Thursday, September 30, 2010

Going On Defense

Sam Raimi ("Drag Me to Hell") and "District 9" producer Bill Block are both in negotiations to produce the alien invasion thriller E.D.F--standing for Earth Defense Force--says  Vulture.

The story opens with an alien attack to test our defenses in preparation for a larger scale attack coming in ten months time. During that period between attacks, world leaders have to figure out how to fight off the coming invasion.


Vulture has read the script and describes it as a mix of Top Gun, Independence Day and The Last Starfighter,

Andrew W. Marlowe (Air Force One) wrote the script.

Raimi is not expected to direct...Since he's working on like a billion projects at once

Gotta Get Back In Time

Twenty-five years after the Back to the Future film series began director Robert Zemeckis is returning to time travel tales with "Timeless" says Deadline New York.

The story details of Mike Thompson's screenplay are being kept quiet for now.

This will be the first live-action film from Zemeckis since 2000's "Cast Away" and "What Lies Beneath". Since then he's done three motion-capture animated pics "The Polar Express," "A Christmas Carol," and "Beowulf"

It's not known if the film will be a 3-D pic?

I say it probably will be.

Work Is All That Matters

The seemingly always busy James Franco makes sure he stays that way

First he has optioned the film rights to Stephen Elliott's gritty memoir "The Adderall Diaries" reports Variety.

The story follows Elliott who becomes consumed by the 2007 murder trial of computer  programmer Hans Reiser. Sean Sturgeon, Hans’s former best friend and an acquaintance of Elliott in San Francisco’s BDSM scene, confesses to eight unrelated murders during the case.

Elliott's troubled childhood and tormented young adulthood, his substance abuse problems and addiction to masochistic sex are explored as well.

Franco will produce, adapt and direct the property, and could potentially star in the film.

Next he lands a role opposite Michael Shannon and Benicio Del Toro in The Iceman, says Production Weekly.

Based on the true story of Richard Kuklinski  a man who for more than 40 years led a double life as both a professional assassin and a loving husband and father in suburban New Jersey.

Mickey Rourke was linked to the project earlier this month.

David McKenna ("Blow," "American History X") adapted the script from Philip Carlo's book

Ariel Vromen will direct the pic

Matty Beckerman will produce.

Pumm Role

Christopher Plummer has joined the cast of David Fincher’s version of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, reports Heat Vision.

In late author Stieg Larsson's bestselling Millennium trilogy the reader follows journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) the publisher of a Stockholm magazine called 'Millennium'.


Steve Zaillian adapted.the story that follows a disgraced journalist (Daniel Craig) and a misunderstood rebellious female hacker (Rooney Mara) investigating the 40-year-old disappearance of retired industrialist Henrik Vanger's niece on a remote island. Their investigation uncover religious killings, Nazism, rape, child abuse and murder.

Plummer plays Henrik

Robin Wright and Stellan Skarsgård also star.

Scott Rudin will produce the pic.

Getting PSYCHED For Tat

Complete Strangers

A teen infused version of Alfred Hitchcock's "Strangers On a Train," is on the way  according to Deadline.

"Teens on a Train" is a thriller that takes the premise which itself was based on a book by author Patricia Highsmith.


Like the novel and film classic with Farley Granger and Robert Walker, this version sees two strangers meeting on a train and agreeing to murder the person who’s making the other person’s life a misery. In this take however, it will be a young teenage boy and girl with the later turning out to be a "raving psychopath".

Richard Linklater's young romance drama "Before Sunrise" will also influence the pic.(??)

The idea came from a Hitchcock-style scriptwriting contest.

The film will be penned by Joshua St. Johnston,

With the legal case against the Shia Labeouf-led thriller "Disturbia" V "Rear Window" thrown out last week --This will undoubtedly lead to more Hitch retreads for a younger crowd...I say ugh Despite liking Disturbia

Selling Sully

The Captain Chesley Sullenberger memoir " Highest Duty:" is coming to a screen near you reports Variety.

"Sully" Sullenberger is the veteran pilot who shot to news fame early last year when he safely landed US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River after birds flew into the engines and crippled the jet.

Sullenberger landed the plane safely on the river's surface, saving the lives of all 155 passengers on board. He co-wrote the book with Journo/Author Jeffrey Zaslow and will serve as consultant on the project along with his wife.

Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall will produce the pic


It's unknown if the film will be a theatrical feature or a television movie.

If it goes theatrical might I suggest actor and fellow pilot Harrison Ford, or Tom Hanks for the lead

The project is now out to writers but no studio is attached.

