Has J.J. Abrams gotten so big that he can be a draw without being much more than a producer? I know Lost and Alias have (or had) their key audiences, but I didn’t see people moving to the theater in droves to see Mission: Impossible III just because of Abrams name. Yet, we’re all fascinated by the trickle of information regarding the “Cloverfield” project, and Abrams is only producing that.
Here’s another one Abrams is only producing: the comedy Morning Glory. The big news is that the picture, which Abrams is producing for Paramount, has picked up a director today according to The Hollywood Reporter, and yet everyone seems latched to the idea that it’s an Abrams picture. And it’s not as if the director announced is a nobody either. Roger Michell is the same man behind Venus and Notting Hill. Okay, maybe both of those appealed to smaller audiences, but he was also behind Changing Lanes. I think my point is made.
Morning Glory, written by Aline Brosh McKenna (The Devil Wears Prada) tells the story of a struggling female news producer who hires a stereotypical anchorman to revive her New York morning news show. Considering the writing and directing talent, I’m betting they start to fall for each other. With Abrams involved, they probably then get yanked apart by moving smoke or an ancient prophesy.
