Harry here with just an oh so brief introduction for this film. I hope you enjoy this groovy news from Elston Gunn...
TAKEN FROM VARIETY AND HOLLYWOOD REPORTER VIA REUTERS
CASTING
CASTING
* Minnie Driver is near a deal to join David Duchovny in the romantic comedy RETURN TO ME for MGM and co-writer/director Bonnie Hunt. The story revolves around a widower who begins to fall for a waitress until they both discover that she was the recipient of the heart of his late wife.
* Brendan Fraser is near a deal to star in the supernatural thriller MONKEY BONE written by Sam Hamm and directed by Henry Selick. Fraser will play a cartoonist with a hit animated series. He ends up in a coma following a car crash and teams up with one of his creations to fight Death and escape Dark Town, a purgatory-like place between life and death.
* William H. Macy, Neve Campbell and Donald Sutherland are in final talks to star in the indie flick PANIC about a man who wants out of the family business--a mom-an-pop murder-for-hire practice.
* John Cleese will make a cameo appearance in the James Bond film THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH.
* Rod Steiger will star in and direct THANKSGIVING about three older men/friends who come together to celebrate Thanksgiving.
* Kris Kristofferson joins DETOX.
* Jennifer Lopez is in talks to star as the title role in Disney's WHERE IN THE WORLD IS CARMEN SANDIEGO? based on the children's television series.
* Rene Russo is in final negotiations to star as Natasha Fatale in ROCKY AND BULLWINKLE. Keenan and Kel (GOOD BURGER) and Janeane Garofalo will make cameo appearances in the flick.
* Tobey Maguire joins WONDER BOYS as a student of Michael Douglas' character.
* Billy Crudup (THE HI-LO COUNTRY) and Samantha Morton (UNDER THE SKIN) will star in the road movie JESUS' SON for director Allison MacLean (CRUSH). Holly Hunter, Dennis Hopper, Denis Leary, Will Patton and Greg Germann ("Ally McBeal") will have supporting roles.
* Steve Zahn (OUT OF SIGHT) and Josh Hamilton (HOUSE OF YES) will star in the indie comedy FREAK TALKS ABOUT SEX.
* Jared Leto will star in REQUIEM FOR A DREAM for writer/director Darren Aronofsky (PI). Leto is also in talks to join AMERICAN PSYCHO.
DIRECTOR/WRITER ATTACHMENTS
* Shekar Kapur (ELIZABETH) will helm STEINBECK'S POINT OF VIEW for Warner Bros. and Bel Air Entertainment and is near a deal to direct Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones in the feature adaptation of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA.
* The Farrelly Bros. will produce the Peter Gaulke and Gerry Swallow-penned SAY IT ISN'T SO about a man who meets the love of his life and finds out she is his sister.
* British photographer David Bailey will direct THE INTRUDER with Charlotte Gainsbourg, Natassja Kinski, Molly Parker (KISSED) and John Hannah (FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL) about a woman haunted by the ghost of her husband's first wife.
* Interscope will turn the Off Off Broadway play LIPSCHTICK into a feature written by and starring Jennifer Westfeldt and Heather Juergensen. Saul Rubinek (JERRY AND TOM) will direct. The comedy is about two women in their 20s who are sick of the dating scene and decide to date each other.
* Peter Bogdonavich will direct WAIT FOR ME with Michael Caine, Gena Rowlands, Isabella Rossellini, Peter Falk, Ben Gazzara, Cybill Shepherd and Jerry Lewis. Caine will play an actor with six ex-wives, six daughters and six ghosts.
* Greg Hoblit (FALLEN) will direct FREQUENCY about a cop who can communicate through time with his father who died when he was younger. The father is stuck in 1969, weeks before his death. Dennis Quaid and Jim Caviezel (THE THIN RED LINE) will star in the thriller.
* Peter Iliff (VARSITY BLUES) is scripting UNDER SUSPICION, a remake of the French pic GARDE A VUE with Stephen Hopkins (LOST IN SPACE) directing. Morgan Freeman and Gene Hackman will star. He also has written CHASING THE DRAGON with Wesley Snipes hopefully starring as an FBI agent chasing a Chinese gangster and drug dealer from San Francisco. Hong Kong director Ronni Hu will direct.
* Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson (both writers/Anderson director of BOTTLE ROCKET, RUSHMORE) are writing an untitled ensemble comedy to take place in New York City among a dysfunctional family of geniuses. They are writing parts for several of the RUSHMORE cast such as Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray and Luke Wilson.
MISCELLANEOUS PRODUCTION TIDBITS
* Director Phil Alden Robinson has left the Sony Cuban missile crisis film 13 DAYS due to "creative differences." Kevin Costner is still attached.
ELSTON NOTE: See Harry's breaking coverage earlier in the week on why this may have happened.
* Mel Gibson delays FARENHEIT 451 again because of trouble shooting in Australia for a reasonable budget. His hoped-for star Brad Pitt may instead work for Cameron Crowe. Gibson may consider starring in PATRIOT written by Robert Rodat (SAVING PRIVATE RYAN) and directed by Roland Emmerich/produced by Dean Devlin.
* Adam Sandler and Columbia Pictures will team up on an animated musical based on the comedian. Sandler will voice the character, but no screenwriter is attached yet.
* Chris O'Donnell and Bing Howenstein's George Street Prods. and Warner Bros. may collaborate on Y2K, a thriller based on the potential computer glitch.
* Director Ron Shelton (TIN CUP) has left the Bob Marley biopic at Warner Bros. over length and budget issues. George Armitage (GROSSE POINT BLANK) may be his replacement.
* Warner Bros./Bel Air Entertainment bought the rights to JUNK, an animated musical about a junkyard of car parts that come to life.
* Gregory Nava (SELENA, WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE) is getting an exclusive two-picture deal at New Line to produce Latino-themed pictures for the studio.
An eclectic week in movie news, I must say. I hadn't heard of the movie Y2K yet, but it does seem inevitable. *** Jennifer Lopez and Rene Russo are both up for some "kid-inspired" roles. They are welcome. *** Bummer about Robinson and 13 DAYS...sort of. I guess this means production is going to be delayed a bit. *** Looking forward to the next Anderson/Wilson venture. *** WONDER BOYS is becoming more intriguing. *** Peter Bogdonavich is back with quite a cast. *** How 'bout that Adam Sandler musical? *** Looks like FARENHEIT 451 is going to be one of those we've heard about for a while, but won't see it for a few whiles. *** I'd love to see a script review of MONKEY BONE. I'd also like to hear more about PANIC. Sutherland AND Macy. Very cool. *** David Duchovny + Minnie Driver = romantic comedy Opinions? *** John Cleese in a Bond flick...may be a treat. *** Rod Steiger is directing his first film and it's about a day of good food. Should prove interesting...or insane.
I've rambled enough. Your turn.
Until next week...
Elston Gunn
elstongunn@hotmail.com