Storming Norman

Just ahead of tomorrow's release of the pic Let Me In comes news that young Australian actor Kodi Smit-McPhee will provide vocals for the animated feature "Paranorman" reports STYD.

Smit-McPhee told the site he plays a boy named Norman who "can see ghosts and he saves the world from a zombie invasion"

Former storyboard artist Chris Butler wrote and will direct the 2013 feature

A Time To Convict


Matthew McConaughey will play district attorney Danny Buck Davidson in  Richard Linklater's black comedy Bernie says both the Dallas News and Production Weekly.

Based on a true story of Berhardt "Bernie" Tiede, Jack Black stars as a small-town Texas funeral home director whom befriends a wealthy widow (Shirley MacLaine), murders her and stores her in her own freezer.

Rip Torn also stars

Skip Hollandsworth who wrote the original 1998 article about the real life case for Texas Monthly, co-wrote the script with Linklater.

Linklater and McConaughey have worked together twice before on the 1993 comedy classic Dazed and Confused and then again  in 1998 on the not so good The Newton Boys Let's hope this is better than "Boys"

Filming is scheduled to begin this fall in Austin and Bastrop

RIP Tony Curtis (1925-2010)

Acting legend Tony Curtis has passed away according to his daughter Jamie Lee Curtis

Curtis died yesterday after going into cardiac arrest at his Las Vegas home.

Among his most famous films "Some Like It Hot,"--In 2000, the American Film Institute named the movie classic the greatest American comedy film of all time. The biopic Houdini, "The Great Race" Sweet Smell of Success, and the epic Spartacus, playing opposite to Kirk Douglas,

Curtis was great as a bigoted, escaped convict chained to Sidney Poitier in "The Defiant Ones

Curtis also embarked on a variety of TV projects including my mom's favorite as 'Stony Curtis' on popular cartoon The Flintstones in the early 1960s.


He is survived by his fifth wife Jill Vandenberg Curtis, who he wed in 1998 despite their 42-year age difference, and his five children

EW.com has more on Mr. Curtis

Moriarty Man

Professor Moriarty has been caught!

Character actor  Jared Harris (TV's Mad Men) has been offered the role in the upcoming Sherlock Holmes 2

It was first reported by Latino Review (and later confirmed by Deadline).


The actor is the son of the legendary son of the legendary Richard Harris beat out bigger name actors like Daniel Day Lewis, Russell Crowe or Brad Pitt, who have both been rumoured for the villain role as the film prepped. Harris has acted and won various awards for his work on stage, in television and across many independent and mainstream movies over the past two decades.

Harris joins the returning duo of Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law, along with the recent additions to the cast, Stephen Fry as Holmes’ older brother Mycroft and Noomi Rapace.

Guy Ritchie returns as director with Dan Lin, Joel Silver, Susan Downey and Lionel Wigram producing.

The sequel has a Dec. 16, 2011, release date.

Harris actually makes a far better choice than the bigger names so that the role doesn't become small over the actor playing him Was excited by the possibility of Pitt et al but this casting is cooler and serves the film well

Distress Calls

Greta Gerwig ("Greenberg," and the upcoming remake of "Arthur") will star in Whit Stillman's dark comedy "Damsels In Distress" reports WWD (via Hollywood Elsewhere)

The story follows a dynamic trio of liberal arts college girls who take in a new student and teach her their own misguided ways of helping people. ways which are used as a coping mechanism for their various failed college romances.

Gerwig will play one of the three girls who aim to "prevent suicides through the powers of 30's song-and-dance numbers."

The pic is Stillman's first film since 1998's The Last Days Of Disco".

It's not for a lack of trying though he has tried to get to work on several projects in the last 12 years but things kept falling apart

Shooting on Distress is expected to kick off soon

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Goody Goody

Tobey Maguire is set to both produce and star in "Good People reports Production Weekly.

Based on the book by author  Marcus Sakey the story follows a Chicago couple that comes across $400,000 and do whatever they can to try and keep it.

Swedish helmer of that country's adaptation of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Niels Arden Oplev  is set to direct.

The recent film Ca$h with Chris Hemsworth and Sean Bean--written and directed by Stephen Milburn Anderson has a similar plot

Orbital Projection

Natalie Portman was at one time "in active negotiations" to join Alfonso Cuaron's sci-fi epic Gravity. And then she was not...Well now she just might star in the film after all--reports Heat Vision.

Set during an orbital repair mission, the story follows a female astronaut who must survive a solitary ordeal after an exploded satellite wipes out the rest of the crew.

Robert Downey Jr also stars.

