I introduced my girlfriend to the wonderful ED WOOD earlier this week. She is probably just as big a Tim Burton fan as me but for whatever reason this is that ‘movie that got away’ and is one that she never got round to seeing.

I forgot just how amazing Martin Landau was in this movie, with his great performance as Bela Lugosi in the latter days of his life and career. Just a stunning portrayal of a great man, easily the best of Landau’s long career and it made me intrigued to see more the guy on screen.

Thankfully The Hollywood Reporter have news of a new Landau project. He is to team with another Oscar winning actress Ellen Burstyn for LOVELY STILL, a romantic tale to be helmed by total newcomer Nik Fackler for the Indie studio’s Parts and Labor and Northsea Films.

Fackler has also wrote the script for the holiday fable that tells the story of an elderly grocery store bagger (Landau) who discovers love for the first time with Burstyn’s character. Elizabeth Banks will play her daughter with Adam Scott to play the store owner daughter.

This rookie helmer apparently wrote the script with Landau in mind for the leading role and after several hours, he managed to convince the veteran to star in his picture. Landau is the one that went after Burstyn and the pieces just fell into place soon after.

The two veterans have starred together in the past. In 1994 they appeared in the forgettable comedy THE COLOR OF EVENING but this is the first time they will play the two leads together. This could be a great picture, along the same lines as Henry Fonda and Katherine Hepburn’s ON GOLDEN POND in the early 80’s and might just end up being a tearjerker.