wOW. I'm a well informed Kubrick pupil AND I know the Being There back story - BOTH very well... and it was only when I saw the twins when this blew me away!

Sellers had been trying to make Koszinsi's short story into a film for years- but the studios refused to commit. They found the screenplay dull and dark, without any real exciting plot twist or intense climax. For years Sellers pitched it. We know the relationship w/ Kubrick and Sellers was tight. This could have very well been a Kubrick film - there is the overwhelming sense of realism employed throughout. How did Sellers get the studio's to finally come around and agree to it? Well, either he agreed to do another pink panther ( w proven money maker for the studio) or Kubrick joined forces with Seller's to convince Lorimar and United Artists( UA distributed Paths of Glory) they they could deliver a film greater in content and feel that what the very short Kosinski had published.

The moon props too - could it just be Seller's following Kubrick's practice of in plain sight? Remember, Seller's was given massive production control over this film. The Director, Hal Ashby could have just been a name needed - and with "Coming Home" taking down 8 Oscar nods, it would fit perfectly for producer and distributor. We know Sellers had four+ years to put Being There together since his last film prior was Panther 2, in '76. Thus, a great deal of time and energy- careful planning by Seller's - all picked up by this fascinating find.

Here are some dates:

Being There - Released 12/19/79

Seller's death: 7/24/1980 /\ 9/8/25

Shining Released: 5-23-80

Kubrick death: 36-7-99 / born 7-26-28

I am sure there are more parallels. Thanks - this was fun!