Cuaron will direct and co-wrote the script with his son Jonás

The lead role has been highly sought after as it's a high-profile role that dominates the screen for much of it (similar to "Cast Away" with Tom Hanks.).

Angelina Jolie has been linked but ultimately dropped out of the pic.

Stay Tuned to see if Nat goes into space...


In related news, Cuaron Jr has sold an untitled Mexico City-set gritty thriller pitch.

Bilson & Baby


Rachel Bilson ("Jumper" and "The Last Kiss") has joined the indie comedy "BFF & Baby" reports Variety.

The story revolves around two best friends (Krysten Ritter and Kate Bosworth) who have to deal with the aftermath of one of them getting pregnant and having a baby.

Ritter and director Kat Coiro-co-wrote the script. Coiro will call action

Justin Levine  Ritter, Coiro, David J. Phillips and Corbin Timbrook will produce

Production will begin October 19 in Los Angeles.

No Longer Mortal

Vincent Kartheiser ("Mad Men") has signed on to join Andrew Niccol's latest now untitled sci-fi flick says Variety.

Previously titled "I'm.mortal", the story is set in a society where people engineered to stop ageing at 25-years-old and time has become the currency of the realm. The wealthy are practically immortal while the majority of the populous struggles to bank what extra time they can.

The pic follows a ghetto rebel (Justin Timberlake) wrongly accused of murder who is forced to go into hiding with a beautiful and rich hostage (Amanda Seyfried). They soon begin a steamy romance.

Kartheiser plays the father of Seyfried's character, a man forced to choose between the daughter he loves and the oppressive time system that has made him rich.

Cillian Murphy and Collins Pennie also star. He plays right-hand man to Timekeeper Raymond Leon (Murphy).

Eric Newman and Marc Abraham will produce the Logan's Run-like film


Niccol ("Gattaca," "S1m0ne") directs from a script he wrote

Welcome Aboard

Chris Pine, Rachel McAdams and Meryl Streep may star in the pic Welcome to People says  Production Weekly.

The story follows a struggling twenty-something junk dealer who returns home to Los Angeles for the funeral of his estranged record-producer father.His late dad's last will stipulates that he delivers $150,000 in cash to a 30-year-old alcoholic sister he never knew existed. Determined to keep the money, he makes contact with her and her troubled teenage son anyway but doesn't reveal who he really is.

Pine's  "Star Trek" co-scribe Alex Kurtzman makes his directorial debut on the family drama. Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Jody Lambert co-wrote the script.

Dark Pals


Justin Bartha ("The Hangover," "National Treasure") is in talks to join thr indie film "Dark Horse" reports Production Weekly.

Aasif Mandvi and Jordan Gelber also star in this "edgy character drama", though plot details are being kept quiet.

Todd Solondz's gonna call action

His resume includes Happiness "Welcome to the Dollhouse," "Storytelling" and the recent "Life During Wartime". .

Team Player

Now that he's done with that pesky island Lost star Josh Holloway is close to signing on opposite Tom Cruise  in Mission: Impossible IV as a member of the Impossible Mission Force says  THR

What's Playing.reported last week that Michael Nyqvist, is playing a "very charming, but calculating bad guy. Not your typical spy-film villain".

He is said to have a brutal extended fight sequence at the end of the film with Ethan Hunt (Cruise).

Their source also claims a big name is being sought to play the new IMF boss, a small but key role ala Anthony Hopkins in Mission: Impossible II

Meanwhile The Wrap reports that Vladimir Mashkov has a role playing a Russian agent. Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton  Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg.co-star

Andre Nemec and Josh Appelbaum wrote the screenplay. Brad Bird is directing .

Holloway's Lost co-creator J.J. Abrams will co-produce the sequel with Wagner and Cruise

Shooting is expected to begin within the next few weeks in Dubai

RIP Sally Menke (1953-2010)

Quentin Tarantino's longtime film editor Sally Menke has been found dead at the age of 56.


The LA Times reports she went hiking with her dog in Beachwood Canyon on Monday, and was found early on Tuesday morning. While Los Angeles has been experiencing a severe heat wave, the cause of her death is not yet known

Menke, who started her professional career editing Cold Feet in 1983 and, the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie in 1990, first met Tarantino when he was looking for an editor to work on Reservoir Dogs. His main requirement was that whoever got the job would work cheap, but the pair soon became pals and she has edited all of his pics since then

"We don't work at the studios. Quentin insists on renting little private houses in LA and converting them into edit suites for the duration,” she once said of their collaborations. "It's very civilised and enabled me to work through both my pregnancies – yes, my babies had Tarantino movies played to them in the womb, but they seem to have turned out OK.

