While Billy Bob Thornton is really only known as an actor now, the man actually kicked off his career with a phenomenal directing effort. Writing, directing and starring in 1996's Sling Blade, Thorton actually took home an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay (he wrote the play the film was based on). Since then he's directed two other features that, sadly, either didn't match the quality of his first film or get a proper amount of recognition. Now the cast of his fourth directorial effort, Jane Mansfield's Car, has been announced and it seems as though he is trying to correct both problems at once.
Deadline reports that Robert Duvall, John Hurt, Kevin Bacon, Robert Patrick, Ray Stevenson and John Patrick Amedori have all signed on for Thornton's newest film. Set in 1969, the film is described as a "comedy with dramatic overtone[s]" and centers on a culture clash between two families. Character details are unknown at this time, but the film is being backed by AR Films and is scheduled to begin production in Georgia on June 22.
Color me excited. Thornton has sadly been labeled as the go-to guy when you need someone to play a foul-mouthed asshole, but his early career shows that he really is capable of a lot more. This is a pretty awesome cast that Thornton has set up, and I can only hope that Duvall and Hurt play patriarchs of their respective families and get to go head-to-head. The potential here is endless.
