I'm running on 56 hours of no slep I'm about to go to sleep, i am trying to get stuf up for you all to read. Here news.. you know from last week's trades...
TAKEN FROM VARIETY AND HOLLYWOOD REPORTER VIA REUTERS
CASTING
(signed)
* Liam Neeson will star with Sandra Bullock in GUN SHY as well as THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Lili Taylor.
* Tim Matheson joins Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer in the comedy-drama THE STORY OF US. Rob Reiner is directing. Shooting begins at the end of November.
* Whitney Houston is joing forces with producer Lawrence Bender (PULP FICTION) on a Civil War epic based on a true story.
* Peter Firth, David Paymer and Hudson Leick join the cast of CHILL FACTOR. Shooting begins next month in Utah and on the East Coast.
* Tom Berenger joins Peter Weller and Daryl Hannah in DIPLOMATIC STAGE to be directed by Chilean director Gustavo Graef Marino.
* Hillary Swank (BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER) has signed to do TAKE IT LIKE A MAN about a Nebraska woman living like a man before being murdered.
* Amanda Peet replaces Molly Ringwald in indie flick JUMP. Ringwald had creative differences with first-time writer-director Justin McCarthy.
* Dennis Hopper will star in THE PROPHET'S GAME for director Irving Belateche (IMPLICATED) and Moondancer Entertainment.
* Nicky Katt (ONE TRUE THING) has signed to play a hitman in Steven Soderbergh's THE LIMEY.
* James DeBello joins the cast of DETROIT ROCK CITY. Production begins mid October.
* Martin Sheen has signed to play a legendary poker player in the indie pic LUCKY TOWN for first-time director Brendan Beseth (also scripting). Shooting begins this month.
* Helen Slater, Theresa Saldana, Michael Chiklis and Juliet Landau join Martin Landau and Rita Moreno in CARLO'S WAKE.
* Jon Stewart, Leslie Mann, Josh Mostel, Rob Schneider and 6-year old Cole Sprouse ("Grace Under Fire") join Adam Sandler and Joey Lauren Adams in GUY GETS KID.
* Kelly Preston will join Kevin Costner in FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME directed by Sam Raimi. She will do this before THE SHIPPING NEWS.
(in talks)
* Chris Rock, Renee Zellweger and Morgan Freeman are in talks to star in NURSE BETTY for director Neil Labute (YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS), Propaganda and Polygram Films. Shooting may begin early next year if the deals are worked out.
* Usher, Forest Whitaker, Vanessa Williams and Rosario Dawson may star in LIGHT IT UP for Fox 2000 and Edmonds Entertainment. Written and to be directed by Craig Bolotin (THAT NIGHT). Described as kind of an urban BREAKFAST CLUB.
DIRECTOR/WRITER ATTACHMENTS
(signed)
* Director Michael Winterbottom (WELCOME TO SARAJEVO) is shooting an untitled project with Ian Hart, Stuart Townsend, Gina McKee, Molly Parker, Shirley Henderson and Jack Shephard. He is currently in post-production on OLD, NEW, BORROWED, BLUE.
* Writer Dan Gilroy (CHASERS) did a rewrite for the WB Superman flick. Nicolas Cage is re-excited about the project and the script can be reportedly made for under $100m. No word if Tim Burton will still be involved.
* Due to the renewed first look deal with Fox, Jan DeBont may direct GHOST RIDERS IN THE SKY; COSM; NUVOLARI; and OLD CITY. He will produce MINORITY REPORT and ZERO HOUR. He is also developing HINDENBURG.
* Robert Altman is set to direct the film version of Dominick Dunne's ANOTHER CITY, NOT MY OWN.
* Screenwriter Frederic Raphael (upcoming EYES WIDE SHUT) has signed to script MARJORIE MORNINGSTAR for Castle Rock. Al Pacino is set to star.
* Director Bharat Nalluri (KILLING TIME) will direct THE CROW: SALVATION for Dimension Films and Edward Pressman Film Corp. Chip Johannesen ("Millenium") will script from an original story by Matt Greenburg.
* Director Gore Verbinski (MOUSE HUNT) will direct MISSION TO MARS for Disney. He is also developing THE SKY IS FALLING at New Line and THE LIGHTHOUSE at Warner Bros.
(in talks)
* Ben Affleck is in talks to rewrite CW Prods.' SUSPECT ZERO. there may be a role for him in the flick, but there are no committments to star.
* Peter Seaman & Jeffrey Price (WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT?, upcoming THE WILD, WILD WEST) are in negotiations to write the script for Universal/Imagine's HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS.
MISCELLANEOUS PRODUCTION TIDBITS
* John Landis's film SUSAN'S PLAN will premiere at AFI Fest '98 which runs Oct. 22-31 in Los Angeles.
* Ving Rhames is pulling out of Oliver Stone's ON ANY GIVEN SUNDAY due to schedule conflicts with the MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE sequel.
* Fred Schepisi is no longer attached to direct THE SHIPPING NEWS with John Travolta and Kelly Preston. Columbia Pictures wants to quickly hire another director for a March start.
* Kenneth Branagh, producer David Barron and production designer Tim Harvey have set up the Shakespeare Film Co. to make only Bard films. First up is a musical adaptation of LOVE LABOURS LOST set in the 1930s.
* Universal Pictures is teaming up with Industrial Light and Magic to produce a computer-animated feature based on its FRANKENSTEIN franchise. The film will not be a remake of any other film. However, the Wolfman is slated to be in it.
REMAKE NEWS OF THE WEEK: Rob Cohen ("The Rat Pack") will write and direct a remake of the 1943 RKO film I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE for Dimension Films.
FROM TV TO FILM NEWS OF THE WEEK: Universal Pictures has greenlighted Jay Ward's ROCKY AND BULLWINKLE. Shooting begins in January with Des McAnuff (COUSIN BETTE) directing. Robert DeNiro is in talks to play the part of Fearless Leader.
Another week jam-packed full of stuff. DeNiro + ROCKY AND BULLWINKLE = ??? *** The FRANKENSTEIN news has been around before but now it seems to be taking form. *** Ving Rhames is pulling out of the Oliver Stone flick after Puff Daddy did last week. I hope all will soon be fixed. I emphasize "soon." *** Dennis Hopper, Martin Sheen and Robert Altman are in three separate indie projects that look cool. *** I hope the Jan DeBont news pleases his fans. The man's plate is overflowingly full. *** I'll let the rest speak for itself. Happy October. Until next week.
Rest in peace, Gene Autry
Elston Gunn
