Oscar winning director Steven Soderbergh said that he was 'stunned' when every single major Hollywood studio passed on making his Liberace film 'Behind the Candelbra' because studios thought it was 'too gay'
From MSN Entertainment.
The upcoming "Behind the Candelebra" has Michael Douglas in a compulsively watchable performance as the celebrated singer, Matt Damon as his young lover, and Soderbergh directing. It comes, in other words, from a trio of in-demand A-listers. So why isn't it a theatrical release?
"Nobody would make it. We went to everybody in town," the "Traffic" and "Oceans 11" director told TheWrap on Friday, at the Television Critics Association winter press tour. "We needed $5 million. Nobody would do it."
Wait a minute, we said. Let us get this straight: No studio would budget $5 million for a movie with Damon and Douglas?
"They said it was too gay. Everybody. This was after 'Brokeback Mountain,' by the way.
Which is not as funny as this movie. I was stunned. It made no sense to any of us."
Still, he said, he's glad the film ended up on HBO.
"They're great and they're really good at what they do, and ultimately I think more people will see it, and that's all you care about," Soderbergh said. "Studios were going, 'We don't know how to sell it. They were scared.'"
Okay. But seriously: He was able to get a theatrical release for "The Girlfriend Experience," starring porn actress Sasha Grey, but not with Damon and Douglas?
"Well, for a million-and-a-half bucks," he said, referring to the "Girlfriend Experience" budget.
But that's not that far from $5 million.
"Yeah, I was surprised," he said.
