Mumbai, Jan 20 (IANS): Legendary silent film star Buster Keaton is getting a biographical limited series made on him and if everything goes well, Rami Malek will be seen essaying the role of Keaton, who revolutionised the use of real time stunts in filmmaking.
Warner Bros. Television is in talks to develop a limited series and 'The Batman' director Matt Reeves would direct the limited series and produce via his 6th and Idaho Productions banner, reports 'Variety'.
Malek and David Weddle also produce, with Ted Cohen in talks to serve as executive producer and writer. James Curtis' 2022 biography 'Buster Keaton: A Filmmaker's Life' may serve as source material for the series, as the studio is negotiating the rights for the book.
As per 'Variety', Keaton, who lived from 1895 to 1966, is thought of as one of the most prominent stars of the silent film era aside from Charlie Chaplin. He got his start as a child in vaudevile acts alongside his parents, who were travelling performers, before transitioning into film in the late 1910s. Keaton's first movie was Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle's silent comedy 'The Butcher Boy'.
Working with high ranking creatives and executives including Douglas Fairbanks, Joseph M. Schenck and Edward F. Cline, he became known for performing exaggerated stunts and physical comedy with a deadpan facial expression. After forming Buster Keaton Productions with Schenck, he also began directing, with his best known films including 'Sherlock Jr.', 'Steamboat Bill, Jr.' and 'Our Hospitality'.
'Variety' further states that Keaton also went on to work under deals at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Columbia Pictures as well as various independent producers.
Malek is best known for starring as Elliot Alderson in 'Mr. Robot' from 2015 to 2019 as well as for playing Freddie Mercury in Bryan Singer's 2018 biopic 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. The latter earned him the best actor award at several awards shows including the Oscars. Malek's other credits include 'The War at Home', 'The Pacific', 'Short Term 12,' 'Papillon' and 'No Time to Die'.