26/09/2002 - Iberian Oscar winner steps down from 3-part Antonioni and Wong Kar Wai triptych entitled Eros and Steven Soderberg steps in

Pedro Almodovar has stepped down from a three-part film project called Eros. The Oscar winning Spanish director was to have directed one episode of a film based on a collection of short stories written by veteran Italian film director, Michelangelo Antonioni entitled “Quel bowling sul Tevere” and published by Einaudi. The Oscar winning American director, Steven Soderberg, will replace him. Antonioni himself directed the first part, Il filo pericoloso delle cose, with China’s Wong Kar Wai scheduled to direct the second in February 2003.
The announcement was made by Antonioni’s wife, Enrica Fico, during yesterday’s (26 Sept) press conference in Rome Town Hall to present the city’s tribute to Michelangelo Antonioni on his 90th birthday, which falls on 28 September. The event includes a number of free-of-charge screenings of the Master’s most significant films.
It appears that Almodovar encountered insurmountable difficulties in the screenwriting phase. All is not lost however, since the eclectic Iberian may well decide to direct an appendix to the triptych.

(Translated from Italian)