Filed under: Drama, Casting, Deals, Scripts & Screenwriting

After wrapping up The X Files, Gillian Anderson practically went into hiding. She’s had a small handful of roles, some time in Bleak House, and that’s about it. But maybe there’s just something about X Files air that makes her feel like working and making the money. She’s wrapped How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, and along with the X Files sequel, she’s got a few other flicks on the way. There’s No One Gets Off in This Town on her docket, and Variety reports that’s she’s now signed on for Kfir Yefet’s The Smell of Apples.

Set in South Africa during the ’70s, Apples is a coming-of-age drama based on Mark Behr’s novel. Marnus Erasmus is a young kid from an affluent, white, South African family who grows in a house of “terrible hatred and ignorance.” Yet he’s also challenged by the events that happen around him, from a servant’s son who is severely burned, to an aunt who is exiled for her liberal views. I imagine that Anderson will play Marnus’ mother, and Julian McMahon, who is co-starring, will probably be the dad and “youngest-ever major-general in the South African Defence Force.” Variety says the production, which will gear up in the new year, will be the first film from the partnership between Pink Sands, a UK production house, and the London-based Target Entertainment. But first, of course, Gillian needs to chill with aliens again for all of those Scully fiends out there.

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Filed under: Celebrity Style

Half of the world’s most famous pair of fashion twins has been spotted with Lance Armstrong lately. Gossip columnists seem convinced that it’s Ashley, but I still can’t tell those Olsen sisters apart — so who knows which twin has actually been engaging in serious PDA with the Tour de France champion.

Could this mean The Row will start making cycling gear? Probably not. But will it mean Lance Armstrong will be totally creeped out every time he watches Full House re-runs — realizing that the first time he saw 3-year-old Michelle Tanner nauseate audiences with “You got it, dude!” he was in high school?

Absolutely.

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Filed under: Action & Adventure, Drama, Thrillers, Casting, Deals, Sony, Newsstand

Since his Academy Award-nominated turn as a racist cop in Crash, the ever-reliable Matt Dillon has starred as Charles Bukowski’s alter-ego in the drama Factotum and played a hapless husband in the disappointing You, Me and Dupree. He also appeared recently in supporting roles in Kevin Bacon’s drama Loverboy and opposite Lindsay Lohan in the family comedy Herbie: Fully Loaded. That selection of parts has been typical throughout Dillon’s career, as he’s moved easily between the independent and studio worlds and is equally at home in both comedies and dramas.

Now The Hollywood Reporter says that he’s in final negotiations for two more roles, both crime-related. Dillon will play a detective who intercepts the plans of a group of bank robbers in Bone Deep. The article doesn’t say whether Dillon is working for the police or on his own, only that the robbers are trying to pull off a $20 million heist. John Luessenhop is set to direct; he previously made the prison drama Lockdown. I’m hoping Bone Deep will give Dillon a chance to play a sleazy detective, possibly related to his sleazy high school teacher in Wild Things. Few people combine sleaze and charm like Dillon.

Armored features another gang of thieves, this time “armored car guards who plan to empty their truck of $10 million,” according to THR. Hmm, does that mean they’re more modest than the thieves in Bone Deep? Will the two gangs run into each other while they’re trying to get away? No word on what part Dillon would play, but Columbus Short, who just turned down The Green Lantern, will co-star. Nimród Antal (the excellent Kontroll and the surprising Vacancy) will direct. Before those films come out, we can anticipate Dillon in Old Dogs, Nothing But the Truth and Cadillac Records.

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Filed under: Action & Adventure, Classics, Foreign Language, Casting, The Weinstein Co., George Lucas, Remakes and Sequels, Cinematical Indie

As much as I disapprove of most remakes, I don’t really have an issue with Akira Kurosawa’s films being redone. The thing is, Kurosawa was a master of remakes, having continually reworked John Ford and Shakespeare. And in turn, his films have been remade as or have influenced later classics, like The Magnificent Seven and Star Wars. Sure, it’s worth complaining about The Weinstein Co. remaking The Seven Samurai, because, well, it’s The Weinstein Co. But I see little issue with the news, courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter, that Japanese studio Toho, which produced the original, is working on a redo of The Hidden Fortress. This is the film, after all, that is constantly cited as the basis for Star Wars, and if it’s good enough in the hands of George Lucas, it could be good enough in the hands of special effects wizard-turned-director Shinji Higuchi (The Sinking of Japan). Cast as General Makabe, the part originated by the legendary Toshirô Mifune, is super-tall (for his country) actor Hiroshi Abe (Godzilla 2000). The part of Princess Uehara will be played by Masami Nagasawa (Godzilla: Final Wars).

