CBS commissions Robin Williams pilot

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 22:45:00 +0000

Robin Williams, who won an Oscar in 1997's "Good Will Hunting," might be moving back to the small screen. THR reports that CBS has commissioned a David E. Kelley pilot starring Williams as an ad exec in a "single-camera comedy" that "revolves around a father-daughter relationship at home." Called "Crazy Ones," the sitcom would star Williams' actual daughter as his character's daughter.

If picked up for a series broadcast, "Crazy Ones" would mark the comedian's first major television project since he starred in ABC's "Mork & Mindy" between 1978 and 1982. He'd also become one of several TV-turned movie stars attempting to boomerang back to their television roots this year, including Michael J. Fox ("Family Ties") and Eddie Murphy ("SNL") -- the latter starring in a pilot remake of "Beverly Hills Cop." (Incidentally, Eddie Murphy is also Hollywood's most overpaid film actors, according to Forbes.)

“Good Will Hunting” starring Morgan Freeman?

Fri, 04 Jan 2013 21:45:00 +0000

As actors Matt Damon and Ben Affleck prepare to team up for another Boston-based movie, this one about kingpin Whitey Bulger, Boston Magazine celebrated their homecoming with a riveting oral history about the original local project that started it all, "Good Will Hunting." The sprawling interview brought together "Good Will Hunting's" original crew, including Damon, Affleck, director Gus Van Sant and others, and illustrated the full, raw drama-behind-the-drama that went on to win two Academy Awards in 1998.

We all know that it started with a first draft that Damon wrote as a thesis when he was at Harvard in the early 90s. But it took several years to get the movie produced, even after most of Hollywood knew the script was gold.

Here's how it happened: Damon moved out to L.A., sleeping on Affleck's floor, where the two hacked out a thriller story, originally writing Robin Williams' character, psychiatrist Sean Maguire, with Morgan Freeman or Robert De Niro in mind:

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CBS commissions Robin Williams pilot

“Good Will Hunting” starring Morgan Freeman?