On her profession, she was happy to remain largely in the background: “Editors are the quiet heroes of movies and I like it that way. We have a very private relationship with our directors, mostly conducted in very dark rooms.

She got two Oscar nominations, for Pulp Fiction and Inglourious Basterds

Her work with Tarantino saw her become more famous than most of her peers ever become

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Blood Count

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn and Part 2 gets some newbees

Maggie Grace ( Lost, The Fog, Taken) is to play vampire Irina, a member of the Denali coven, and 9-year-old newcomer  Mackenzie Foy is set to play Renesmee.. reports Deadline and EW.

Foy has appeared in an episode each of sci-fi drama FlashForward and comedy 'Til Death

In the books, Irina is a member of the Denali coven, considered cousins to the Cullen clan as the only other "vegetarian" vampire group and the origin of the myth of the succubus.

When Irina blames the Cullens for the death of her lover Laurent in the events portrayed in "New Moon", her actions set in motion a terrifying chain of events.

Renesmee is Bella and Edward's (Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson) half-vampire, half-human daughter who is able to read, talk, run and hunt despite being a toddler. She also considerably changes in age over the course of the story. How that will be pulled off is unknown


Bill Condon is directing the two separate films based on the final novel in the series

Melissa Rosenberg, is writing both scripts,

Wyck Godfrey, Karen Rosenfelt and author Stephenie Meyer are producing.

Production is slated to begin later this year in Louisiana. The first film hits on November 18, 2011.

Super After Shocks

Word of a shortlist of directors for the reboot Superman: Man of Steel caused quite a bit of reverb

Lister Matt Reeves told JoBlo he was surprised as anyone to hear the rumor that he's a candidate, saying "I really have no idea if any of that is true."

Then came word by way of The L.A. Times that Darren Aronofsky had been added to the roster. Soon after Moviehole added to the report saying Aronofsky has been in talks about the project for a while and the studio is keen on his "Black Swan" star Natalie Portman to play Lois Lane.--Seems like a cool casting notion to me...

Today Heat Vision said that it heard talk that actor-turned-filmmaker Ben Affleck, (who played TV's first Supes George Reeves  in Hollywoodland) coming off the critical and box-office success of The Town met on the project last week about  helming the pic but turned down the job

Lone Officers

Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy director  Gore Verbinski and star Johnny Depp will most likely reunite for a reboot of "The Lone Ranger" pic says Deadline.

The story follows a masked Texas Ranger in the American Old West who goes about fighting injustice with the help of his horse Silver and his Native-American sidekick Tonto.

Depp is already set to star as Tonto, but Ranger remains uncast.

Depp & Bruckheimer
The new version has a screenplay by Justin Haythe ("Revolutionary Road") 

Jerry Bruckheimer is producing.

The production for the film hasn't been set as Depp and Verbinski are both very busy..

The Work-A-Holic

How busy can one helmer be?

Director Guillermo del Toro is writing and will direct the animated tale "Trollhunters" reports Heat Vision.

The story is based on a young-adult book del Toro submitted to publisher Hyperion two weeks ago, a tale which "combines fairy tales with modern times and is about how difficult it is to be kid" he says.

"Normally, kids are idealized in animated films. But the growing pains, married with the notion that there is a world right next to us that is completely plagued by creatures of ancient lore, it's thematically fitting with the rest of my stuff"

The project is still  down the road a bit as del Toro has just begun work on the screenplay.


Finally, he adds that he will be giving a budget and art presentation to to the studio suits in three weeks for his H. P. Lovecraft adaptation "At the Mountains of Madness" where he hopes he will get the green light to go forward with the project.because he's already thought about casting.

How does he keep track of it all?

Monday, September 27, 2010

RIP Gloria Stuart (1910-2010)

Gloria Stuart - the longtime Hollywood actress best known for her role as the elder Rose in James Cameron's "Titanic" - has died--at 100.

She passed away in her sleep in the evening Sunday September 26th, in the bed she had built decades earlier out of two life size merry go round horses.

Stuart was a Hollywood beauty who starred in B-movies as well as some higher-profile pics such as The Invisible Man, Busby Berkeley's Gold Diggers of 1935 Here Comes the Navy.” and two Shirley Temple movies, Poor Little Rich Girl and Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm.

She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2000. and last appeared on the big screen in Wim Wenders' Land of Plenty in 2004. 

Read more on the Oscar winning legend here

Acting Like An Adult

Patrick Wilson ("Little Children," "Watchmen") and Patton Oswalt are up for roles in  "Young Adult" reports The Los Angeles Times.

