”Stallone, Van Damme Have ‘Dinner with Andre’”

Los Angeles – Sylvester Stallone and Jean-Claude Van Damme have teamed up to star in Gus Van Sant’s remake of the 1981 thriller, “My Dinner with Andre,” for Universal Pictures.

“Andre” is the story of two men who meet for dinner to engage in stimulating conversation, discussing everything from theater to the meaning of life. Stallone will play the part of Wally Shawn, the eccentric, inquisitive, pasty, balding, stocky New Yorker who drives the dialogue from screen left. Van Damme plays Andre Gregory, a New York playwright who recounts a life-altering spiritual journey.

The original “Andre” was directed by the late Louis Malle, and starred Wallace Shawn and Andre Gregory, who played themselves. Van Sant, who directed the remake of “Psycho” for Universal in 1998, is taking a similar approach to “Andre.” “We’re going to match the original, frame by frame,” Van Sant said of his intention to shoot “Andre” exactly as Malle did in the original, a technique Van Sant famously employed on “Psycho.” “Except this time, we’re doing it right. We’re not going to miss one bite.”

Van Sant has even toyed with the idea of digitizing the faces of actors Shawn and Gregory over those of Stallone and Van Damme, to lend even greater authenticity to the remake. “This movie will look and sound exactly like Malle’s. I want the audience to feel like they’re watching the original on Betamax.”

Executive Producer Dany Wolf, who works with Van Sant for the fourth time in five years, says the casting choice was obvious. “We knew we needed two powerhouses to pull this off. We started with Van Damme, because he just had that Gregory sensibility right from the start. And when (actor/director Woody) Allen backed out, there was only one man left who could play Shawn.”

That man was Stallone, who nets an appetizing $15 million from the project. Van Damme is said to make a bit less, but will take home a script supervisor credit as a gratuity.

“Andre” is slated for production some time next month, with a release date set for early next year. Preliminary estimates put the budget at approximately $225 million, which would make “Andre” the highest-priced item on the all-time movie menu.

Producer Brian Grazer keeps it all in perspective. “Considering what we’re trying to accomplish here, it’s actually rather cheap. I mean, it would be one thing if we just had to shoot in the restaurant. But don’t forget, there’s that exterior shot at the end. You know, when Wally leaves.”