**James Franco and Winona Ryder to Star in Psychological Thriller THE STARE **HBO Picks Up Armando Iannucci’s VEEP Comedy Series Starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus **Matt Reeves Takes Another Bite out of Vampire Flicks with THE PASSAGE **Thomas Jane Enters HEADSHOT with Sylvester Stallone **Ryan Gosling Will NOT Star in THE LONE RANGER

HBO Picks Up Armando Iannucci’s VEEP Comedy Series Starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus
by Ethan Anderton Posted: April 18th, 2011
Delivering one of the best political satire comedies I’ve seen in years, In the Loop writer and director Armando Iannucci just had his new comedy series Veep picked up by HBO. Starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, the series follows former Senator Selina Meyer (Louis-Dreyfus), who becomes Vice President, only to discover the job is nothing like she expected, but everything she was warned about. The cast also includes In the Loop star Anna Chlumsky, Tony Hale (Arrested Development) Matt Walsh (Outsourced) and more.


Iannucci says, “I’m thrilled more than anyone is legally entitled to be. HBO is the dream network to make television for, and I’m excited to be working with such a superb and funny cast headed by the uber-superb-and-funny Julia Louis-Dreyfus. If making season one of Veep is as much fun as making the pilot, then I can die chuckling. Plus, we get to say rude words.” Since In the Loop was filled with great comedy and colorful language, this sounds great to me. Hit the jump for the full press release with more details.
............... http://collider.com/veep-hbo-julia-louis-dreyfus/86531/






James Franco and Winona Ryder to Star in Psychological Thriller THE STARE
by Matt Goldberg Posted: April 18th, 2011
James Franco and Winona Ryder will star in Jay Anania’s The Stare, the first feature funded by Waterstone Entertainment, a new producing/financing company. Deadline reports that the Ryder would play a playwright who “finds her mind beginning to warp as she struggles to launch her next production. She’s plagued by dreams and visions of being watched, but can’t decide if she’s at the center of a manipulative plot or simply losing her grip on reality.” So it sounds like Black Swan but this time it’s a writer who’s going mad and Ryder gets to be the star. As for Franco, he’ll play an actor who’s in the playwright’s production. Filming is set to begin on May 6th in New York.


Franco, who is one of Anania’s students at NYU where he heads the graduate directing program, previously starred in Anania’s Shadows & Lies and will serve as one of the producers on The Stare. Presumably, Franco will be able to get in this film before moving on to star in Sam Raimi’s Oz, The Great and Powerful As for Ryder, she’ll be one of the voices in Tim Burton’s 3D stop-motion remake of Frankenweenie.
................... http://collider.com/james-franco-winona-ryder-the-stare/86536/






Matt Reeves Takes Another Bite out of Vampire Flicks with THE PASSAGE
by Matt Goldberg Posted: April 18th, 2011
Director Matt Reeves (Let Me In) apparently hasn’t gotten his fill of bloodsuckers because he’s signed on to direct the vampire flick The Passage. But unlike the sad, meditative, personal drama of Let Me In, The Passage is more along the infected lines of 28 Days Later and The Stand. According to Deadline, the story—based on the novel by Justin Cronin—centers on the government attempting a cure for cancer after a group of terminal patients become healthy after being subjected to bat bites in South America. But their experimentation leads to the creation of nearly indestructible, telepathic vampire masters that begin infecting the populace. Moral of the story: don’t try to cure cancer.


Last September, we reported that screenwriter John Logan (Rango) would be handling the script, but now Reeves will oversee a rewrite by a yet-to-be-determined replacement since Logan is busy on the new James Bond flick. Last week, Reeves also signed on to write and direct an adaptation of the short story 8 O’Clock in the Morning. It’s unknown which project he’ll direct first although The Passage has a bit of a head start since there’s already a finished script. Hit the jump for a synopsis of the Justin Cronin’s novel.
............ http://collider.com/matt-reeves-the-passage/86541/






Thomas Jane Enters HEADSHOT with Sylvester Stallone
by Jason Barr Posted: April 18th, 2011
Last week, we brought you the news that Walter Hill (The Warriors) will be directing Sylvester Stallone in the action/thriller Headshot. Today, JoBlo reports that Thomas Jane will be starring alongside Sly as an NYPD detective. Per their report, Jane dropped the news of his involvement while appearing on their “Arrow in the Head” podcast and claims that it is indeed a done deal. Production on Headshot is expected to begin next month in New Orleans.


The script, initially penned by Alessandro Camon (The Messengers) and currently undergoing rewrites by Hill, focuses on a New Orleans-based hitman (Stallone) who shares a common goal of revenge with the aforementioned NYPD detective (Jane) as they are connected by two gruesome murders. As the story goes, the pair “take on all who stand in their way, and are willing to sacrifice everything to exact revenge.” With Stallone, Hill, and now Jane on board, color me excited for Headshot.
............... http://collider.com/thomas-jane-headshot/86550/








Ryan Gosling Will NOT Star in THE LONE RANGER
by Adam Chitwood Posted: April 18th, 2011
Well, so much for that pairing. Just a few days ago it was reported that Ryan Gosling was in talks to star in Disney’s The Lone Ranger opposite Johnny Depp. Now it appears the actor won’t be taking on the title role after all. The initial story stressed that the deal was far from closed and Gosling was having trouble lining up his schedule, and now EW confirms that the actor was ultimately unable to fit the project in.


Directed by Gore Verbinski, The Lone Ranger is set to star Depp as Tonto, with producers currently searching for the right actor to take on the role of Tonto’s masked companion. Depp has previously mentioned George Clooney and Brad Pitt as possible contenders for the part. Shooting is set to begin this fall.
.......... http://collider.com/ryan-gosling-the-lone-ranger-2/86562/