Matt Damon and Michael Douglas starring
in the Liberace biopic will begin filming next summer in Los Angeles,
Las Vegas and Palm Springs.
The movie on the life of the flamboyant
pianist is based on a script by Richard LaGravenese (Water for
Elephants), which is based on Scott Thorson's book Behind the
Candelabra: My Life With Liberace.
Thorson, who'll be played by Damon
(Contagion) in the film now titled Behind
the Candelabra, is the alleged lover of Liberace. Douglas
(Wall Street) will play Liberace. Acclaimed director Steven
Soderbergh will direct the film and Jerry Weintraub will executive
produce. Soderbergh has said he's considering retiring after the
project's completion.
HBO Films has picked up the project.
“This is a story that's going to
surprise a lot of people,” HBO Films President Len Amato said in a
statement. “It's funny, heartbreaking and always fascinating, and
we are delighted that Jerry and Steven brought the film to HBO. With
Steven at the helm, directing such accomplished actors as Michael
Douglas and Matt Damon, this is a dream project for us.”
“From the inception of this project,
we've had two priorities: getting it right creatively, and getting as
many people as possible to see it,” said Soderbergh. “HBO's
fearless approach to original programming and their unparalleled
ability to pull in viewers make them the perfect fit for us.”