Antonio Banderas to star in Indie biopic of Salvador Dali

by Matt Holmes

We are back to dueling Hollywood productions once again. Variety today carry the news that Antonio Banderas will star as eccentric painter Salvador Dali in an Independent biopic to be directed by Simon West who is also producing with Jib Polhemus. That director/producer combo gave us LARA CROFT: TOMB RAIDER in 2001. West has been developing the project quielty since 2003, when he optioned Jeremy Walter script for mid-low to six figures. Shooting will begin on DALI in early 2009 in Spain and England.

Film will blend music with CGI sequences in an effort to capture the inventiveness and color of the painter. Story will explore how Dali conquered America and the world with sex, sin and surrealism only to succumb later to worldwide scandal and misfortune. The project will focus not only on Dali's outrageous lifestyle but his lifelong love affair with Gala, his wife, muse and manipulative manager. Media 8 is handling worldwide sales, with pre-sales beginning this week at the American Film Market.
A number of Salvador Dali productions are already in production. The biggest is the movie Al Pacino (as Dali) and Cillian Murphy (as his protage) are readying to star in DALI & I: THE SURREAL STORY from director Andrew Niccol (LORD OF WAR, S1M0NE, GATTACA). Elsewhere, TWILIGHT actor Robert Pattinson will star as Dali in the upcoming movie LITTLE ASHES which chronicles the lives of Dali, film-maker Luis Bunuel and writer Federico Garcia Lorca. Shooting will begin in early 2009 in Spain and England.
Editor-in-chief
Editor-in-chief

Matt Holmes is the co-founder of What Culture, formerly known as Obsessed With Film. He has been blogging about pop culture and entertainment since 2006 and has written over 10,000 articles.