One issue that Kurosawa fans may have with this remake, and The Hollywood Reporter already points this out, is that the two comical peasant characters, Tahei and Matashichi, are being condensed into one character called “Takezo”. The character will still serve the same function, with his point of view being the film’s perspective, but unless he talks to himself a lot, he just won’t be the same. Aside from inspiring R2-D2 and C-3PO, Tahei and Matashichi have obviously influenced other pairings, including the recent characters Ragetti and Pintel from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Perhaps Toho believes we’ve seen enough of such duos? The new singular version, “Takezo”, will be played by Jun Matsumoto, best known as a member of the boy band Arashi.

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Filed under: Drama, Casting, Deals, Scripts & Screenwriting, Distribution

In July, I alerted you to a new coming-of-age drama in the works — I Know You Know. It’s about a kid who thinks his dad might work undercover for the British Secret Intelligence Service, otherwise known as SIS or MI6. It’s the second feature for writer/director Justin Kerrigan, who is the man behind the late ’90s club film Human Traffic. And Robert Carlyle, everyone’s favorite Begbie, had signed on to star. Now Variety has reported that Little Film Company has picked up the worldwide distribution rights, and there’s a better synopsis and added cast for the film, which will begin shooting in Cardiff, Wales this November.

As Variety describes it, the film focuses “on a teenager who is fascinated by his father’s espionage work until the world of spies becomes all too real and he slowly begins to understand that his father is occupying a different reality.” I guess it’s sort of like the dudes who want to blow people up, and then realize they have to go through boot camp before first. But, more serious. However it plays, it’ll be cool to see Carlyle as a spy dad.

Newcomer Aaron Fuller, who is only 13, has been cast as the curious son. According to icWales, Fuller got cast although he’s never had an acting lesson, and never thought about being an actor until a casting call went out at his school. They’re all saying he’s a natural. But that’s not the only new cast member that has been added since word broke on the picture. David Bradley, who creeps people out as Argus Filch in the Harry Potter series, will also co-star.

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Filed under: Comedy, Casting, Newsstand

Big Brother was supposed to start production in January of this year, at least, according to early reports when Seann William Scott was cast. But what movie ever sticks to a schedule? When Paul Rudd joined in December, production was pushed back to April. But as of September, McLovin -aka- Christopher Mintz-Plasse signed on and production still hadn’t started. Now, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Elizabeth Banks has also signed on, to play Rudd’s girlfriend who gets him into the Big Brother program — and, it’s finally into production.

Unfortunately, it’s still having name issues. First, it was Big Brother; then, it became Little Big Men, which wasn’t so good as it sounds like some sort of orphan drama or something; now, it’s currently an “untitled mentor project.” I have to admit, I’m pretty psyched about this flick, mainly because it was written by The Ten’s David Wain (who is also directing) and Ken Marino, along with Rudd. Between Marino’s work as Vinnie Van Lowe, Rudd’s involvement, and James Rocchi’s great interview with Wain and Marino back in August, you couldn’t keep me away from this picture. Now that they’ve finally begun shooting, maybe we can see this sucker some time in the new year.

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Filed under: Comedy, Casting, Newsstand

Okay… Before I get to the wonder that is Bruce Campbell, I’ve got to take a second and complain. If you remember anything about our previous coverage of Ghost Town, such as David Koepp signing on to direct Greg Kinnear and Ricky Gervais, Tea Leoni signing on, and then Kristen Wiig, you probably remember the premise. A dentist (Gervais) heads in for a colonoscopy under the knife of Wiig, and he dies for seven minutes. When he comes back to life, he can see the dead — especially a ghostly businessman (Kinnear) who wants him to break up his widow’s (Leoni) upcoming marriage.

Anal surgery is no longer the culprit. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the dentist temporarily kicks the bucket during a “routine dental surgery.” Now that is a really boring and lame change. What’s wrong with a colonoscopy? Gah. At least we’ve got Campbell to soften the news. He has signed on to play Leoni’s character’s fiance — the one that the dentist really isn’t into. Since this ghostly apparition isn’t through Whoopi, I keep wondering if it’ll end up with Kinnear taking over Gervais’ body to have a second chance with his wife. Or maybe Campbell will go Ash on his ass and take him out of the picture. He could always just say Deadites possessed the dude. Shooting has already begun in New York, and hopefully they haven’t vanilla-ed anything else.

