Harry here, let's hop straight into it shall we....
TAKEN FROM VARIETY AND HOLLYWOOD REPORTER VIA REUTERS
CASTING
CASTING
(signed)
* Helena Bonham Carter is set to star in WOMEN TALKING DIRTY for Rocket Pictures, Elton John's production company.
* Alison Eastwood and Jonathon Schaech will star in indie comedy WHO'S ON FIRST about a young man who pretends to be a homosexual so he can rent a room from the woman of his dreams.
* Jenny McCarthy has joined the cast of DIAMONDS (aka SUNDOWNING) with Kirk Douglas, Dan Aykroyd and Lauren Bacall.
* Nick Scotti (KISS ME GUIDO) joined DETROIT ROCK CITY.
* Christian Bale will star in AMERICAN PSYCHO. Mary Harron (I SHOT ANDY WARHOL) will write/direct this recently greenlighted picture.
* Football legends Jim Brown and Lawrence Taylor join ANY GIVEN SUNDAY.
* Ernie Hudson will star as a homeless man in indie drama EVERYTHING'S JAKE.
* Tommy Lee Jones has just replaced Sean Connery and joined fellow cast members Jack Nicholson and Clint Eastwood in the Eastwood directed film, SPACE COWBOYS.
(in talks)
* Samuel L. Jackson is in negotiations to star in with Tommy Lee Jones in RULES OF ENGAGEMENT, the William Friedkin-directed drama written by former Navy Secretary James Webb.
* Clea Duvall (THE FACULTY) is in final talks to join Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie in GIRL INTERRUPTED.
* Giovanni Ribisi, Nia Long and Ben Affleck are in final negotiations to star in BOILER ROOM--described as WALL STREET meets GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS.
WRITER/DIRECTOR ATTACHMENTS
* Iain Softley (WINGS OF THE DOVE) will direct ABOUT A BOY based on Nick Hornby's novel.
* Dick Clement and Ian La Francais (COMMITMENTS) will script BAKER STREET BLUES (or THE BANK JOB), the true story of a London bank heist that created a political upheaval in the 1970's. Lawrence Bender is producing.
* Fox 2000 has bought ESCHER'S CODE by Zak Penn (LAST ACTION HERO) and Martin Singore about a computer programmer who develops an artificially intelligent anti-viral program that eventually takes over the world.
* Writer/director Alan Shapiro (THE CRUSH) won the rights to the story of convicted murderer-turned-professor James J. Hamm.
* Lee Tamahori (THE EDGE) will direct ROCKWOOD for Universal based on the real-life story of U.S. Army Capt. Lawrence Rockwood.
MISCELLANEOUS PRODUCTION TIDBITS
* BICENTENNIAL MAN will begin shooting in Feb. with Robin Williams starring and Chris Columbus directing.
* Miramax has bought the home video rights to the large-format film EVEREST.
* DreamWorks and the makers of ANTZ will next tackle TUSKER about a herd of elephants trekking across Southeast Asia.
HARRY NOTE: Boy, I'd love an image or two from TUSKER!!!
* The Steven Soderbergh-helming George Clooney-starrer LEATHERHEADS has been put on hold for the time being by Universal.
It feels like recap lite this week. Did I miss anything? If so, bring it up in the Talk Back...but you knew that. *** I'm bummed about LEATHERHEADS, but BICENTENNIAL MAN is a go. *** RULES OF ENGAGEMENT and ROCKWOOD sound really cool. *** I thought DETROIT ROCK CITY wrapped. Anyone? *** BOILER ROOM sounds intriguing...anyone else have further info? *** ESCHER'S CODE has an interesting plot. Hmmm. *** WOMEN TALKING DIRTY....I like the title. *** I also read that MAN ON THE MOON finished its final sequence last week. Woo-hoo.
Until next week.
Elston Gunn
elstongunn@hotmail.com
