Russell Crowe Rothko flick faces delays as filmmaker fights to raise funds

The Australian movie star Russell Crowe says he is still lined up to play the late titan of Abstract Expressionism Mark Rothko in a forthcoming film directed by the artist Sam Taylor-Johnson. Crowe told the UK newspaper Metro that the planned movie “has been pushed back a couple of times. I think that’s because the director is looking for a budget that allows a little bit more scale. So I’ll trust in her judgment on that because she’s very smart!” Last year The Hollywood Reporter revealed more juicy nuggets about the Rothko flick, which is adapted from the book The Legacy of Mark Rothko by Lee Seldes. The screenplay focuses on Kate Rothko’s “fight against a corrupt elite to protect her late father’s legacy and bring his art back to the people”, the newspaper said. We asked Taylor-Johnson about the film but didn’t hear back—she must be busy raising funds.