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It's time for Cinema Stew--Tough Guy Edition:

The first three items on today's menu concern Hollywood icon Clint Eastwood

Garth Franklin of Dark Horizons is first up with this:

Affleck Doing Misty Remake?

One of the more surprising rumours this weekend that has emerged Ben Affleck is apparently in talks with Universal Pictures to produce and potentially direct a remake of Clint Eastwood's directorial debut "Play Misty for Me."

In the original, Eastwood played a DJ who is stalked by his ex-lover turned deranged fan who gets turned on by a song called "Misty". Jason Smilovic ("Lucky Number Slevin") is expected to pen the update, and Eastwood himself may also produce.

Affleck's own directorial debut "Gone, Baby, Gone", due out next February, has been receiving quite positive feedback from the footage screened so far.

I love the original Play Misty for Me (1971) It's a hard act to improve on--but if Clint's involved with the remake in some way, I'm willing to support the idea. As for Ben Affleck directing it...the jury is still out until I see how Gone, Baby, Gone turns out next year. Lucky Number Slevin was a very cool flick with a twisted script, so, I expect good things in that department

The World Entertainment News Network reports:

Warner Bros. Moves Up Release of Eastwood Flick

Warner Bros. and Paramount have decided to move up the release of Clint Eastwood's Letters From Iwo Jima to December 20 from February 9 in order to qualify it for Oscar consideration. The film, which presents the World War II Iwo Jima battle from the viewpoint of Japanese soldiers, is regarded as a companion piece to Eastwood's Flags of Our Fathers, which opened last month, and... depicts the battle from the American side. That film, which received critical praise, failed at the box office

Roger Friedman of Fox News says the prospect of an Oscar for Clint's latest may be a hard sell:

The Flags Of Our Fathers Is Off The Studio's Oscar Radar

It was a noble effort, but Clint Eastwood’s “Flags of Our Fathers” is over.

The epic war film, which cost upward of $150 million to make and market, has taken in only $30 million at the box office. Very shortly, Paramount Pictures will start reeling it in from wide release before it becomes any more costly.

But the end of its theatrical run will also see its Oscar chances fade from view. That’s because Paramount, in an unusual season, has too many other candidates for various awards.

The most striking beneficiary of "Flags" surprise fall will be Oliver Stone’s "World Trade Center."

As "Flags" has unfurled and failed, "World Trade Center" is starting to look more and more like a solid runner in the Best Picture race. Insiders at Paramount aren’t disputing that they’ve switched allegiance to the Stone movie in the last few weeks.

It’s not like Paramount doesn’t have even more to work with. "Dreamgirls," the movie adaptation of the hit Broadway musical, will finally be seen tomorrow night.

At this point, if the film lives up to half of the promise it delivered in a preview at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Dreamgirls is the odds-on favorite to win Best Picture.

But then again, Paramount has high — if not misguided — hopes for the dour "Babel" starring Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt.

Insiders at the studio say that the questionable 80-member Hollywood Foreign Press — the gang of hardly credible “journalists” who vote on the Golden Globes — “really liked it.”

There’s also support for "Babel" at the National Board of Review. But once Babel makes it in front of Academy voters, the hype may swallow itself. While it has many fine things about it, Alejandro González Iñárritu’s film is still very much a “21 Grams” redux.

What remains to be seen is whether Adam Beach, the actor who made a strong impression in "Flags," can carry that through to the Best Supporting category.

That list is getting more and more crowded with actors from movies that were more popular, such as Jack Nicholson in "The Departed," James McAvoy in "The Last King of Scotland," Eddie Murphy in "Dreamgirls," Michael Pena in "World Trade Center" and Freddy Rodriguez in "Bobby."

Timing is everything in Movieland--especially during Oscar season.

For the third post in a row--it's Bond, James Bond

Bond To Leave Britain? (WENN)

James Bond producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli have threatened to stop filming the superspy franchise in Britain - because it's too expensive. Wilson has blamed rising costs in the British capital for his stance and blasts the British Government for failing to help.

He says, "London is the most expensive city in the world right now. To bring talent here and put them up for long periods of time and the cost of doing business here is a factor." The move means Casino Royale could be the last Bond movie filmed at Pinewood Studios - but the UK Film council insists it will find a way to ensure the British secret agent stays at his natural home. A spokesperson for the Council says, "We will be doing all we can to ensure that every film that can shoot in the UK, including Bond, does."

The British superspy not in Britain? Why that's like Spider-Man leaving New York City, or Rocky Balboa leaving South Philly...Every hero has his home base

Patrick Lee of Sci-fi Wire talked to Hugh Jackman about his X-MEN spinoff movie for his character of Wolverine. Will Bryan Singer return to the X universe?

Jackman: Singer In Wolverine Loop

Hugh Jackman, who is on tap to reprise the mutant Wolverine in a spinoff film centered on the character, confirmed for SCI FI Wire that his X-Men director, Bryan Singer, is on the list of helmers he'd like to see do the movie. "It's all in negotiations," Jackman said in an interview in Beverly Hills, Calif, on Nov. 11 while promoting his upcoming SF epic The Fountain. "There is a list [of directors,] and, you know, Bryan is sort of at the beginning of all this, so of course he's in the loop. But it's too ... early for me to say."

Singer, who helmed X-Men and X2, left the third installment to direct Superman Returns; Brett Ratner took over on X-Men: The Last Stand. But ComingSoon.net reported a rumor last week that Singer has been offered the fourth X-Men movie, though he likely wouldn't be able to do it as his schedule calls for doing the next Superman movie as his next project. But Singer said that he's also interested in seeing the script for Wolverine.

As for Singer's interest in Wolverine, Jackman said: "I think it's great. ... We'll see the way we go. I mean, now we have the script, and now we really need to work out who's the best person for it. But, you know, Bryan's always been in the loop for us."

...I think we'll go forward [with Wolverine at the] beginning of '08. ... My idea for Wolverine, I need to have four months clear before I start shooting. Because I want to be in a shape, physical shape, that I've never been before for that movie." The Fountain, also starring Rachel Weisz, opens Nov. 22.

And finally, check out Entertainment Weekly's latest First Person column:

An EW.com reader loses his "Star Wars" virginity!

We challenged Michael Morrison, who'd never seen any of George Lucas' saga, to watch Cinemax's recent marathon

HAAAAA! Funny as hell What a great way to finish off this installment o Stew...