle-Age fizzled, and, amazingly, he appeared -- on-screen -- as literally broken-down tired (Too tired, it seemed, to maintain a British accent throughout). And then there was "WaterWorld," the most self-indulgent film since "Ishtar."

The pendulum swings. Have you seen the trailers for Mr. Brooks? Kevin Costner ventures outside his audience's -- and his zone of comfort -- expectations to play the heavy. And the film looks hott. While we are not generally given to showing enthusiasm at Kevin Costner flics, the trailer look utterly amazing; the trailer even manages to make that scenery-chewing overnbaked ham actor Dane Cook look almost interesting (Exaggerated cough suggesting feigned detachment).

Costner and his artistic collaborator Jim Wilson were bright-eyed and bushy tailed for AMC's Sunday Morning Shhotout with Variety's Peter Bart and Uberguber. Before Tom Cruise inagurated movie-star-to-studio-prexy-chic, Kevy was tempted with a taste. Apparently, Costner/Wilson were offered to head Orion Pictures, which is pretty amazing. From Sunday Morning Shootout:

"Peter Bart: Do you -- since you've been so entrepeneurial at filmmaking -- would you ever imagine running a studio like Tom Cruise is; or, have you spoken with Tom much since he took the new gig?

"Kevy: No, but I would, I would, I could do a studio thing with Jim ..

"Jim Wilson: Listen, there was a moment when we almost did. There was a moment when Kevin had done Bull Durham, No Way Out, we had just finished Dances ... orion was going through a real difficult financial period ... and we were approached, you know, quietly, to say: 'Would this be interesting?' We've had a number of times they said are you interested in maybe coming in, taking over and helping out run a studio. But we had so much fun -- at least I did -- uhm, taking film by film and saying that's what you want to do that's where you want to spend your time. That's where our attention should be placed, on individual movies.

"Kevin: I thought about (running a studio) some more recently, just because I know that I could make my partners money, if they have the financial muscle to be brave. Will they be brave and break with conventional wisdon?"

Depends, we imagine, on the box-office of Mr. deeds, which opens June the 1st.