Big Eyes Information

Big Eyes is an upcoming 2014 American biographical drama film directed by Tim Burton and starring Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz. The film, focusing on American artist Margaret Keane (Adams), whose work was fraudulently claimed in the 1950s and 1960s by her then-husband, Walter Keane (Waltz), tells the story of their heated divorce trial wherein Margaret accused Walter of stealing her paintings. The film is scheduled to be released on December 25, 2014, by The Weinstein Company.

Plot

Margaret Keane's work as an artist became phenomenally successful in the 1950s, but she was given no recognition for her work. Her husband, Walter Keane, claimed to be the artist and became a national celebrity and talk show fixture in the 1950s after he pioneered the mass production of prints of big-eyed kids, and used his marketing savvy to sell them cheaply in hardware stores and gas stations across the United States. Margaret generated the paintings from their basement and Walter's contribution was adding his signature to the bottom. The ruse broke up their marriage, and when she tried to make it known that she authored the paintings, they ended up in a court battle after she found that Walter took the paintings without permission. The case culminated in a dramatic courtroom showdown.

Cast

• Amy Adams as Margaret Keane
  • Madeleine Arthur as young Margaret Keane
• Christoph Waltz as Walter Keane
• Krysten Ritter as DeAnn
• Danny Huston as Reporter Dick Nolan
• Terence Stamp as John Canaday
• Jason Schwartzman as Ruben
• Jon Polito as Enrico Banducci

Production

Writers Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski negotiated over the life rights with Margaret Keane and wrote Big Eyes as a spec script. In October 2007, it was announced that development was moving forward with Alexander and Karaszewski directing their script and nightclub operator Andrew Meieran fully financing an under-$20 million budget through his Bureau of Moving Pictures banner. Kate Hudson and Thomas Haden Church were set to star, and filming was to begin in June 2008, but was pushed back over prospects from a new Screen Actors Guild contract.

In September 2010, it was announced that Tim Burton had joined Big Eyes as a producer, and filming was scheduled to start in April 2012 with Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Reynolds attached to star. By 2013, Burton had taken over directing reins and Big Eyes was set up at The Weinstein Company with Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz starring. Filming began in July 2013.

Reception

Big Eyes has received positive reviews from early critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a rating of 75%, based on 12 reviews, with an average rating of 6/10. On Metacritic, the film has a score of 58 out of 100, based on 5 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".

See also

• "Big Eyes" (Lana Del Rey song)