Update! Fifth Beatle movie blog entry by its creator Vivek

CASTING BRIAN / A LIFE OF ITS OWN
September 26, 2008 - 08:45am

I’ve just returned from a first round of serious U.K. casting sessions where I met numerous actors interested in the role of Brian Epstein. A second-round process will take place in November, and I fully expect we will have the lead cast by the end of this year!

Looking back on this Blog, it strikes me how much has happened since we began this project, almost 3 years ago… Several past entries begin with “In Memory Of” noting that we have lost friends and partners along the way. And many of you will remember that we were hoping to debut the film in Liverpool by the end of this year, as a Capital of Culture 2008 event… and of course that’s not happening…

“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans” indeed.

And that is, really, what’s happened here. “The Fifth Beatle” has taken on a life of its own.

The film started as my passion project– and to be sure, it’s still very much that. But now it’s so much more, and it represents something important to so many other people– its family has grown along the way despite some tough losses, it’s taken more gestation than expected to develop all aspects properly, it’s been both magical and elusive narrowing in on our “perfect” Brian… but it’s also closer than ever to entering a new stage of life altogether…

So stay tuned– the next several months and 2009 have a lot in store for us… And thanks to everyone who’s reading this, for being a part of this life of its own.

Vivek J. Tiwary
writer/director

Read this and much more at the official website ~ FifthBeatleMovie.com

Brian Epstein has a Facebook!

…and it’s not run by me, but I did add it to my Facebook.

Go there…

Who would YOU like to see portrayed in The Fifth Beatle movie?

In this board of the forum,
regarding characters who might be in The Fifth Beatle movie
(other than Brian Epstein and The Beatles themselves)
I submitted this guesslist off the top of my head
(since I am not privy to the script) ~~

*Early Days* Harry and Queenie Clive Epstein Joe Flannery Sam Leach Vera Brown Bob Wooler Allan Williams Sonia Seligson … (stagename: Stevens) Rita Harris Alistair Taylor Cilla Black Gerry Marsden

*Beatlemania Days* Cyn, Mo, Pattie, Jane Neil Aspinall Mal Evans Alf Bicknell Derek Taylor Ed Sullivan Tony Bramwell Tony Barrow Brian Sommerville Murray the K Larry Kane Dizz Gillespie Nat Weiss

*Brian’s Last Year* Alma Cogan Lionel Bart Clive’s wife Barbara … and baby Joanna Dr Norman Cowan Joanne (Newfield) Petersen Peter Brown Geoffrey Ellis the “rent boys” … who showed up too late Bryan Barrett Dr John Gallway Jimi Hendrix

Jonathan (with the movie) posted a little teaser for your response!
Unless dealing with this would make you think too much…. ;P
Here it is:

Hi everybody,

Good to see some new members signing up for the boards.

I’d be happy to drop some clues on some other characters that are in the script, but I’d love to see everybody else’s thoughts first.

Who would you like to see in Brian’s story? Who do you think deserves to be there?

~Jonathan

The Eppylover is burning with curiosity now!

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Will the movie get Brian Epstein horribly wrong?

In response to an inquiry in this Beatlepics comment ~
LJ user Salonia said:

“…do you know anymore about this Hollywood movie about Eppy? That sounds great, but I hope they don’t get it horribly wrong like, overly nasty, punk John, pushy Paul who’s the only one that wants them in suits, etc.

And the thing with Brian’s personal life. I hope they don’t emphasise that, especially the masochism. Also I’d hate to see them depicting Brian’s homosexuality as the ONLY reason he wanted to manage the Beatles. Because that would be WRONG.

I’m really anal about these things. If they are going to do a film I hope the producers and director do their homework, and don’t try to appeal to the LCD.”

