Yes, that’s Billy Zane beneath those prosthetics.
The “Titanic” alum is unrecognizable as late star Marlon Brando in the first trailer for biopic “Waltzing for Brando.” The feature, written and directed by Bill Fishman, is based on a memoir by Bernard Judge.
The film takes place between 1969 and 1974, with Brando readying to shoot “The Godfather” and “Last Tango in Paris.” During that time, the actor purchased an uninhabitable island in Tahiti and recruited Los Angeles architect Judge, portrayed by Jon Heder, to build the world’s first ecologically friendly retreat.
Richard Dreyfuss, “Emily in Paris” star Camille Razat, Alaina Huffman, Tia Carrere, and James Jagger co-star in the film, which is now seeking a buyer.
The film will close the Torino Film Festival and play the Tahoe Film Festival. Prior to its world premiere, “Waltzing for Brando” was picked up by VMI Worldwide for foreign sales.
Billed as a comedy, “Waltzing for Brando” is produced by Fishman, Zane, Dean Bloxom, Doug Dearth, and Brett Kerr.
And “Waltzing for Brando” isn’t the only Brando biopic on the 2024 festival circuit: Matt Dillon portrays Brando in “Being Maria,” about the making of Bernardo Bertolucci’s controversial “Last Tango in Paris.” Anamaria Vartolomei portrays Maria Schneider in Jessica Palud’s film, which debuted at Cannes. Not to be confused with Pablo Larraín‘s Maria Callas biopic of the same name, this “Maria” follows Schneider’s life after starring in “Last Tango in Paris” at age 19, during which she filmed an unscripted rape scene with Brando in 1973 at director Bertolucci’s (Giuseppe Maggio) instruction.
The film is based on Vanessa Schneider’s 2023 memoir “My Cousin Maria Schneider,” which was translated by Molly Ringwald. According to the memoir, Bertolucci did not tell Schneider the full extent of the film’s plot until right before production. Schneider allegedly was unaware of the pivotal scene in which Brando’s character anally rapes her character using a stick of butter as a lubricant. Schneider died in 2011. Bertolucci later conceded that he didn’t tell Schneider about the use of butter because he wanted to get a “spontaneous reaction” out of the actress, denying that she wasn’t aware of the violence to be done to her onscreen.
Director Luca Guadagnino recently told IndieWire that he is finishing up a Bertolucci documentary that will address the issues around “Last Tango.” “We tried to put at rest the silly idea of the controversy around Bernardo because it’s kind of misguided,” said Guadagnino.
“Waltzing for Brando” premieres in 2025. Check out the trailer below.