Todd Solondz WIENER-DOG, his 20-years-later follow up to WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE, is amassing a cast that keeps getting more and more impressive.
He already had Greta Gerwig and Julie Delpy, two indie darlings with undeniable street cred, and now, he’s also got Brie Larson, Zosia Mamet, Danny DeVito, Kieran Culkin, Ellen Burstyn, and playwright/actor Tracy Letts (KILLER JOE, AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY).
It’s important to note that Solondz’ last two movies, LIFE DURING WARTIME and DARK HORSE, both boasted formidable casts, but I don’t think either of them had this potent a combination of rising talent and proven A-listers.
We still don’t have many specifics about this film, which will feature several stories revolving around the titular dachshund (and not neccessarily Weiner Dawn, who was referred to as such in DOLLHOUSE), but of course we can assume some of these actors will have bigger roles than others.
Solondz completely recast his HAPPINESS characters when he did the sequel to that, and I’m wondering if any of these actors will be playing characters we already encountered in DOLLHOUSE. Maybe one of the young ladies is playing the grown-up version of Dawn’s sister, Missy? And wouldn’t Mamet, so mannered and winning on GIRLS, make an adorable Dawn (forgetting that PALINDROMES established, however briefly, that she’s killed herself)?
I have yet to be disappointed by a Solondz jam (though DARK HORSE came the closest), and considering how he’s used folks like Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Alison Janney, and Christopher Walken over the years, I’m excited to see what he does with these fine folks. Count on seeing at least some of them doing some weird, fucked up shit.
