Cillian meets Salvador

Cillian Murphy sure knows how to pick ’em (even though a lot of you hated SUNSHINE, he was one of the best parts in it). The actor has signed on to join newcomer Al Pacino in the Salvador Dali biopic Dali & I: The Surreal Story. I’m not sold on that subtitle (Dali was a noted surrealist) but who cares, it’s just a title, right?

The film by Andrew Niccol (LORD OF WAR, GATTACA) will focus on the latter of part of Dali’s career, between the 60’s and 80’s, when most of his masterpieces are behind him, and he’s known more for his eccentric personality than anything. Murphy will play Stan Lauryssens, an art dealer who becomes Dali’s protege. Dali’s wife Gala, has yet to be cast, but we’ll keep you posted (obv!).

Pacino is the perfect actor to play Dali, based on both looks and charisma, but Niccol is the director who steered him through the disaster that was SIMONE, so here’s hoping the two strike gold the second time around. I know Dali only through photos and his artwork (think melting clocks) as well as his classic surrealist film UN CHIEN ANDALOU, but I have no idea what the man is like as an animated being. And Murphy is the perfect younger foil to the old genius. Shooting starts early next year in Spain and New York.