‘Barrymore’ with Christopher Plummer to hit movie theaters in fall

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We know what seductive things actor Christopher Plummer said to his Oscar statue this year at the Academy Awards. Now imagine what sweet nothings he’d murmur to a second Oscar, if he got the chance.

The octogenarian actor, who won for his portrayal of Ewan McGregor’s late-blooming father in ‘Beginners,’ could be a contender again with ‘Barrymore,’ the movie focusing on the acting legend that is set to run in U.S. theaters this fall. Plummer won a 1997 Tony Award for his turn as John Barrymore in the Broadway play written by William Luce. (No word on what Plummer cooed to that lucky award, though it should be noted that it’s just a boring old medallion, not a man.)

Directed and adapted by Erik Canuel, the high-definition movie capturing Plummer’s performance with multiple cameras was done over seven days on location and on the stage during a limited run at the Elgin Theater in Toronto.

The 90-minute movie, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in September 2011, is set in 1942 when Barrymore finds himself no longer a going concern at the U.S. box office. To get a little taste of the old magic, Barrymore rents a grand old theater to rehearse his 1920 Broadway hit, ‘Richard III,’ which sends him on a tour through the highs and lows of his life.

‘Barrymore’ also features John Plumpis as Frank, the prompter, an off-stage voice in the play. In addition to U.S. theaters, producers said Tuesday that the movie will be shown at cinemas in Canada beginning in May and in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and other countries in October.

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-- Margaret Wappler