**FilmDistrict to Release THE RUM DIARY Starring Johnny Depp on October 28th **Hailee Steinfeld Attached to SLEEPING BEAUTY **James Spader, Ryan Phillippe, and Carla Gugino Join Eric Bana in Sheldon Turner’s BY VIRTUE FALL **BATMAN Reboot Christopher Nolan to Remain on as Producer **Teresa Palmer in Talks to Co-Star with Nicholas Hoult in Zombie Love Story WARM BODIES

FilmDistrict to Release THE RUM DIARY Starring Johnny Depp on October 28th
by Matt Goldberg Posted: March 29th, 2011
We haven’t heard much about Bruce Robinson’s adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson’s The Rum Diary since we ran some images from the flick last June. It was slightly worrisome that a movie that starred Johnny Depp, Aaron Eckhart, Amber Heard, Michael Rispoli, Richard Jenkins, and Giovanni Ribisi was sitting on the shelf, but now that worry can be set aside. FilmDistrict has announced that they have picked up the film and will release in the heart of awards season on October 28th.


The story centers on itinerant journalist Paul Kemp (Depp) who moves to Puerto Rico and eventually discovers his voice as a writer and his integrity. Hit the jump for a full synopsis and the press release. The only other films currently opening on October 28th are the horror flick Dibbuk Box and Andrew Niccol’s sci-fi thriller Now starring Amanda Seyfried and Justin Timberlake.
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http://collider.com/the-rum-diary-release-date-film-district/83040/




Hailee Steinfeld Attached to SLEEPING BEAUTY Spec Script
by Matt Goldberg Posted: March 29th, 2011
Hailee Steinfeld may have missed out on The Hunger Games due to her age, but the young Oscar-nominee is showing no signs of slowing down. In addition to circling an adaptation of the upcoming novel Forgotten, Steinfeld is now attached to lead a re-imagining of Sleeping Beauty. According to Deadline, Lindsay Devlin’s script tells the story from the eponymous princess’ point of view and has her fighting to find a way out of the dream world. While I’m getting a little sick of these re-tooled fairy tales, I like the premise of this one. The story of waiting for a prince is stale and a smart director could have some fun telling the tale from Aurora’s point of view.


However, if Sleeping Beauty moves forward (the script is currently out to buyers) it will have plenty of competition when it comes to fairy tale re-imaginings. Hit the jump for list of just some of the public domain properties that Hollywood is banking on.
........ http://collider.com/hailee-steinfeld-sleeping-beauty/83067/










Teresa Palmer in Talks to Co-Star with Nicholas Hoult in Zombie Love Story WARM BODIES
by Matt Goldberg Posted: March 29th, 2011
Teresa Palmer (I Am Number Four) is in talks to star alongside Nicholas Hoult (A Single Man) in Jonathan Levine’s adaptation of Isaac Marion’s upcoming novel Warm Bodies. Per Heat Vision, the story is described as a cross between Shaun of the Dead (yay!) and Twilight (nay!) and “follows an existentially tormented zombie named R that begins an unlikely friendship with the human girlfriend (Palmer) of one of his victims. The blossoming relationship starts a chain reaction that will transform him, his fellow zombies and maybe the whole lifeless world.” Palmer’s character is the daughter of one of the “military leaders who is tiring of a life of constantly fighting off zombie attacks.”


Palmer recently co-starred in back-to-back duds with I Am Number Four and Take Me Home Tonight, but I don’t think the short-comings of those films are her fault. She showed she can be a bad-ass in I Am Number Four and she demonstrated charm in TMHT, so it’s really a matter of finding the right project for her talents. Perhaps Warm Bodies will be it. Hit the jump for a synopsis of the novel.
........ http://collider.com/teresa-palmer-warm-bodies/83011/






James Spader, Ryan Phillippe, and Carla Gugino Join Eric Bana in Sheldon Turner’s BY VIRTUE FALL
by Matt Goldberg Posted: March 29th, 2011
Last summer we reported that Eric Bana and Colin Farrell were in talks to co-star in By Virtue Fall, the directorial debut of Up in the Air screenwriter Sheldon Turner. Farrell eventually dropped off the project but Bana has signed on and according to 24 Frames, he’ll be joined by James Spader, Ryan Phillippe, and Carla Gugino. The story concerns “two ATF agents who find themselves on opposite sides of the friendship divide after one sells out the other.”


Bana tells 24 Frames that he hopes to make By Virtue Fall his next project after finishing the thriller Blackbird with Olivia Wilde. He’ll be seen in theaters this week alongside Cate Blanchett and Saoirse Ronan in Joe Wright’s Hanna.
......... http://collider.com/eric-bana-ryan-phillippe-carla-gugino-by-virtue-fall/83021/






Warner Bros. to Reboot BATMAN after THE DARK KNIGHT RISES; Christopher Nolan to Remain on as Producer
by Matt Goldberg Posted: March 29th, 2011
Christopher Nolan has publicly stated that The Dark Knight Rises will be his final Batman film, and Warner Bros. is already looking ahead to the future of the franchise. As we reported last night, the studio is currently planning a Justice League movie for 2013 and Warner Bros. president Jeff Robinov tells Hero Complex that scripts are being written for Flash and Wonder Woman (the Wonder Woman project would exist separately from the upcoming NBC show). But most intriguing is what the studio plans to do with its marquee superhero, Batman:


“We have the third Batman, but then we’ll have to reinvent Batman…” says Robinov. “Chris Nolan and [producing partner and wife] Emma Thomas will be producing it, so it will be a conversation with them about what the next phase is.”


Hit the jump for my thoughts on the future of the Batman franchise.
............ http://collider.com/batman-reboot-warner-bros-christopher-nolan-producer/83025/