Short Cuts

New projects from Shane Meadows, Mike Leigh, Robert Altman and others revealed.

Jan 12 2005

It looks like 2005 will be a busy year for some of Time Out's favourite directors. Here's what just a few of them are up to...

Shane Meadows will follow the brilliant 'Dead Man's Shoes' with 'Le Donk', a low-budget rockumentary starring regular collaborator Paddy Considine. Meadows is writing the script now, with a shoot to follow in February.

Former Skids frontman Richard Jobson ('16 Years of Alcohol') launches into his third feature film as director this month. He will shoot 'A Woman in Winter' – 'a sensual ghost story set in Gothic Edinburgh' – in Scotland with Jamie Sives and Susan Lynch.

Jim Jarmusch is currently editing his latest, still untitled feature, which stars Bill Murray. Set in New Jersey, Murray plays a middle-aged playboy who revisits the scenes of his childhood.

Following the stunning success of 'Vera Drake', Mike Leigh's next project will be a play, not a film. He's casting now, and the production (the details of which are shrouded in secrecy) will hit the National Theatre this autumn.

And finally, Time Out's latest issue features a celebration of Robert Altman at 80, and over the course of an extensive interview, the great man spilled the beans regarding future plans: 'The next, which is currently called 'A Prairie Home Companion', is set during a broadcast of the Garrison Keillor radio show, and we'll fill it with characters; apart from Garrison, there's Lily Tomlin, Meryl Streep, Lyle Lovett, lots of people… Garrison has an enormous audience, but they're not moviegoers. We're trying to get them out into movie-houses, as Mel Gibson did with his Jesus picture.'

And if you like the sound of that, there's a full six pages of Altman goodness in this week's issue of Time Out London January 12-19. Issue No.1795.