We don’t really know much about Edward Norton’s “Motherless Brooklyn” except three key facts — 1) It is set to screen at fall festivals which include TIFF, NYFF and Telluride 2) it is based on John Lantem’s critically acclaimed novel 3) Lanthem’s novel is set in the 1950s, Norton changed the setting to the 1990s for his film adaptation and 3) Radiohead’s Thom Yorke wrote and performed a song for the movie, which then inspired Norton to add crucial new scenes to his movie.
Thanks to a new interview with Vanity Fair, Norton spilled more beans about “Motherless Brooklyn.” The most pressing quote to be found in the piece is Norton’s explanation as to why he changed the decade:
“Jonathan’s book is this incredible character,” Norton said. “It was set in the late ’90s but it had a quality to it of an anachronistic bubble of acting like ’50s gumshoes. I made the case to Jonathan that film is very literal, and I didn’t think I wanted to make something that felt like irony.”
Vanity Fair also has four first-look images of the film, which opens on November 1st and seems to be primed and ready for Oscar season.