Is the New Judd Apatow/Paul Feig Comedy Made for Jon Hamm and Melissa McCarthy?
by Jason Barr Posted: June 15th, 2011
A little over a week ago, we reported that Universal was reuniting with producer Judd Apatow and director Paul Feig following on the heels of their hit comedy Bridesmaids. The only thing we knew about the project at that time was that Feig had worked on the material (described as an “unconventional love story”) for some time and that Universal loved the pitch (and the success of Bridesmaids) enough to acquire it. While we don’t have a ton of new details on the untitled project today, we do have a casting rumor that has peaked my interest. According to Deadline, the project is about a “guy who becomes obsessed with a woman” with the male and female leads being drawn up with Bridesmaids co-stars Jon Hamm and Melissa McCarthy in mind. More after the jump.http://collider.com/jon-hamm-melissa-mccarthy-judd-apatow-comedy/96640/
Will Sean Penn Direct Robert De Niro in THE COMEDIAN?
by Jason Barr Posted: June 15th, 2011
A few weeks ago, we brought you the rumor that Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro may reunite for Art Linson and Jeffrey Ross’ character-driven script The Comedian with the disclaimer that it would most likely turn out to be unfounded. Today, I’m here to strike that rumor and insert yet another: that Sean Penn will direct De Niro in The Comedian. This newest unconfirmed report comes from the New York Post (via The Playlist) which claims that Penn has come aboard to helm the pic with production set to get underway in New York next year. While my gut tells me to take this news with a grain of salt at present, Penn and De Niro do have some history with Linson who produced films such as Heat and The Untouchables (both starring De Niro) as well as What Just Happened which features both actors.
As a refresher, Linson and Ross’ The Comedian would pit De Niro as an aging insult comic that is described as a Don Rickles/Joan Rivers hybrid. Hopefully we have some sort of solid footing regarding both Penn and De Niro’s involvement sooner rather than later. In the meantime, stay tuned for more on the project, including the rumor I start myself which claims that I’ll be directing the film. http://collider.com/sean-penn-robert-de-niro-the-comedian/96612/
Russell Crowe to Play Jor-El in MAN OF STEEL
by Jason Barr Posted: June 15th, 2011
Emerging from a group of names that included Sean Penn and Clive Owen, Russell Crowe has been tapped by Warner Bros. to take on the role of Superman’s biological father, Jor-El, in Christopher Nolan and Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel. Variety confirms Crowe’s casting in the project which is set to begin production next month in Vancouver. While Jor-El’s level of involvement in David Goyer’s script is currently unknown, the “A-list” casting of the role harkens back to Marlon Brando’s turn as Kal-El’s father in Richard Donner’s original Superman.
Crowe joins a cast that already includes Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Kevin Costner, Michael Shannon and Diane Lane. The role of Jor-El’s wife, Lara, is still up in the air, although Dark Horizons reported earlier today that Crowe’s Gladiator co-star Connie Nielsen may have an offer for the gig on the table as I type. Man of Steel is currently eyeing a holiday 2012 release. http://collider.com/russell-crowe-superman-man-of-steel/96605/
Ben Affleck Attached to Direct TELL NO ONE for Warner Bros. and Universal
by Jason Barr Posted: June 15th, 2011
Warner Bros. and Universal Pictures have optioned the rights to remake/re-adapt author Harlan Coben’s mystery novel Tell No One with Ben Affleck attached to direct. Affleck will direct a script by Chris Terrio who just so happens to have also penned the director’s next project, Argo. Deadline reports that Terrio’s screenplay will essentially act as a remake of the 2006 French adaptation of the same name directed by Guillaume Canet. Before gallivanting overseas, the property was initially set up at Sony way back in 2002 with now-established names Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (Star Trek) set to adapt. As early as August 2010, writer/director Andrew Dominik (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford) was reported to be working on the adaptation as well.
Briefly, Coben’s Tell No One tells the story of a pediatrician who becomes suspect number one in a series of murders that claimed the life of his wife…or so he thought. For more on the project, hit the jump for a synopsis of the novel. http://collider.com/ben-affleck-tell-no-one/96597/