Charlize Theron stars as a ghost writer returning to her hometown to reconnect with a now married ex-boyfriend who wants nothing to do with her.

The roles Wilson and Oswalt will play are presently unclear.


Jason Reitman ("Up in the Air") is set to direct his Juno writer Diablo Cody's screenplay

Filming is expected to begin in the next few weeks.

Chad & Emily Are A Haunted Couple

Chad Michael Murray and young newcomer Emily Alyn Lind will play the lead roles in "The Haunting in Georgia" reports Bloody Disgusting.

The story follows a couple who're concerned when their young daughter begins encountering mysterious strangers that no one else can see in their ideal new home.

Tom Elkins will call action on the horror pic that is the follow up to The Haunting in Connecticut

The film marks CCM's second genre flick after 2005's House of Wax remake

Shooting kicks off this November in Louisiana

Going to Louisiana to film a movie with Georga in the title--ahhh The Magic of Hollywood....

Extra Help


David Oyelowo ("Spooks") has joined the cast of "The Help" according to Variety.

Based upon Kathryn Stockett's book that explores the the complicated use by the upper class matriarchs of their servants in the American South of the early 1960's.

The story follows Skeeter Phelan (Emma Stone), a white recent college graduate uncomfortable with the current social norms of Mississippi at the time - a time when black maids did all the work and received no respect. Her plan is to write a book detailing the life of the various maids in the area, but her research soon uncovers not just racism but cruelty and criminal action by white society women, some of them even her friends.
Viola Davis is playing the role of Aibileen, a maid whom aspiring writer Phelan candidly interviews. That interview sets off shock waves that reverberate across the entire community as it uncovers not just racism but cruelty and criminal action by white society women.


Oyelowo will play a Southern preacher.

Bryce Dallas Howard Sissy Spacek, Aunjanue Ellis and Chris Lowell also star.

Tate Taylor is directing and adapted the script

Taylor, Brunson Green, Michael Barnathan, Chris Columbus and Mark Radcliffe will produce the pic.

Filming is underway

He's Your Brother... Brother?


Stephen Fry has joined the cast of the upcoming sequel Sherlock Holmes 2 reports The Hollywood News

Fry will play Mycroft Holmes, brother of Sherlock and a key power player in the British Government.

In the books Mycroft is as, if not more so, intelligent and clever at deduction than his sibling. However he has little interest in the practicalities, preferring to remain a "sedentary problem-solver".

Fry joins Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law as Holmes and Watson,. Rachel McAdams will reprise her role as Irene Adler, though in a diminished capacity.  Noomi Rapace (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) will make her English-language debut as the sequel’s female lead, as a French Gypsy.

Fry should have great chemistry with Downey Jr and Law--can't wait. The first Sherlock Holmes was an enjoyable romp and came out better than I thought it would. The addition of Fry for the follow up is welcome news indeed...

The key role of the film's villain, Professor James Moriarty, has yet to be officially cast.

Filming kicks off shortly in the UK--with Guy Ritchie once again directing- for release next Christmas.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

One Foot In Front Of The Other

Here's pics of star Chris Evans as Steve Rogers on the set of Captain America: The First Avenger courtesy of The Daily Mail.

Evans On The Captain America Set
Joe Johnston directs, The cast also includes Hayley Atwell, Sebastian Stan  and Hugo Weaving.

The film is scheduled to hit theaters on July 22nd, 2011

Cap And Trader

Director Oliver Stone and star Michael Douglas proved a winning combo with the sequel Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps taking the top spot (with a little help I'm sure from Shia LaBeouf fans) at the box office.


THR Staff

Michael Douglas and Oliver Stone's collaborative return to the big screen with "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps" has been enthusiastically welcomed by moviegoers who made the sequel to 1987's "Wallstreet" the No. 1 movie of the weekend. The film, which co-stars Shia LaBeouf, Carey Mulligan and Josh Brolin, made its weekend box office debut with $19 million.

Warner Bros.' animated feature "Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole" opened in second place with $16.3 million, followed by "The Town," which earned another $16 million on the weekend to steal the No. 3 spot and increase its cumulative earnings to $49.1 million.

Teen comedy "Easy A" landed at No. 4 with $10.7 million.

The all-star mother-daughter comedy "You Again," co-starring Kristen Bell, Jamie Lee Curtis and Sigourney Weaver, debuted at No. 5 with $8.3 million. 

