Keaton, Holmes and Queen Latifah team with ‘powerhouse’

Katie Holmes, Diane Keaton, Queen Latifah and Ted Danson are getting set to make “Mad Money” in Shreveport. They are teaming with director and co-screenwriter Callie Khouri, who won an Oscar for writing “Thelma & Louise.”

I interviewed them over the weekend. Click here for a link to The Times story. And below are a few comments that didn’t make it into print.

Holmes looks forward to working with Khouri.

“It’s an added bonus when someone has created such a great movie in the past,” Holmes said. “I feel like someone who has created well the first time can create again and again and again like that.”

“Mad Money” is a heist comedy and thriller. It tells the story of three women who plot to steal soon-to-be-destroyed money from the Federal Reserve Bank.

“I do think that Callie has a very dynamic personality,” Keaton said. “Had she not been the writer, surely she would have been the actress playing my part. There’s no question about it. Oh, my God. Oh, yeah. She’s a powerhouse.”

Keaton added that it was the first time she’s played a criminal mind, and she’s looking forward to having fun with the movie. “In a certain sense, that’s what you really want to experience, because at my age life is, like, short,” Keaton said. “Do you want to have a miserable time? No, I do not. I do want to have fun.”

Queen Latifah and Holmes expressed excitement about working with Keaton.

“She just seems spontaneous and energetic and funny and passionate about acting,” Queen Latifah said. “And I’ve always enjoyed her movies.”

Holmes said she’s been a fan of Keaton’s forever. “You’re amazing,” Holmes said while sitting next to Keaton. “We already started rehearsing and I’ve already learned so much, seriously. I am so looking forward to this. I am so excited.”

“You’re so adorable,” Keaton responded.

Khouri said a popular theme of hers is part of “Mad Money.”

“I think one of the themes of my work keeps emerging,” Khouri said, “which is an average person finding themselves on the other side of the law through a set of extraordinary circumstances, and then just surprising the hell out of themselves.”

“I’m born to play all of them,” Khouri said earlier. “I get to be them all, without having actually to do the work.”

Filming begins Monday.