NEW: Aaron Eckhart + Miles Teller Sign on to Vinny Paz Movie

Monday, February 03, 2014

 

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Rhode Island film producer Chad A. Verdi has announced that two stars have signed on to star in Bleed for This, his newest film and the latest to be set and shot in the Ocean State.

Bleed for This is the story of real Rhode Island boxer and five-time world champion Vinny Pazienza as he recovers from a broken neck suffered during a near-fatal car accident. Pazienza would go on to win three more world boxing titles in one of the most improbable comebacks in the sport's history.

Aaron Eckhart received a Golden Globe nomination in 2006 for Christopher Buckley's Thank You For Smoking and has also had acclaimed roles in The Dark Knight, Olympus Has Fallen, I, Frankenstein, and more. He is slated to play Pazienza's trainer, Kevin Rooney. Rooney, who also trained Mike Tyson during the fighter's first heavyweight championship, and helped Vinny to revolutionize his style. Miles Teller, recently of the films The Spectacular Now, 21 & Over, and Project X, will take on the role of Vinny Paz. Teller is also starring in That Awkward Moment, currently in theaters.

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Verdi is joined on the project by a distinguished team of producers and writers, including writer/director Ben Younger (Boiler Room, Prime), Oscar-winner Martin Scorcese (The Departed, Googfellas), Oscar-winning producer Bruce Cohen (American Beauty, Silver Linings Playbook), Emma Tillinger Koskoff (The Departed, The Wolf of Wall Street), Noah Kraft (Loosies). Scorcese, all-time great director and Oscar Winner for The Departed, is nominated for best director again this year for Wolf of Wall St. Verdi credits him for helping the picture come together.

“My producing partners Noah Kraft, my wife Michelle, and I got involved in the film business in 2009 with one purpose: to have the story of Vinny Paz told. The best thing that ever happened to this project was Ben Younger coming on board to write and direct Bleed for This. Bleed for This is Ben's vision and with the support of Martin Scorsese, Bruce Cohen and Emma Tillinger Koskoff, this film is destined for greatness. I was introduced to Martin and Emma through Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, who has been instrumental in helping me develop these projects."

Verdi also announced that writer/director Tom DeNucci will also be brought on board as a consultant on the project, which he hopes will begin shooting sometime this summer.  GoLocal's review of DeNucci's latest picture, which also appeared in today's edition, can be found here

 

Related Slideshow: 25 Movies Filmed in Rhode Island

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Moonrise Kingdom

2012

Director: Wes Anderson

Cast: Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray Frances McDormand

This Oscar nominated film features many local landmarks including Fort Wetherill State Park, Bayfield Farm, and the Conanicut Lighthouse.

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Mr. North

1988

Director: Danny Huston

Cast: Anthony Edwards, Robert Mitchum, Lauren Bacall

Shot in Newport, this comedy-drama features Anthony Edwards as a con man attempting to break into the 1920s Newport social scene. 

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There's Something About Mary

1998

Directors: Peter and Bobby Farrelly

Cast: Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon, Ben Stiller

Filmed partly in Providence, this movie was the highest-grossing comedy in 1998. 

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Federal Hill

1994

Director: Michael Corrente

Cast: Nicholas Turturro, Anthony DeSando, Libby Langdon

Set in Providence's Federal Hill neighborhood, the movie marks the directorial debut of Pawtucket native Michael Corrente.

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Age of Innocence

1993

Director: Martin Scorsese

Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, Winona Ryder

This Oscar winning drama was partly filmed in Portsmouth.  

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True Lies

1994

Director: James Cameron

Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Arnold

The ballroom scenes in the movie were filmed at the Rosecliff Mansion in Newport.

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High Society

1956

Director: Charles Walters

Cast: Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra

Nominated for two Academy Awards, the movie's opening shot features a flyover of Newport’s oceanfront mansions. 

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Thirteen Days

2000

Director: Roger Donaldson

Cast: Kevin Costner, Bruce Greenwood, Steven Culp

This docudrama about the Cuban Missile Crisis was partly shot in Newport. 

