Could Kim Basinger be gearing up to bag another Oscar? Possibly so, as we’ve just learned via THR that the actress has signed on to appear in Warner Bros.’ period noir, The Nice Guys.
Co-written and directed by Shane Black and set in 1970’s Los Angeles, the movie has acquired a tasty cast line-up that continues to sizzle with each new announcement. So far, we know that Ryan Gosling is on board to play Holland March, a socially-inept L.A. private detective who befriends Russell Crowe’s musclebound goon. Why do they hook up? Does it matter? After all, this is Shane Black, who could make a fast-paced, dialogue-rich movie out of a discarded shopping list. But alright, for those who want to know, the pair join forces to solve the mystery of a missing girl and the death of a porn star.
Basinger’s appearance will of course mark a reunion for the actress with her L.A. Confidential co-star, Crowe. Her performance in the 1997 flick, also a mystery noir, earned Basinger her golden statuette. That’s a reunion I couldn’t be more excited about, especially considering her role. Throwing in yet another helping of sexual broodiness, this time the actress is slated to play a criminal chief justice who is “in bed with criminals.” We could take this to mean she’s carnally engaged with the crims, or is simply taking cash for turning a blind eye/losing critical evidence, etc.
Whatever her alliance may be to the bad guys, we also know who will be playing them. Beau Knapp has signed on to tackle the role of an accident prone, gold chain-wearing hitman, with Keith David on hand to play his older partner.  With an impressive ensemble like this, could Black’s next venture finally land an audience that Kiss Kiss Bang Bang sadly never gained? We’ve got a while ’til we find out, as The Nice Guys will arrive in theatres on June 17th, 2016.
