John Cusack as Edgar Allan Poe: Exclusive on-set snapshots from The Raven

[ UPDATE: I have removed the wonderful snapshots that previously appeared in this post, at the request of the movie studio involved. I hope to sort things out with the parties involved and re-publish them again. XJ ]

As noted earlier here on Boing Boing, guestblogger and pal John Cusack is starring as Edgar Allan Poe in the James McTeigue-directed film The Raven, due out in Fall, 2011. Here's a photo gallery of on-set snapshots just shared with us by Cusack, who looks impossibly bad-ass as Poe in these shots. I am so psyched to see this film. Happy birthday, Edgar Allan Poe.

Boing Boing editor/partner and tech culture journalist Xeni Jardin hosts and produces Boing Boing's in-flight TV channel on Virgin America airlines (#10 on the dial), and writes about living with breast cancer. Diagnosed in 2011. @xeni on Twitter. email: xeni@boingboing.net.

MORE: Art and Design • Book • Entertainment • movies • pop culture

More at Boing Boing

Ants and Stars: Bruce Sterling and Jasmina Tesanovic visit the Sardinia Radio Telescope in Italy

The Snowden Principle

Hirsty

I haz teh statelies
Anonymous

So, is this going to be like The Crow, but bigger?
LOL!
Miriam Heddy

Fans self.
Darwindr

Hmmm, I’m starting to wonder about the merits of a “revisionist supernatural detective thriller” starring a fictional version of Poe with a beard and a raven on his hand.

Don’t let us down McTeigue!
vancouvergrrl

Have to confess I’ve been horribly spoiled by Michael Sheen’s current Twitter avatar, which is his Hallowe’en costume, as Poe, and to me, THAT IS POE.

But this could be good, especially as it doesn’t seem to be straight biography.

I love Poe: great fun to be able to lecture on him on his birthday.
Anonymous

I remember this from a Halloween special of The Simpsons, weird, I’m actually thrilled about this one.
the|one

Okay, how did they NOT cast Nicolas Cage for this one?
Mosh

These pictures just remind me of how desperately I want a supernatural film noir about the three days where Poe was missing between the party he disappeared from and the gutter he was found in. How he wouldn’t speak to anyone and died in a delirious state a week later. I understand it was probably some drug induced death, but I yearn for a journey no man could possibly understand without going insane that drove Poe off the very edge of oblivion.

On topic, though, John Cusack does look amazing. He used to be one of my favorite actors on charm factor alone, but lately I’ve begun to doubt his staying ability as a serious performer. Hopefully this film will turn that opinion around.
Anonymous

The second pix lives up to John as the “Gentleman Bandit” :) Nice! VERY Excited for The Raven release! Thanks for sharing the awesome photos from the set Xeni!
Oceans ’til Dawn

Wow, great photos. Thanks to John & Boing Boing for the sneak peek! Really looking forward to seeing John as Poe!!!

P.S. John sits so well on a horse doesn’t he?!
Anonymous

Poetry – sport of the future!
bat21

Here’s a clip from the movie.
Gar the Pitiless

@ #7: Don’t Trent-roll me, bro!
Anonymous

I agree with Mosh. Cusak has the ability to bring a complete and true interpretation of Poe. If he does his work as he usually does I am sure we will see a brilliant performance. But if not, then the cry of the Raven will be heard loud and far.

C. Webster Rose
RDJ

I think Bill Murray looks a lot like Poe (though he’s too old to play him now). I even posted side by sides on my blog last February:

http://gunsandverbs.wordpress.com/2010/02/01/edgar-allan-murray/
- Ugly Canuck
  
  Agreed as to Murray’s suitability and age: this would have been a good role for him twenty or more years ago.
  
  I very much liked Mr Cusack’s portrayal of a young Nelson Rockefeller in ‘The Cradle Will Rock’, a film in which Mr Murray did some fine work as well :
  
  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0150216/
  
  …and I think that he’s a good choice to play the part.
scifijazznik

I saw John Astin do Poe a few years ago and he was astoundingly good. I’m a big fan of both Poe and Cusak. Fingers crossed.
Mark Crummett

Somehow Edgar Allan Poe and the phrase “impossibly bad-ass” are two things that do not go together in my mind.
SonOfSamSeaborn

First I heard of the movie too. I’m not going to see it now and I think I’m going to email the studio to tell them that I intend to PIRATE THE SHIT OUT OF IT.
Anonymous

Hmmm…, love John Cusack; love Poe, his stories and been dressed to look him over Halloween. But I am not sure about a “bad-ass” Poe; he was no cowboy of eh, New England. Poe was creative mind with melancholy pensiveness and good dash of Northeastern gloom.
Ken Cope

What? Poe, not portrayed by Lee Presson? Pffft.

(cough, Dickens Christmas Faire. Zombies. Poe. cough, Thriller link to youtube video cough: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPHvg34n7Kk )
- Anonymous
  
  That was sweet :)
Peter K.

For a long time I’ve had this idea of a short film version of The Raven starring a fantasy cast of Christopher Walken (the narrator) and Steve Buscemi (playing the part of a vaguely anthropomorphically headed Raven). But otherwise a sort of a straight laced, traditional depiction of the confrontation in a gloomy study with fireplace, high backed chairs, etc.

But by bizarre coincidence I’d always pictured the bust of Pallas being modeled after the head and shoulders of Joan Cusack.
napoleon

This is the first way I heard about the movie, and I haven’t seen another article or presentation of a set of photos that makes it look as appealing.

Does the movie studio resent the free advertising?
inness

Who let someone dye that poor goshawk?!
mdh

Two great tastes that taste great together.
TimDrew

Being a fan of Cusack, to me this one certainly has poe-tential…
- Peter K.
  
  In the words of Jimmy Castor:
  
  “Edgar Allen Poe-tential.”
Anonymous

Don’t forget that New York animator Michael Sporn has a Poe biography in the making for years now. See http://www.poestory.net/ for details.
lewis stoole

let’s get into trouble, baby!
facetedjewel

John Cusack wasn’t in American Beauty; he was in America’s Sweethearts.

Are you thinking of Wes Bentley (American Beauty)?