Force Of Wills And The Lady Of Truth

The latest 2-fer-1 post..

Michael Fleming and Tatiana Seigel of Variety:

Bruce Willis will star in “The Surrogates,” a sci-fi thriller that Jonathan Mostow will direct for Disney. The studio is eyeing a February production start in Boston.

A Willis deal comes just as United Artists unplugs “Pinkville (2008),” the My Lai Massacre - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia drama in which Willis was going to star for director Oliver Stone next month.

Michael Ferris and John Brancato scripted “The Surrogates” based on a graphic novel from Top Shelf Comix. They collaborated with Mostow on the last film he directed, “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines .” The scribes also wrote “Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins", the Halcyon-financed sequel that McG will direct at Warner Bros. (Daily Variety, Oct. 10).

“The Surrogates” is being produced by Mandeville’s David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman, along with Max Handelman and Elizabeth Banks.

Story is set in the near future, where humans live in isolation and interact vicariously through surrogate robots who are better-looking versions of themselves. Willis plays a cop who, through his surrogate, investigates the murders of others’ surrogates. The cop is forced to venture from his own home for the first time in years and unravels a conspiracy.

Movie is expected to be released through Touchstone, and becomes the eighth picture slotted for an early 2008 production start by topper Oren Aviv...

Imagine that! Willis is playing a good guy cop who uncovers a conspiracy! Seriously though, while I haven't read the novel, the premise sounds very I, Robot-esque to me...

Next...Another former TV star has lined up another project....

Jennifer Garner is in final negotiations to star opposite Ricky Gervais in the indie comedy "This Side of the Truth."

Film is set in a world where lying doesn't exist. Story centers on an Everyman (Gervais) who figures out how to lie and uses his newfound ability to woo a beautiful woman way out of his league (Garner) and become a success at work. Script was penned by Ricky Gervais and Matthew Robinson, who also are set to direct.

Lynda Obst and son Oly Obst are producing.

Media Rights Capital is financing the project, which is set to shoot in the spring.

Garner is currently starring on Broadway in "Cyrano de Bergerac" opposite Kevin Kline and will next be seen in Fox Searchlight Pictures's "Juno," which unspools Dec. 5. In February, Garner will begin filming New Line Cinema's "The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past" opposite Matthew McConaughey. ...

It will be interesting to see what will come from the dynamic of a Garner/Gervais pairing. Garner is talented, to be sure, but not really known for her comedic success...