City of Films

The Hero Complex Festival was in LA and after an HD screening of Dick Tracy, Warren Beatty announced that the movie would be coming to Blu-Ray, and that a sequel is also on the way.  “I’m gonna make another one” he said to applause and endless questions where he followed up by saying “I think it’s dumb talking about movies before you make them. I just don’t do it. It gives you the perfect excuse to avoid making them.” So don’t hold your breath basically.  Other interesting points from his appearance (thanks to AICN) are below:

- A Blu-Ray for Dick Tracy is in the works.   As for any possible “making of” for Dick Tracy on Blu-Ray? Beatty doesn’t see the point. He wants to let the film speak for itself.

- Pacino wasn’t the first choice for the main bad guy. Beatty was having trouble getting this actor and just happened to be having lunch in Burbank when he sees Pacino. He goes over, tells him his casting troubles and describes the part and asks who he’d cast. Pacino says he’ll think on it and calls the next day asking, “Are you serious about wanting me to play this part?” Beatty responded, “Well, I am now!”

- The day they filmed the interrogation scene between Tracy and Mumbles Hoffman had a fever of 102 and it was the day after winning his Oscar.

- Dick Tracy was a big financial success, costing “in the upper 30s” and did well over $100 million domestically in its day. Also made over $60 million on home video. Of which Beatty got a chunk. “I was very happy with my chunk,” he said with a grin.

- Beatty has always had final cut on his directorial efforts.

- Jeffrey Katzenberg was extremely supportive during Dick Tracy and tried to get Beatty to do a sequel right afterwards. Beatty said he didn’t want to do a sequel, he was preparing Bugsy at the time.

- Recalled a story of sitting in a screening room with a Catholic church representative/censor and going over a shot of Faye Dunaway running down steps in Bonnie & Clyde. They ran it back maybe 16 times because the censor could swear he could see her breast when in fact it was just her blouse.

- When pressed, Beatty said that early Disney animated movies spurned his love of cinema. Except for one in particular. “Fantasia scared the hell out of me!” But he loved Bambi as a small child. He also liked Laurel and Hardy.