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Little Children

2006

Director: Todd Field

Cast: Kate Winslet, Patrick Wilson, Jennifer Connelly, Jackie Earle Haley

Shot partly in Providence, this critically acclaimed drama received three Academy Award nominations, including a Best Lead Actress nod for Kate Winslet.

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RIPD

2013 

Director: Peter M. Lenkov

Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Bacon

A car chase for this action-comedy was filmed in downtown Providence.

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Amistad

1997

Director: Steven Spielberg

Cast: Morgan Freeman, Anthony Hopkins, Dijimon Hounsou, Matthew McConaughey

Shot at the Rosecliff Mansion in Newport and the State House in Providence, this drama received four Academy Award nominations in 1998. 

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Outside Providence

1999

Director: Michael Corrente

Cast: Shawn Hatosy, Amy Smart, Alec Baldwin

Filmed in multiple locations throughout Rhode Island, this movie is an adaptation of Peter Farrelly's 1988 novel of the same name.

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Me, Myself & Irene

2000

Directors: Peter and Bobby Farrelly

Cast: Jim Carrey, Renée Zellweger. Chris Cooper, Robert Forster, Richard Jenkins

Filmed in Newport, Narragansett, Jamestown, and Galilee, this comedy centers on a Rhode Island State Trooper played by Jim Carrey. 

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Evening

2007

Director: Lajos Koltai

Cast: Vanessa Redgrave, Claire Danes, Toni Collette, Meryl Streep

The film was primarily set in Newport and included large portions shot at Gooseberry Beach.

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The Great Gatsby

1974

Director: Jack Clayton

Cast: Robert Redford, Mia Farrow, Sam Waterston, Bruce Dern

This Academy Award-winning drama was filmed in Newport at the Rosecliff Mansion on Bellevue Ave.

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Self Storage

2013

Director: Tom DeNucci

Cast: Eric Roberts, Jonathan Silverman, Michael Berryman, Tom DeNucci

Filmed in a self storage facility in East Greenwich, this horror-comedy marks the directorial debut of Cranston native Tom DeNucci. 

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27 Dresses

2008

Director: Anne Fletcher

Cast: Katherine Heigl, James Marsden, Malin Åkerman, Ed Burns

Shot throughout Rhode Island, locations included the Rosecliff and Marble House mansions in Newport and a beach in Charlestown. 

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Dan in Real Life

2007

Director: Anne Fletcher

Cast: Steve Carell, Juliette Binoche, Dane Cook, Alison Pill

Filmed primarily in Jamestown, the movie also features the Point Judith Lighthouse in Narragansett.

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Hachi: A Dog's Tale

2009

Director: Lasse Hallström

Cast: Richard Gere, Joan Allen, Jason Alexander

Filmed primarily in Bristol and Woonsocket, other locations included the Columbus Theater in Providence and the University of Rhode Island in Kingston. 

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The Education of Charlie Banks

2007

Director: Fred Durst

Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Jason Ritter, Eva Amurri

Shot partially in Brown University in Providence, the movie marks the directorial debut of Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst.

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Meet Joe Black

1998

Director: Martin Brest

Cast: Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Claire Forlani

Warwick's Aldrich Mansion served as the residence of Anthony Hopkins' character in the film. 

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Reversal of Fortune

1990

Director: Barbet Schroeder

Cast: Jeremy Irons, Glenn Close, Ron Silver

Jeremy Irons took home the Oscar for Best Actor for this drama, which was partly shot in Newport.

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Underdog

2007

Director: Frederik Du Chau

Cast: Jason Lee, Peter Dinklage, Patrick Warburton, Amy Adams

Shot entirely in Rhode Island, filming locations included Hope High School on the East Side of Providence.

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Tanner Hall

2009

Directors: Francesca Gregorini, Tatiana von Furstenberg

Cast: Rooney Mara, Georgia King, Brie Larson

Shot in Providence and Newport, the film marks the the directorial debut of Brown University graduates Francesca Gregorini and Tatiana von Furstenberg.

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Dumb and Dumber

1994

Directors: Peter and Bobby Farrelly

Cast: Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Lauren Holly

Scenes from the beginning of this comedy were filmed on location in Providence, including a shot of the Big Blue Bug.

 
 

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