Nicole Sperling of  EW

Oliver Stone and Gordon Gekko earn $19M; ''Legend of the Guardians'' is No. 2, ''The Town'' strong No. 3

I find it a bit Ironic that Stone made a film that doesn't like rich folk and yet he got richer having made it....Still...Can't wait to see it

Next Up: Renée Zellweger works Case 39; Are you in The Social Network?; And Chloe Moretz says Let Me In to Kodi Smit-McPhee

Mission To Mars

Kristen Bell still wants to play "Veronica Mars", but there are no plans to bring the TV detective series to the big screen.

Bell tells Reuters that "it's a business and the sad truth is that...they're not going to relinquish the rights to something and let us do it. We really have to do it with them because they own it."

She adds "At this point,  Warner Bros.. can make it, but like any studio they have research that tells them whether or not they'll make their money back. And that's what we've been told: That it's just not there."

Bell starred as the young sleuth for creator  Rob Thomas- which ran from 2004-2007 with Jason Dohring and Ryan Hansen, as her co stars.



She wants to "a) do it before I'm 40; and b) to prove to Warner Bros. that there is an audience."

Bell is up for the idea of a Web series, but she really wants it to go big screen

I hope Bell gets her wish....

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Who Will Help Supes Fly Again?

Producers Chris Nolan ("The Dark Knight") and Emma Thomas have seemingly already started meeting with a shortlist of directors to take on the reboot Superman: Man of Steel according to Deadline.

Tony Scott  Matt Reeves Jonathan Liebesman, Duncan Jones and Zack Snyder are the contenders

Nolan and Thomas are shepherding the new pic based on an idea of Nolan's which David Goyer then fleshed out into a full script.

Nolan has reportedly already started meeting with candidates and will submit his choice to the studio suits within the next few weeks.

If I were asked to make the decision Snyder or Jones would get the nod because I think they are up to the task of doing the Caped Wonder justice...Scott is too busy Reeves and Liebesman while solid--don't "feel right"


I must say-While I no longer have notions of a film career--My one industry dream job would be to take the center seat on this one myself

Friday, September 24, 2010

Watson And The Wordrobe

Former Harry Potter star Emma Watson Dominic Cooper and the great Derek Jacobi have been added to the cast of Simon CurtisMy Week With Marilyn. reports The Daily Mail.

The story is based on a diary by Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne), a young actor who worked for Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh) when he took Marilyn Monroe (Michelle Williams) around London while she shot "The Prince and the Showgirl"



Clark and Marilyn shared many confidences and became close despite her recent marriage to playwright Arthur Miller

Watson plays Lucy, a wardrobe assistant working behind the scenes during the making of the film who has a few dates with Clark. Jacobi plays Windsor Castle royal librarian Sir Owen Morshead Cooper is Monroe's snazzy business partner Milton Greene.

Judi Dench, Zoe Wanamaker, Richard Clifford and Philip Jackson also star.

Production kicks off October 4th, though Dench is filming her scenes this week to accommodate her schedule.

Deep Thoughts


Tom Hiddleston ("Thor," "Wallander") and Simon Russell Beale ("Spooks," "An Ideal Husband") have signed on for the Terence Davies-directed romance drama "The Deep Blue Sea" reports The Daily Mail.

Based on Terence Rattigan's 1952 play, Rachel Weisz stars as Hester Collyer, the middle-aged trophy wife of a high court judge (Beale) in 1950 who falls for Freddie a former RAF World War II fighter pilot pilot turned alcoholic (Hiddleston) who gives her her first orgasm. When he walks out on her, the now smitten Hester tries to kill herself.

Filming kicks off in November.

When Weisz finds time for this latest pic is anyone's guess....

Selene Set

Kate Beckinsale has officially closed her deal to reprise her role as Selene in"Underworld 4 The Hollywood Reporter,

Story details are not yet known beyond the saga's usual vampire vs. werewolves tale, but it seems likely events will pick up from the end of 2006's "Underworld: Evolution" with all the vampire elders now slain and Selene having obtained special powers including the ability to safely tolerate daylight.

John Hlavin wrote the script that J. Michael Straczynski ("Changeling," "Babylon 5") is polishing.

The search is on for a director and an actress to play Selene's daughter in the sequel

Tom Rosenberg, Gary Lucchesi and Len Wiseman will be producing.

Filming kicks off in March in Vancouver in order to hit theaters on January 20th, 2012.

Jumping Into Spidey's Web?

Fresh from starring in Easy A Emma Stone has found her name linked to two high-profile flicks- the film version  TV series 21 Jump Street, and the Untitled Spider-Man Reboot says Variety



Stone is front in line for the female lead in 'Jump' opposite Jonah Hill who is starring and co-wrote the script with Michael Bacall. Phil Lord directs and shooting begins early next year.

