Michael Douglas & Matt Damon To Make Sweet Music Together In Liberace Biopic

Tags:

Movies,Michael Douglas,‘The Informant!’,Matt Damon,Toronto Film Festival,LGBT

enlarge

1/4

Getty Premium
Michael Douglas, Liberace and Matt Damon
Getty Images
Michael Douglas smiles to promote his latest, ‘Solitary Man,’ at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival at The Sutton Place Hotel in Toronto, Canada, on September 12, 2009
Getty Premium
Liberace backstage at the Academy Awards in 1982
Getty Images
Matt Damon onstage at the ‘The Informant!’ press conference held at the Sutton Place Hotel on September 11, 2009 in Toronto, Canada

hottest galleries

more galleries

FIRST PUBLISHED: September 15, 2009 10:38 AM EDT
LAST UPDATED: September 15, 2009 11:09 AM EDT

LOS ANGELES, Calif. --

Michael Douglas & Matt Damon are set to play lovers in the upcoming Liberace big screen biopic, the actors and director Steven Soderbergh confirmed.

Michael is set to play the late flamboyant piano-playing superstar, Liberace, and Matt will take on the role of his lover, Scott Thorson.

“Matt’s going to be my young lover,” Michael reportedly recently told Canada’s Sun Media. “Why not? God bless Matt. Hey, it’s easy for me - he’s in his prime. I said to him, ‘Matt, I love you, man. Boy, that ‘Bourne’ (series) must really be going strong.’ But good for him. He’s right taking chances. All those young guys - (George) Clooney - they’re taking risks… It’s smart trying to mix it up a bit and maintain those franchises and still get to do a picture that turns you on.”

The “Bounre” star reportedly told USA Today that he’s excited for the challenging role that will require a fair amount of intimate moments with the 64-year-old actor.

“I’m doing this Liberace movie. Michael Douglas is playing Liberace and I play his lover. Steven is directing it,” Matt told the paper this week at the Toronto Film Festival. “I saw Michael last night. He comes up and says, ‘Get your Chapstick ready.’ It’s going to be a great movie. My role is a great role. But Michael’s role? It’s spectacular.”

Diretcor Steven Soderbergh, who also worked with Matt on the upcoming “Informant!,” said he was blown away by Michael’s ability to embody Liberace.

“We’ve already done some costume and wardrobe tests on Michael, and they’re very, very, very good.” Steven recently told the French press at the Deauville Film Festival, as reported by People. “I swear to you, Michael amazed me. He crushed it.”

Michael, who is currently shooting “Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps,” said he will prepare for the role for months in order to avoid mocking the late piano player.

“I’m going to spend two or three months, just researching. I’ll get the voice and figure out the piano style. I’m just going to get really comfortable so it’s not a caricature,” he told Sun Media. “At this point and at my age, why not? It’s not all autographs and sunglasses.”

Keep your Access to everything in Hollywood! Breaking news and personal commentary from Nancy, Billy, Tony, Shaun, Maria & all of our producers! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter now!