Post edited as the original THR post now says “Billy Campbell” is the other man, and not Bruce. Thanks to ***Lance*** for spotting that. What a shame.

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Filed under: Action & Adventure, Casting, Deals, Fandom, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand, George Clooney, Comic/Superhero/Geek

Well, only 24 hours after that nutty George Clooney rumor, it seems Paramount is targeting another actor to lead the live-action G.I. Joe project: Sam Worthington. While he’s not a big time A-list name, Worthington is also starring in James Cameron’s Avatar, so between that film and this one, he could be eying a spot on the Hot Up-and-Comers List. Variety doesn’t say which character Worthington is in talks for, only that he is in talks to star, but they do say that the studio is doing their best to work around his Avatar shooting schedule — and so, to me, that appears to be the only sticking point. G.I. Joe will begin production on February 13; it will be directed by Stephen Sommers, off a script written by Skip Woods and Stuart Beattie.

The Variety article also goes into much detail regarding the other projects rushing to finalize scripts and production schedules. At Paramount, there’s G.I. Joe, another Friday the 13th, Morning Glory and Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island (starring Leonardo DiCaprio). Fox is set to go on Wolverine (with rewrites coming from James Vanderbilt and Scott Silver up until the final minute before a potential strike), as well as The Day the Earth Stood Still remake, starring Keanu Reeves, which currently has a December 18, 2008 release date. The article continues to run through each studio, naming the films gearing up for winter or spring production, so head on over there to get a taste of the most buzzed-about pics heading our way in 2008 and 2009.

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Filed under: Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Casting, New Line, Scripts & Screenwriting, Newsstand, Remakes and Sequels

Once again, I’m going to pretend like I made something happen. Two days ago, on this very Cinematical program, I declared that there can be only one Snake Plissken in movieland, and he shall be forever played by Kurt Russell. Well, perhaps Gerard Butler agrees with me, because he’s now dropped out of the remake of Escape from New York, according to Variety. The trade says the decision was due to creative differences, which could very well mean that New Line wants to go with the Snake Plissken name, while Butler sided with me in saying that was a bad idea. Of course, I don’t want to be responsible for Butler quitting a gig; after all, I implied that it was okay for the 300 star to do the remake, just that he needed another, less-iconic character name. Regardless, though, Butler’s departure follows news that Brett Ratner is no longer or was never attached to direct the movie, which had followed news that Len Wiseman was also not involved. And suddenly the project is empty of talent. But for those three of you who are looking forward to it, the remake is not dead yet. New Line has hired Jonathan Mostow to script a rewrite and has apparently offered him the option to direct as well.

Mostow, who interestingly enough directed Russell in Breakdown, will be revising the current script penned by Ken Nolan. Back in July, Aint it Cool News posted a review of the earlier draft; revealing that it was relatively faithful to John Carpenter’s original while also being modernized with timely relevance to the Middle East conflicts. The script also was said to feature flashbacks to Snake’s military career in order to show background for his imprisonment. We’ll have to wait and see if Mostow changes much of the details from that version, but I think we can trust the project in his hands. Sure, he’s been known to play with history, substituting Americans for British in significant WWII plots, and he seemed to piss off a lot of fans with his direction of Terminator 3: Rise o the Machines (not me, though; I enjoyed it), but Mostow is a heck of a lot better than Wiseman and Ratner. So, should he direct? Is it like choosing the lesser of evils? Do you wish New Line would just scrap the whole thing altogether (they won’t — they paid too much for it)? And most importantly, who should play Snake, or “guy who isn’t called Snake” as I suggested the character to be named, now that Butler is out?

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British glamour model Jordan a.k.a Katie Price has revealed that she wants her gravestone inscription to pay tribute to her boobs.

The 29-year-old, who has had countless breast implants, recently said that she wants ‘She had perfect t**s!’ engraved on her tombstone.

“I’d like to have, ‘She had perfect t**s,’” The Sun quoted her, as saying.

She also revealed a more sober tomb stone message, saying she’d want it to read ‘Wonder Woman.’

“‘Wonder Woman.’ I’d like that after all I’ve been through - having kids, trying to make everyone else happy and working hard,” she said

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