Elizabeth Banks Offers Unhappy Update On Charlie Kaufman's 'Frank Or Francis': "It Fell Apart At The Last Minute" [UPDATED]

Elizabeth Banks Offers Unhappy Update On Charlie Kaufman’s ‘Frank Or Francis’: “It Fell Apart At The Last Minute” [UPDATED]

While any new work fromCharlie Kaufmanwould’ve automatically piqued our interest, the more we heard about his second directorial effortFrank or Francis— musical numbers! animatronic robot heads! “ghost-like thumbs with a Romanian political agenda”! — the more intriguingly bizarre it sounded. Add in a top-shelf cast includingSteve Carell,Jack Black,Kevin Kline,Catherine Keener, andElizabeth Banks, andFrank or Franciswas shaping up to become an absolute must-see.

But alas, it seems the project isn’t meant to be, or at least not yet. After months of the actors expressing their excitement for the project but admitting they didn’t know when it’d actually get going, Banks has finally confirmed thatFrank or Francishas fallen apart. Read her comments after the jump.

UPDATE:The Playlisthas heard from Kaufman’s reps, who say only thatFrank or Francisis “postponed” for the time being.

Banks, who had been cast as a popular comedic actress having an affair with Frank, gave the unfortunate update in an interview withMoviefone. “We didn’t get to shoot that movie,” she said. “It was ready to go, and, as many movies do, it fell apart at the last minute.”

It doesn’t sound like Banks offered any insight into what, exactly, went wrong. One obvious guess is that it had trouble getting the funds together. The huge scope of Kaufman’s film suggests it could’ve gotten expensive, and Kaufman’s directorial debutSynecdoche, New Yorkwasn’t exactly a rousing box office success. Perhaps producers and investors were hesitant to shell out the dough for such a weird, unpredictable project.

Or maybe it was something else altogether — a scheduling issue, a creative roadblock, or what have you. As Banks points out, even the most promising films can get stuck for any number of random reasons. Whatever the problem, we just hope Kaufman eventually manages to pullFrank and Francistogether.

Banks has her fingers crossed as well. “I really want to work with Charlie Kaufman, I would do anything with him,” she said. “I really hope it comes together.” For what it’s worth, Banks sounded more optimistic when she spoke withAICNearlier this week. “I honestly don’t know where that film is at,” she told them at the time. “We were supposed to make it sooner, but it’s been pushed.”

If it’s any consolation, even withFrank or Francison the shelf for now, we’ve got a couple of other Kaufman projects to look forward to. The screenwriter/filmmaker recently signed on to adapt the YA novelChaos Walkingfor Lionsgate, and is planning an HBO series with Catherine Keener. Banks is keeping plenty busy as well, withPeople Like Usdue out this weekend and another installment ofThe Hunger Gamesgearing up to shoot this fall.