David Koresh says 'Waco' still swirling

That's actually John Leguizamo, who is set to portray David Koresh in Waco, the movie about the seige on Mount Carmel near Waco. In an interview this month, he describes the film as "still in the development process." Recent reports had it filming soon in Detroit utilizing Michigan's film incentives. The cast--if this controversial film ever gets made--is expected to include Kurt Russell, Adrien Brody and Sharon Stone.

Could Sid the Sloth really play Koresh in 'Waco'?

I haven't heard much from the semi-controversial Waco flick about the Branch Davidian raid lately. Now I see the cast has gotten very interesting: Adrien Brody as Steve Schneider, Kurt Russell as FBI guy Byron Sage (whom I actually met as a reporter prior to the Branch Davidian seige), Sharon Stone as Judy Schneider and John Leguizamo as, perhaps, could it be ... David Koresh? No confirmation on the last one but he could perhaps pull it off. He is listed as in the cast without a role stated. Very interesting.

Last I heard they were looking to make the film in Louisiana.

Turns out Texas is not alone in film content clause

A provision in the Texas film incentives program barring funding for films that portray the state in a negative light has brought some recent controversy, specifically involving a fictional take on the real-life events at the Branch Davidian compound in Waco and, to a much lesser extent with Robert Rodiguez's Machete.

Now The New York Times tells us other states are getting in on the act. What nixes funding in Michigan? Cannibals, my friends.

'Waco' film to shoot in Louisiana?

That's what Charles Ealy reports from the Cannes Film Festival. He says filming could start in a few months.

Ealy writes on the Austin American-Statesman's blog:

The news comes a year after a dispute erupted in Cannes over whether the movie would qualify for state incentives. At the time, Bob Hudgins of the Texas Film Commission said that Entertainment 7, the production company, need not apply for incentives because they would not be approved, citing what he called inaccuracies in the script about the government raid on the David Koresh compound near Waco.

Ferrari received the news about the Texas incentives during the festival last year and strongly rejected the contention of script inaccuracies.

On Thursday, Ferrari said that Kurt Russell has been cast to play Byron Sage, the key FBI agent at the siege of the Branch Davidian compound, which left 54 adults and 21 children dead.

Sage was one of the key sources for the Texas Film Commission’s determination that the script was inaccurate.

Other cast members include Adrien Brody as Koresh’s right-hand man, Steve Schneider, and Sharon Stone as Judy Schneider, his wife. The role of Koresh has not been cast yet, Ferrari said.

'Waco' film on track with Kurt Russell, Adrien Brody, Sharon Stone?

That's what Production Weekly tweeted:

Kurt Russell, Adrian (sic) Brody & Sharon Stone attached to Rupert Wainwright's "Waco," which plans to film this fall.

It's the story of David Koresh and the 1993 Branch Davidian raid in Waco. (Should I mention I have a big box of Koresh sermons on cassette tape sitting next to me as I type this? They fell into my hands recently...) Take it for what it's worth since they didn't even bother to spell Brody's name correctly.

The big question is where it will film, since Bob Hudgins of the Texas Film Commission said the film will not qualify for film incentives, a stance that led to this recent "award" from a civil liberties group. Hudgins questions the facts as presented in the script based on a review by people portrayed in the film by name.

I talked to director Rupert Wainwright last year when the film got its share of free publicity over the incentives flap. "We have spent a lot more time investigating this story than the head of the film commission of Texas has," he said then.

Wainwright and co-writer James Hibberd, a University of Texas grad now writing for The Hollywood Reporter, also scoured court transcripts and brought on documentarian Michael McNulty (Waco: The Rules of Engagement) as a consultant.

Wainwright went so far as to hint that unnamed federal officials had put pressure on Texas officials to quash the film. That's a charge Hudgins flatly denied.

It's a film standoff that points to the vagueness of the content clause, added in 2007 by Sen. Steve Ogden, R-Bryan, in response to the film Glory Road, which some say exaggerated racism within college basketball.

Should 'Waco' film get Texas incentives?

That's the subject of my latest Dallas Morning News SHOT IN TEXAS column. Your thoughts?