On Monday we joined many others in writing that
Sandra Bullock has signed on to her first movie since winning an Oscar,
an action-comedy at Universal titled "Most Wanted" on which she'll
reunite with Ryan Reynolds and the creative team from
The news was greeted with a flurry of reaction, including own own
that the film seemed like an unusual priority for someone who had just
finished reinventing herself, at least to a certain degree, as a more
serious dramatic actress.
On Tuesday her representatives made clear that the film wasn't a priority after all.
In
a statement to 24 Frames, Bullock's agent made a point of noting that
"Most Wanted" was in very early development and that Bullock would most
certainly shoot something else before this movie, if she shoots it at
all. "[Bullock] is simply attached to the project, which is currently in
development. This is not her next film,” said Creative Artists Agency
managing partner Kevin Huvane, who represents the actress. Indeed, the
project is a pitch with no script -- writer Peter Chiarelli will set
about writing it now -- and if that script comes in and doesn't meet
with Bullock's approval, the actress has a clear out not to make the
film.

Huvane went on to leave the door open even more. "There are several
projects of many different genres that Ms. Bullock is presently
considering and has not committed to any of them at this time.
"The next project that will follow her Oscar will be chosen carefully and with a great deal of thought," he added.
Part
of the response seemed like the typical agency reaction to a casting
leak. Representatives often downplay an attachment because they want to
avoid looking like a client is getting booked up, thus scaring off other
studios and producers with whom they are in discussions.
But
there is a sense that something deeper was going on -- a sense that
Bullock and her team genuinely want to to do something more than just
replicate a success they've already had, and emphasizing "Most Wanted"
flies in the face of that goal.
Of course, it's still fair to
analyze that attempted replication -- this is, after all, the first
attachment for Bullock since she won an Oscar, and the microscope always
comes out for that. It's just that, with another higher-priority
attachment coming down the road, the microscope may have reason to come
out again
--Steven Zeitchik