Shah Rukh Khan's Indo-Hollywood project Xtrme City just got bigger! Martin Scorcese is coming on board the film and most of the credit for that goes to SRK's friend and Ra.One screenwriter Mushtaq Shiekh.
Scorsese will co-produce along with David Weisman. Paul Schrader will direct and is also co-writing the film with Mushtaq. Leonardo Di Caprio will star in the film along with SRK.
Says a source connected to the film, "Mushtaq and Paul have been working on the script for a year now. The two, along with SRK and Paul met in Berlin last year at a meeting coordinated by Shiekh."
Apparently Scorsese has proposed making the film as a fully equal co-production between SRK's company Red Chillies in India and Scorsese's company Sikelia Productions in Hollywood, whereby all creative decisions would be shared equally between SRK and Martin.
"A meeting will happen soon to decide how the Bollywood-Hollywood dream can become reality."
Shiekh confirms, "It's true. We are all elated. This is the best news I have heard in a long time. Martin loved the script and it meant the world to me as the writer of the film along with Paul Schrader.
But when he comes in as the producer of the project, then I am thrilled as it takes the film to another level completely. Inshaallah, all goes well from here onwards. Fingers and all parts of the body crossed."
The source adds that a year ago, Xtrme City looked like it might remain a pipe dream.
"The sheer logistics of merging two great film-making cultures seemed overwhelming, until a secret meeting took place on February 12 at last year's Berlin Film Festival between SRK, Leo, Martin, David, Paul and Karan Johar when Shah Rukh was in Berlin for the world premiere of My Name Is Khan and the H-Town actor-director duo were there for the premiere of their Shutter Island premiere the following night."
Last minute arrangements were promptly made and hours before the MNIK screening. Khan hosted a secret encounter in his Regent Hotel suite.
"The meet-and-greet over coffee was simply intended to break the ice between the international artists who admired and respected each other's work. It quickly turned into a high-energy encounter.
Topics of discussion included Scorsese's love for Bollywood cinema and the need for the preservation of its classic works."
The Xtrme City screenplay was officially presented to SRK, Martin and DiCaprio. "Apparently, the camaraderie evolved from that event. The bonding between the superstars took everyone by surprise."
