It’s no secret that everybody loves Ramin Bahrani. Roger Ebert hailed him as the “director of the decade” back in 2009. He’s been honored at film festivals, received a Guggenheim fellowship, and is pretty much considered by everyone to be an all-around smart guy.
For his next, film 99 Homes, Bahrani will tackle the impenetrable quagmire that is the U.S.’s recent housing collapse. The film already has its star ‐ Andrew Garfield ‐ who will be playing a man who loses his home, but then finds himself a far more horrible situation when the only job he can get is one with the manipulative broker who stole his house away. And, as you can guess from the title of this article, it’ll be megalomaniacal rant virtuoso Michael Shannon who’ll be taking on the part of the broker.
It’s an ideal casting choice. Shannon is the master of being completely unhinged, from Take Shelter’s quiet, subtle crazy to Man of Steel’s constant barrage of screaming and heat vision (and every point between the two). Plus, 99 Homes gives him the opportunity to take his particular brand of psychosis and wrap it in something a little more topical.
And if Shannon ever wants to scream himself hoarse as a Spider-Man villain, he’ll have an in with Garfield. [The Hollywood Reporter]