Stone's name is also on director Marc Webb's list with Lily Collins, Teresa Palmer and Mia Wasikowska for one of two female leads in their upcoming "Spider-Man", opposite  Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker/Spider-Man neither of which is expected to be the character Mary Jane Watson which Kirsten Dunst played in the Sam Raimi-directed films

If they did decide to use the MJ character in Spidey Dare I say that Stone would make a better MJ than Dunst did through 3 pics....

Emmers


Chloe Moretz is attached to play the title role in a film adaptation of the Dark Horse Comic Emily the Strange says Deadline.

Created in the early 1990s by Rob Reger, the character originally appeared on stickers and clothing before moving to comic books in 2005 to expand the brand.

The film is the origin story of a gothic and odd young lady who owns four mysterious cats.

Mike Richardson is producing,with no writer or director currently attached. Reger and Keith Goldberg will executive produce.

Moretz was absolutely great as Hit-Girl in this year's "Kick-Ass," and looks as though she nails it in Friday's horror pic Let Me In

Boomers Reunion

Kevin Kline, Richard Jenkins, Diane KeatonMark Duplass, Dianne Wiest  Sam Shepard and Elisabeth Moss join the drama "Darling Companion" reports Screen Daily and THR

Keaton plays a mother who saves a bedraggled lost dog from the side of the freeway and forms a special bond with the rescued animal. Kline plays her distracted, self-involved husband who loses the dog after a wedding at their vacation home in the Rockies. She enlists the help of the few remaining guests and a mysterious young woman in a frantic search which affects them all in unexpected and emotional ways.

Director Lawrence Kasdan and Kline have previously worked together five times on such films as  "Silverado" and "French Kiss".



The press release for the film calls this the third in a series "meditating on Kasdan’s generation", the previous two films being his acclaimed "The Big Chill" and "Grand Canyon"..

The film will be produced by Anthony Bregman and Elizabeth Redleaf will produce. Kasdan, Christine Walker, Meg Kasdan and John Kelly will serve as executive producers here

Filming kicks off later this month in Utah for four weeks.

Brave Move

Brenda Chapman will direct the Disney and Pixar "Brave," says The Hollywood Reporter.

Previously titled "Bear and The Bow", the story focuses on medieval Scottish princess Merida (Reese Witherspoon) who is a wild girl alienated from her family. After a fight with her mother, she makes a reckless choice that has serious consequences to her father's kingdom and all their lives.


This marks the first project, Pixar's 13th, to be directed by a woman.

The film hits theaters in 2012

Widow Maker

Marvel suit Kevin Feige says Black Widow will get her own film reports Screen Crave.


 Promoting the Tuesday bow of the  Iron Man 2 DVD Feige stated "we’ve already started discussions with [Scarlett Johansson] about the idea of a solo movie and have begun putting together concepts but The Avengers comes first.

Johansson will play BW in the upcoming "The Avengers" flick

Getting Greedy

This week at the cineplex Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) is out of jail and teaches Shia LaBeouf all about how the world works in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (reviews); Rivals Kristen Bell, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sigourney Weaver, Odette Yustman and Betty White try to make nice in the comedy You Again (reviews); And Zack Snyder brings the Legend of the Guardians (reviews:) to the big screen...in 3-D.



Carl DiOrio of THR

Finally, an autumn box-office session moviegoers should really fall for as three wide releases boasting pedigree helmers and top talent hit domestic multiplexes Friday.

It's a well-targeted group, featuring an adult-skewing thriller, a geek-seeking 3D pic and a youth comedy aiming for teens, tweens and their families. But there appears a clear front-runner to grab the weekend's theatrical bragging rights: Fox's Michael Douglas starrer "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps."


The "Wall Street" sequel is on course to fetch $20 million or more through Sunday, keying on older adult fans of Oliver Stone's 1987 original. The PG-13 "Money" cost an estimated $53 million to produce.


Shia LaBeouf and Carey Mulligan co-star, with the original's Charlie Sheen on board for a cameo. Responding to marketing materials showing younger cast members as well as Douglas, tracking surveys show creeping interest among moviegoers too young to have seen the first financial thriller in theaters.


"Clearly, we have all adults 25 and up on board, and the younger people now are starting to respond," Fox distribution topper Bruce Snyder said.


Promotion has been a bit hampered by Douglas' unavailability because of cancer therapy, though the topliner did stump for "Money" in the spring before Fox postponed its release to adult-friendly fall.


Also arriving Friday is Warner Bros.' animated 3D fantasy adventure "Legend of the Guardians: Owls of Ga'Hoole." It was an early favorite to compete for the top spot this weekend, but must-see interest has been limp of late in tracking surveys.


