Malick's brave 'New World'

Reclusive director of 'Days of Heaven' explores 17th century clash of cultures

By STEVE CHAGOLLAN

The announcement of a new Terrence Malick picture elicits the same kind of excited anticipation among cineastes that Stanley Kubrick's films did before his death in 1999. Malick, whose reclusiveness would give J.D. Salinger a run for the money, has averaged one feature every eight years as a director, compared with Kubrick's one in four.

So there was a collective sigh of disappointment when Malick in March abruptly walked off a planned biopic of Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara, who was to be played by Benicio Del Toro. Film was to be produced by the "Trafiic" team of Steven Soderbergh and Laura Bickford.

But one project's loss was another's gain, as New Line proved the beneficiary of Malick's decision to shoot "The New World" instead, based on his script.

Producer Sarah Green brought the project to New Line exec VP of production Mark Ordesky, who also runs Fine Line. Malick, who expressed the need for more prep time for "Che's" Bolivian shoot, had committed to a July start for "New World," about the relationship between John Smith and Pocahontas and the cultural clashes, that ensued between Native Americans and European explorers.

Colin Farrell will play Smith and 14-year-old newcomer Q'Orianka Kilcher will play Pocahontas. A descendant of the Huachipaeri and Quechua tribes of South America, Kilcher landed the role after an eight-month search. Christan Bale will play an English tobacco planter, while David Thewlis fills the role of a rival captain.

This is just the kind of prestige event picture for which Ordesky was promoted to oversee for New Line's production team, headed by Toby Emmerich. Ordesky; Emmerich; and Rolf Mittweg, president and chief operating officer, worldwide distribution and marketing, will each take exec producer credits.

The deal was hammered out as recently as March, when Malick was in Los Angeles to meet with New Line co-chair Bob Shaye, Mittweg, Emmerich and Green. The film will cost just north of $30 million and is considered a negative pickup for New Line, which retains global rights.

"When we gave the script to New Line, Rolf was the first to express his enthusiasm for the project," says Green. "If someone in Mittweg's position personally gets excited about a project, I know they'll do a better job in distributing and selling the film."

While it's still too early to elaborate on the campaign for "New World," New Line is planning -- in its unique tradition -- promotions and tie-ins for the film. Pic's November 2005 release date borders on the 2007 quadricentennial of the Jamestown settlement.

In the meantime, Soderbergh will direct "Che," which, at last report, was set to start shooting this month.

(Anthony D'Alessandro contributed to this report.)