JULIUS CAESAR Movie Pitch

JULIUS CAESAR Movie Pitch
By John Vallone
Pd. 4
Time Period/Location: Modern-day Rome
Introduction
This version of Julius Caesar takes place in
modern-day Rome. Instead of being
senators, the characters are Mafiosos
(members of the Mafia) under the command
of Don Caesar. Some of Don Caesar’s
henchman conspire to murder Caesar and
take control of the mob, but some of the
Mafiosos loyal to Caesar turn against them in
a civil war that will endanger all of Rome.
Sam Worthington as Brutus

“That every like is not the
same, O Caesar, the heart of
Brutus earns to think upon.”
-Brutus
(II, ii, lines 128-129)
Sam Worthington could play
the role of Brutus in Julius
Caesar because he commonly
plays noble “everyman”
characters in the films he stars
in, such as Marcus Wright in
Terminator: Salvation and Jake
Sully in Avatar.
Christopher Walken as Caesar

“To tell thee thou shalt see me
at Philippi.” -The ghost of
Julius Caesar
(IV, iii, line 283)
Christopher Walken would
make an excellent Julius
Caesar because he has played
numerous intimidating roles
throughout his career, such as
the Grim Reaper in Click and
Clem in Joe Dirt. Also, Walken
played Cato in a 2002 TV
series of Julius Caesar, so he
has some experience with the
play already.
Neil Patrick Harris as Cassius

“Hath Cassius lived to be but
mirth and laughter to his Brutus
when grief and blood ill-tempered
vexed him?” -Cassius
(IV, iii, line 113-115)
Neil Patrick Harris would be a good
choice for the role of Cassius, as
he has some experience playing
corrupt characters like Cassius; for
example, Dr. Horrible from Dr.
Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. His
experience with Broadway shows
gives him a flair for the dramatic
that would make him an excellent
addition to the cast of any
Shakespeare play.
Jason Statham as Antony

“Friends, Romans,
countrymen, lend me your
ears; I come to bury Caesar,
not to praise him.” -Antony
(III, ii, lines 74-75)
Jason Statham would be a
good choice for the role of
Marc Antony because he plays
a lot of roles where he is a
risk-taker, such as in the Crank
and Transporter series.
Sheri Moon Zombie as Portia

“Brutus is wise and, were
he not in health, he
would embrace the
means to come by it.”
-Portia
(II, i, lines 258-259)
Sheri Moon Zombie could
play the role of Portia
because she has played
similar “desperate”
female characters in the
past, such as in Michael
Myer’s mother in
Halloween.
Halle Berry as Calpurnia

“When beggars die, there are
no comets seen; the heavens
themselves blaze forth the
death of princes.” –Calpurnia
(II, ii, lines 30-31)
Halle Berry would be a good
choice for the role of Calpurnia
because she has played many
powerful women in her
movies, such as Catwoman in
the movie of the same name
and Storm in the X-Men films.
Michael Cera as Lucius

“The taper burneth in your
closet, sir. Searching the
window for a flint, I found this
paper thus sealed up, and I
am sure it did not lie there
when I went to bed.” -Lucius
(Act II, scene I, lines 35-39)
Michael Cera could play the
part of Lucius because he has
a history of playing more
innocent characters, such as
Evan in Superbad and Oh in
Year One.
Soundtrack



Bullet with Butterfly Wings, by Smashing Pumpkins
“The world is a vampire/Sent to drain/Secret destroyers/Hold you up to the
flames/And what do I get/For my pain?”
This song is about jealousy toward others because of things the singer
feels he deserves, and so would work well as Cassius’ theme music.
Do You Realize??, by the Flaming Lips
“Do you realize that everyone you know one day will die?/And instead of
saying all of your goodbyes/let them know you realize that life goes
fast/It’s hard to make the good things last…”
This song is about saying goodbye to people who die, and would be a good
choice for the end when Octavius and Antony prepare Brutus’ funeral.
Goodbye Mr. A, by the Hoosiers
“Goodbye Mr. A, you promised you would love us but you knew too
much/Goodbye Mr. A, you had all the answers but no human touch/If life is
subtraction, your number is up/Your love is a fraction and it’s not adding
up.”
This song could be about Caesar and the conspirators killing him. Caesar is
the Mr. A mentioned in the song who seems as though he would solve all
of Rome’s problems, but is actually a tyrant.
Soundtrack, Part 2

I’m Impressed, by They Might Be Giants
“On the one hand he’ll give you five good reasons to follow him/On the
other hand you see nobody leaving the stadium.”
This song could be applied to the conspirators and their plan to kill Caesar,
since the lyrics sound like the conspirators weighing the benefits of killing
Caesar.
 King Rat, by Modest Mouse
“And you know, you know, you know it all went wrong/And you know, you
know, you know it was all wrong.”
This song is about plans going astray, and would work for the conspirators
since their plan to kill Caesar goes wrong and sends Rome into a civil war.
 Tiny Little Robots, by Cage the Elephant
“And I know that you’re tired of this/’Cause you’re a robot, they designed
your life/True souls said you know what’s right/You can join us on the other
side.”
This song is about corruption in government and revolution against it, and
would fit for the conspirators and their plans.
Sources










http://www.imdb.com/
http://www.utexas.edu/courses/ancientfilmCC304/lecture22/images
/3caesar.jpg
http://img2.allposters.com/images/MMPH/255147.jpg
http://www.terminatorchronicles.com/stills/2008/07/samworthington.jpg
http://www.pdngallery.com/legends3/neleman/art/photos_large/chri
stopher_walken.jpg
http://images.starpulse.com/Photos/Previews/Neil-Patrick-Harrishm01.jpg
http://actors.pick2web.com/pics/991119/jasonstatham.jpg
http://www.starglimpse.com/images/celebs/bio/sn_sherimoonzombi
e.jpg
http://www.coutureinthecity.com/wpcontent/uploads/2008/02/halle-berry.jpg
http://bluemoviereviews.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/cera-1.jpg