Taymor's "Across the Universe" Gets Sept. 28 Release After Toronto Film Fest

By Kenneth Jones
August 3, 2007

Julie Taymor's "Across the Universe," the movie musical that borrows songs from the Beatles catalog to tell a Vietnam-era tale of friends and lovers, will get its world premiere at the 32nd annual Toronto International Film Festival, Variety reported.

The festival runs Sept. 6-15. Taymor is the lauded Tony Award-winning designer and stage director of The Lion King — plus operas, films and unique theatre pieces such as Juan Darien.

Spiked with hallucinatory images (if the movie trailers are any indication), "Across the Universe" stars Jim Sturgess and Evan Rachel Wood and features live action, special effects and animation to help paint the colors of the turbulent times.

Bono plays Dr. Robert and Eddie Izzard is Mr. Kite in the picture from Revolution Studios.

The film made headlines in post-production when the studio chiefs took the project away from Taymor and re-cut it. The U.S. and U.K. release is set for Sept. 28.

The screenplay is by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais ("The Commitments").

Woody Allen's new film, "Cassandra's Dream," will get its North American premiere at the Toronto Film Fest. Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell play brothers who turn to crime. The score is by Philip Glass. A Nov. 30 release is expected.