Media Recap

Here's the Media Recap!!! Provided by the ever observant Elston Gunn. He's doing a great job with this, for all the people out there than don't have the time to check out Reuters all the time. Of course a lot of the news was first reported by Variety or Hollywood Reporter, but hey, them's the breaks, Elston gets it from Reuters. So here's the recap...

Taken from REUTERS ONLINE

CASTING

(signed)

* Christina Ricci will star opposite Johnny Depp in Tim Burton's SLEEPY HOLLOW for Scott Rudin Prods. and Paramount Pictures. Shooting begins in October in Tarrytown, NY.

* Forest Whitaker will star in Jim Jarmusch's next film GHOST DOG--described as a spiritual gangster film.

* Scott Glenn (ABSOLUTE POWER) signed to star in the upcoming indie action-thriller THE LAST MARSHALL.

* William Sasso ("Mad TV") has joined the cast of New Line's comedy DAIRY QUEENS. Shooting should begin August 2 in Minnesota.

* Meredith Scott Lynn (BILLY'S HOLLYWOOD SCREEN KISS) has joined FORCES OF NATURE with Ben Affleck, Sandra Bullock and Maura Tierney for DreamWorks.

* John Goodman and Joe Montegna have entered the indie film THE RUNNER about a compulsive gambler who takes a job running numbers for a mobster. Shooting is underway in Salt Lake City.

* Scott Caan, son of James, will join Mia Kirshner (MAD CITY) in the upcoming feature SATURN.

* Jamie Pressly (POISON IVY III) has landed a role in SPRINGERS (working title) based on "The Jerry Springer Show."

* Catherine Oxenberg will star in TIME SERVED directed by Lee Frost. Filming begins Aug. 8 in Chicago.

* Judd Hirsch, Marilu Henner, Jeff Conaway, Carol Kane and Danny Devito (all from "Taxi") will themselves in the Andy Kaufman biopic MAN ON THE MOON as will Lorne Michaels and the Improv's Budd Friedman.

* George Clooney will star in 1920s football romantic comedy LETHERHEADS for Universal working again with director Steven Soderbergh who is in pre-production on THE LIMEY for Artisan Entertainment.

* Jeff Bridges is joining THE MUSE written, directed and starring Albert Brooks. Sharon Stone and Andie MacDowell co-star.

DIRECTOR/WRITER ATTACHMENTS

(signed)

* MTV Films has signed newcomer Eric Fleming to write and direct a feature comedy adaptation of his upcoming book GETTING INTO YALE.

* Nora Ephron (SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE) has signed to write, produce and direct the film adaptation of Marie Winn's book RED TAILS IN LOVE: A WILDLIFE DRAMA IN CENTRAL PARK for Columbia Pictures.

* Lawrence Kasdan will direct Gigi Levangie's (STEPMOM) script PRE-NUP.

* Dennis Dugan (HAPPY GILMORE) will direct Adam Sandler in GUY GETS KID about a slacker who adopts a 6 year old boy to impress his girlfriend.

* National Public Radio's Robert Kaplow is working on the script BOY WONDER about Orson Welles for Carl Reiner to direct.

(in talks)

* Director Adam Rifkin (SMALL SOLDIERS writer) may direct a 1970s period film, DETROIT ROCK CITY, featuring glam-rock band KISS for New Line Cinema.

* Betty Thomas is in talks to direct Matthey McConaughey as Evel Knievel in PURE EVEL written by John Logan (Oliver Stone's upcoming ON ANY GIVEN SUNDAY).

MISCELLANEOUS PRODUCTION TIDBITS

* Miramax Films will re-release the Beatles classic HARD DAY'S NIGHT in March of '99.

* Artisan Entertainment has picked up Atom Egoyan's (THE SWEET HEREAFTER) next film FELICIA'S JOURNEY from Mel Gibson and Bruce Davey's Icon Prods. Shooting begins in Sept. with Bob Hoskins starring.

* Martin Scorcese is said to be putting his Dean Martin biopic "on the back burner" so he can have an all star cast (Tom Hanks, John Travolta, Hugh Grant, Adam Sandler, Jim Carrey) which can't happen right now.

* Warner Bros. is setting up a remake of the 1941 comedy LOVE CRAZY which originally starred William Powell and Myrna Loy.

That about does it for this week. A lot of casting news occurred this week. Jim Jarmusch directing Forest Whitaker promises to be cool. Dennis Dugan re-teaming with Adam Sandler as well as Steven Soderbergh re-teaming with George Clooney are very welcome. Betty Thomas doing PURE EVEL would be her most serious venture yet. Martin Scorcese putting the Dean Martin flick off is worrysome (to me--I can't wait until this movie happens) but should be well worth the wait. Most of the "Taxi" cast in the Andy Kaufman flick is exciting as well. A KISS movie is near. Cool. LOVE CRAZY remake? Maybe I should do a remake of the week thing. A remake is in the news every week.

A TV side note for die hard SIMPSONS fans: Hank Azaria (voice of Apu, Chief Wiggum, Moe) is reported to be doing the voice for STRESSED ERIC coming this fall on NBC. Check it out. Until next week.

Elston Gunn