Credits: It's all for one and one for all
Helmer makes surprise appearance in the end
Who would have guessed that Todd Phillips would show up as an exec producer on Sony's "All the King's Men"? The comedy writer-director isn't exactly the first person you'd think of in relation to old-school Southern politics.
But, in fact, it all began on the set of "Old School," which Phillips directed and co-wrote. He and Democratic political operative James Carville, who made a cameo appearance in that film, were both big fans of Robert Penn Warren's "All the King's Men." In fact, Carville and Bill Clinton had long mulled a possible remake of the 1949 adaptation.
Scott Budnick, who is exec VP of the Todd Phillips Co., loved the tome, too, and went to producer Mike Medavoy, who in turn went to Sony, which owned film rights to the book.
Phillips and Carville, who also takes an exec producing credit, did some early consulting.
All told, the pic has seven exec producers, four producers and one co-producer (Budnick).
Crowded billings have become the norm in Hollywood, so much so that Focus Features topper James Schamus pointed out how unusual it was that "Hollywoodland" has just one producer: Glen Williamson of Back Lot Pictures.
"After the premiere of 'Hollywoodland,' the party was at the Beverly Hills Hotel," Williamson says. "I didn't have my ticket, so told the person at the door that I was the producer. She said, 'One of how many?' I laughed to myself and kept going. These are the times we live in."