Directed by Zack Snyder, a fanboy fave for "Watchmen" and "300," "Guardians" unspools in a record 2,479 3D locations among 3,575 total theaters. Helen Mirren, Anthony LaPaglia and Sam Neill join several child actors in the voice cast of the PG pic, the first in a presumed series of movies based on the "Guardians of Ga'Hoole" book series by Kathryn Lasky.


A bow in the high-teen millions looks likely, with execs hoping pic support eventually broadens from its family base to encompass more fans of the director and 3D cinema.


"We have great confidence in Zack Snyder," Warner distribution boss Dan Fellman said. "He has delivered for us in the past and has done so once again. 'Guardians' will be perceived as the best 3D ever to reach the market to date."


Village Roadshow was a 50-50 partner on the production, which took advantage of Australian tax credits to shave costs to an estimated $79 million.


Disney's youth-targeting comedy "You Again" is the weekend's third major wide opener.


Directed by Andy Fickman ("Race to Witch Mountain"), the films stars Kristen Bell, Jamie Lee Curtis, Betty White and Sigourney Weaver.


"There hasn't been a flat-out comedy with these kind of stars for a while," Disney distribution president Chuck Viane said.


Expectations for the pic's bow are modest, though. Costing an estimated $20 million to produce, the PG pic is expected to open in the $8 million-$10 million range....

Nicole Sperling of EW

It’s not every weekend that we get to see owls battling investment bankers for our movie-going dollars. But this frame, Zack Snyder’s longest-titled film ever, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole, takes on an equally verbose film, Oliver Stone’s Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps. The two couldn’t be reaching for more different audiences

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Red Staters

Kevin Smith talked to Hollywood Babble-on Smodcast about casting John Goodman and Stephen Root in his currently shooting pic Red State

Dermot Mulroney, Michael Angarano, Kyle Gallner Melissa Leo and Michael Parks also star in the horror film in which a group of misfits encounter fundamentalism gone to the extreme in Middle America.


Root has also signed onto the real-life romance-drama "Everybody Loves Whales" playing Governor Haskell.

The Negotiator

Elizabeth Banks has joined for the crime thriller Man on a Ledge says Variety.

The film follows a cop falsely imprisoned (Sam Worthington) who escapes after being let out for his father's funeral and stands on a hotel ledge threatening suicide. At the same time his brother (Jamie Bell) plans the heist of a jewellery store across the street while his brother's actions are keeping everyone occupied.

Banks will play the NYPD  crisis negotiator who tries to talk the cop, with whom she has a past relationship, down from his precarious perch.

Anthony Mackie also stars.

Asger Leth directs from a  Chris Gorak, Erich and Jon Hoeber polish of Pablo Fenjves'' script

Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Mark Vahradian and David Ready will produce.

Shooting kicks off in November in New York.

I Can Stare At Her All Day

Oscar winner Charlize Theron has won the remake rights to Elbert van Strien's Dutch supernatural thriller "Two Eyes Staring" (aka. "Zwart Water") says The Hollywood Reporter.


The story follows a nine-year-old girl who discovers her sinister friend is the ghost of her mother's dead twin.

van Strien and Paulo van Vliet wrote the original script.

Theron will also produce the American redo

A few "A-list directors" are currently in talks about calling action

A New "Hope"


Meryl Streep, James Gandolfini and Philip Seymour Hoffman may team up with Mike Nichols-on his drama "Great Hope Springs" says Vulture.

Gandolfini and Streep would play a couple married for three decades who must decide whether to continue with the arrangement during an intense weekend of counselling.

Jeff Bridges was previously reported as being set to play the husband, but the deal didn't ultimately happen.

Paul Thomas Anderson's religion-themed pic is now in limbo according to Total Film via The Playlist--and freeing up his schedule,making Seymour Hoffman set for the role of their therapist.

Nichols directs from a script by Vanessa Taylor,

Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, Guymon Casady and Steve Tisch are producing. The project is aiming for filming to get underway in March.

Other Half

Alexis Bledel ("Gilmore Girls" Sin City ) has joined the cast of the indie drama Violet & Daisy says Variety.

The story involves a pair of teenage female assassins (Bledel, Saoirse Ronan) who are lured into what is supposed to be just another quick and easy job, only to find complications as the man they're supposed to kill is not what they expected.

James Gandolfini also stars as the target

"Precious" writer Geoffrey Fletcher makes his directorial debut on the pic and will produce with Bonnie Timmerman.

Filming kicks off next week in New York.