So, since I don’t wish to overwhelm somebody else’s Brian pics post with the following (which would take at least two comments to fit), I shall put it here for everyone:

Thanks, Salonia! You and I are of the same mindset about the movie. Vivek and Jonathan (Vivek’s “Mr Fixit” who deals directly with me) and the rest of the crew are not yet divulging the script/plot etc. (even to me) for fear of certain factors undermining their efforts (wha? dirty dealings in the entertainment business? unheard of! LOL), or the wrong kind of publicity/rumours being spread, etc. ~~ but Vivek is very respectful and devoted to (in love with!) Brian Epstein, so I trust he will not stoop to making him an undignified character.

Besides the various things he’s written elsewhere, there are two pieces of writing that make me believe he’s NOT going to get nasty and tabloidy.
One is the intro to his blog:

INTRODUCTION
November 29, 2005 – 2:00pm
I suppose my unrequited love affair with the Brian Epstein story began some 10-12 years ago, when I decided that music management was the area of the music industry I was most interested in pursuing. I had been a lifelong Beatles fan, so I thought that it was the smart/right thing to do, if I was planning on going into artist management, to study the management of the band that had wrote and re-wrote the rules of the modern music industry as I saw it…

What I unearthed after much difficult research (there is a paltry amount of information readily available on Brian, which is part of why I want to bring his story to the world) was not just an inspirational business story and a blueprint for what I want to accomplish with my music company StarPolish (www.starpolish.com), but also a very human story– a story about staggering success, steadfast determination, and a desire to change the world; a story about love and being an outsider and belonging; a story about speed and ambition and tragedy. A story full of music and dreams. A story I could relate to– and wanted to relate to– on so many levels. Brian became my “historical mentor”, if you will. A person from whose history I’ve tried to learn from– both what to do and what NOT to do. Brian was certainly a flawed and imperfect hero, but a hero all the same.

So with “The Fifth Beatle” I’ve tried to capture what I think is the essence of the man– the poetry and inspiration and feeling behind the Brian Epstein story. I’ll make no illusion about presenting an absolute “truth”. The entertainment business is one of professional fabulations after all. That conflicting and selective memories and information exist is to be expected. Trying to uncover the “truth” is a fool’s task. But I have tried to remain faithful to facts and history, while also using fantasy and dreams to convey this fantastic yarn, as only fantasy and dreams can do.

…plus that makes it so much more fun!

In this blog, then, I’ll try to tell the story behind my story and this film, and talk about Brian, about why I’m doing this, and about how the film is being developed. You’ll get current production updates and screenwriting notes, as well as flashbacks from my personal diaries (e.g. my first trip to Liverpool, meeting some of the living cast of characters, etc.). I hope you like it, and I hope it’ll spark some discussion. Brian was a complex man, and this is a complex story and a complex project. So visit the forum and chime in with any thoughts, reflections, opinions, whatever. See you again soon…

Vivek J. Tiwary
Writer/Director/Producer

And the other one is the Rolling Stone article, which said, in part:

Among those Tiwary interviewed for the film were Epstein’s former business partner Nat Weiss and his former assistant Joanne Peterson, who has been at work on a book called There’s a Beatle in My Closet, which allegedly claims that Epstein had an affair with a member of the band. Based on his research, Tiwary believes Epstein was attracted to all the Beatles, in particular John Lennon, but he doesn’t buy into — nor does his script dramatize — such an affair. “Epstein would have none of something like that,” he says, “if only because it would have been so unprofessional.”

The script also deals with Epstein’s death by overdose of the drug Carbital (sp). Although there has been much speculation that it was a suicide, Tiwary stands by the official explanation, that it was an accidental overdose. He notes that the drug buildup was gradual, and that it would have been uncharacteristic for such a meticulous businessman to take his life without leaving a will.

BTW, regarding that Rolling Stone article, they got one thing wrong ~ that “Beatles music will not be an element.” Vivek says he has not ruled out the possibility of Beatle tunes ~ however, he does want to emphasize that is is Brian’s story and not just another Beatle thing.

Vivek says he will start revealing details when the time is right and it doesn’t jeopardize the progress of his production.

And this, your faithful eppylover’s LJ, will, in turn, make sure you get the word!

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