Filming has wrapped in New Orleans Louisiana on the erotic thriller The Paperboy. Lee Daniels who directed the Academy Award-winning Precious directed this character-driven film set in central Florida during the late 1960s. It stars Matthew McConaughey (The Lincoln Lawyer ) Zac Efron (Me And Orson Welles ) Academy Award-winner Nicole Kidman (The Hours) and John Cusack (2012) with David Oyelowo (The Help) Macy Gray (For Colored Girls) and Scott Glenn (Bourne Legacy) co-starring. New York Times’ best-selling author Pete Dexter writer of such American classics as Paris Trout and Deadwood adapted his book of the same name. As filming came to a close pre-sales for the film at 2011 Toronto International Film Festival were strong with deals being signed across multiple territories. With post-production next Daniels says “I am honored to have worked with this cast as they brought these offbeat characters to life. Everyone has knocked it out of the ballpark with their performances. I’m very excited as I head into post-production.” The story follows two brothers: Ward Jansen (McConaughey) a reporter for The Miami Times and Jack Jansen (Efron) a recent college dropout who lives in a small town in central Florida with their overbearing father W.W. Jansen (Glenn). When Ward shows up with his writing partner Yardley Acheman (Oyelowo) to investigate a story for their paper Ward offers Jack the job of driving them around. The reason Ward is in town is that Charlotte Bless (Kidman) an enigmatic loner who writes to prisoners on death row has convinced them that Hillary Van Wetter (Cusack) an unsavory alligator hunter from the backwoods was wrongly convicted at a trial that took place near their hometown. As the investigation unravels it becomes clear that these brothers are on a journey that is filled with betrayal. The only thing that remains constant is that there is this strange beautiful woman who falls in love with killers. The film’s producers are Daniels Hilary Shor (Children Of Men) and Ed Cathell (Secret Lives of Bee.) Nu Image/Millennium Films’ Avi Lerner Trevor Short Danny Dimbort Boaz Davidson and John Thompson join Michael Benaroya (The Romantics) and Cassian Elwes (Blue Valentine) to executive produce. Co-producers Asger Hussain (Tennessee) and Simone Sheffield (Precious) completed the filmmaking team. The production was financed by Millennium Films. The production crew also included director of photography Roberto Schaefer (Monster’s Ball) production designer Daniel T. Dorrance (upcoming Playing The Field) costume designer Caroline Eselin-Schaefer (Leaves Of Grass) and Academy Award-nominated editor Joe Klotz (Rabbit Hole.) Filmed around New Orleans the Louisiana locales doubled as Florida of the late 1960s. Principal photography began on August 1 and wrapped on September 15. A domestic release date will be determined once a domestic distribution deal is final.
