Once again we have our Weekly Recap thanks to our brilliant collector, so enough of me and onto the show...
TAKEN FROM VARIETY AND HOLLYWOOD REPORTER VIA REUTERS
CASTING
(signed)
* Rob Lowe will join Mike Myers in the tenatively titled AUSTIN POERS:
THE SPY WHO SHAGGED ME.
CASTING
(signed)
* Rob Lowe will join Mike Myers in the tenatively titled AUSTIN POERS:
THE SPY WHO SHAGGED ME.
* Liza Weil (WHATEVER) has signed to join Kevin Bacon in STIR OF ECHOES. Screenwriter David Koepp will direct the indie flick from his own script.
* Donnie Wahlberg joins the cast of THE SIXTH SENSE starring Bruce Willis for Disney. Shooting begins Sept. 21.
* Danny Aiello, Cathy Moriarty, Paul Sorvino joins Kathleen Turner in the family pic PRINCE OF CENTRAL PARK.
* Stellan Skarsgard and William Fichtner will play opposite Demi Moore in PASSION OF MIND which will start shooting later this month.
(in talks)
* Cameron Diaz is close to a deal to join Meryl Streep in SUCCESS to be shot this spring. It centers around the mentor/protege relationship between two female TV network executives.
* Lela Rochon (WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE and KNOCK OFF) is in talks to join Kyra Sedgwick and Rob Morrow in LABOR PAINS.
* Russell Crowe is close to a deal to play a Roman general in the epic GLADIATOR to be directed by Ridley Scott. Crowe will play Julius Ceasar's most fearsome and respected warrior.
* Matt Damon is in talks to star in an action-oriented project, OH BABY, SKY with director Tony Scott.
DIRECTOR/WRITER ATTACHMENTS
* Speilberg has hired Ron Bass (RAIN MAN, MY BEST FRIEND'S WEDDING) to adapt Arthur Golden's MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA into a script.
* Director William Bindley (JUDICIAL CONSENT) is currently developing A SPORTING CHANCE at Fox about a true story of a Texas high school prison football team. He also acquired the rights to LOOSE BALLS by Terry Pluto about the American Basketball Association with producers Gary Lucchesi and Carl Amari.
* Universal plans to release a fourth MAD MAX flick in the summer of 2001 or 2002 for George Miller to write and direct. Mel Gibson has not been approached yet.
* Sony Pictures Classics has acquired North American rights to the drama THIS IS MY FATHER written and directed by Paul Quinn and starring brother Aidan Quinn. Another brother Declan Quinn served as cinematographer. Stephen Rea, Moya Farrelly and James Caan also star.
MISCELLANEOUS PRODUCTION TIDBITS
* Universal and producer Chris Moore (GOOD WILL HUNTING) snagged the rights to the life of Hunter Scott, a Florida youth who has D.C. lawmakers ready to overturn a WW2 court-martial of Navy Captain Charles McVeigh.
* July 16, 1999 will be the release date for Stanley Kubrick's EYES WIDE SHUT. International release will follow soon after.
RE-RELEASE NEWS OF THE WEEK: None...unless I missed a re-release at some festival.
REMAKE NEWS OF THE WEEK: Screen rights for a live action version of HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS will be aucitoned off this week.
There you have it. The MAD MAX news seemed to catch everyone's eye this week, but the Russell Crowe + Ridley Scott = GLADIATOR epic sure sounds mighty interesting. Tony Scott is working on something too...hopefully with Matt Damon. Cool. *** Glad to see EYES EIDE SHUT has a release date...think it will stick? *** Ron Bass writing GEISHA is pleasing--and not so the production can get rolling so Indy 4 will be soon. I was merely joking last week--being lightheared and such. I'm sure GEISHA will be a beautfiul film.
Until next week.
Elston Gunn
