Hey folks, Harry here. I'm getting ready to head on down to the Metroplitan theater today, to begin camp tonight for the final run to EPISODE ONE's midnight showing. The camping gear is packed, so are the special late night party surprises. Let's just say that beginning at 1am at our line... It's gonna be reel cool. I'll see you Austin folks in line, as for you folks out there in the rest of the world, enjoy your lines. I'm giddy. All the negatives... all the positives... I just can't believe how close I am to experiencing the film the way I've always wanted to. With my father, friends and in Austin with real film fans. Sink or swim, I'm in for a great time. Best of luck, and may the force be with y'all!!!
TAKEN FROM VARIETY AND HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
CASTING
* Carol Kane joins THE SHRINK IS IN with Courtney Cox, David Arquette and David James elliot for director Richard Benjamin.
* Kathy Kinney, Andy Dick and Jackie Guerra joins PICKING UP THE PIECES with Woody Allen, Sharon Stone, David Schwimmer, Kiefer Sutherland, Cheech Marin, Fran Drescher, Lou Diamond Phillips and Elliot Gould.
* James Duval (GO) has been cast in GONE IN 60 SECONDS with Nicolas Cage, Anjelina Jolie and Giovanni Ribisi.
* Kathleen Turner has been cast in THE AMATI GIRLS about four sisters and their relationship with their recently widowed mother.
* Amanda Peet (upcoming BODY SHOTS) will play the female lead opposite Bruce Willis in THE WHOLE NINE YARDS for director Jonathan Lynn (CLUE).
* Marg Helgenberger ("China Beach") joins Julia Roberts in ERIN BROCKOVICH directed by Steven Soderbergh.
* Sylvester Stallone will star in a new version of the 1971 British thriller GET CARTER for producer Mark Canton. Stallone plays Jack Carter, a mob heavy who's hunting for his brother's killer amidst local criminals in a world of porn and gambling.
* Curtis Armstrong (REVENGE OF THE NERDS) joins the cast of SHANGHAI NOON starring Jackie Chan for director Tom Dey.
* Dennis Haybert (upcoming THE THIRTEENTH FLOOR) joins WHAT'S COOKING with Julianna Marguilies, Kyra Sedgwick and Alfre Woodard.
* Monica Potter (PATCH ADAMS) is in talks to play the female lead in Disney's MISSION TO MARS for director Brian De Palma.
* Gloria Reuben ("ER") stars opposite Ray Liotta in Harley Cokliss' indie flick PILGRIM. She'll play a painter who helps Liotta's character regain his memory.
* Bruce Davison joins Jennifer Jason leigh and an international cast in THE KING IS ALIVE to be directed by Kristin Levring.
* Antonio Banderas will star as a Catholic priest sent on a special mission from the Vatican to investigate an archaeological discovery of bones that might be those of Jesus Christ. Jonas McCord adapted and will direct THE BODY from the novel by Richard Ben Spier.
* Jeffrey Tambor is in talks to play the Mayor of Whoville in HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS for Universal and director Ron Howard.
* Salma Hayek is in talks to play a cop in SHINY NEW ENEMIES starring Steve Zahn. Jeff Goldblum also stars in this heist comedy.
* Christopher Lambert will star in DRUIDS as Gallic chieftain Vercingetorix who put together an unsuccessful bloody campaign against Julius Caesar. Jacques Derfmann will direct the pic also starring Max Von Sydow and Klaus Maria Braundauer (Caesar).
* Kenneth Branagh is adapting and will star in MACBETH for a fall start, but he may hand directing chores to someone else. Branagh is setting the story in the present day.
* Lea Thompson ("Caroline in the City") will star in the indie flick SOME GUYS HAVE ALL THE LUCK as an eccentric woman whose life is changed when her nephew visits. Kevin Zegers (AIR BUD) will play the nephew. Jo Ann Dearing ("Roseanne") will direct.
* Sharon Stone is in final talks to join Billy Connolly in BEAUTIFUL JOE for writer/director Stephen Metcalfe about a guy who meets a fast living single mom and tries to save her from the mob.
* Lou Diamond Phillips will take the lead in the thriller BATS, a flick in the vein of THE BIRDS, for director Louis Morneau. John Logan (ANY GIVEN SUNDAY) scripted. Dina Meyer stars as well.
* Robert Forster joins ME, MYSELF AND IRENE as Jim Carrey's boss. Forster will also star alongside daughter Kate in THE ALTOONA RIDING CLUB for writer/director Dan Cohen as a salesman who enlists the help of some youngblood to save his dying business.
* Joey Slotnick (PIRATES OF SILICON VALLEY) joins THE HOLLOW MAN.
* Marissa Ribisi and Shane Edelman sold their script THE MAIL ROOM. Ribisi also stars in SOME GIRL which she co-wrote with Brie Shaffer. Juliette Lewis, Michael Rapaport, Jeremy Sisto and Giovanni Ribisi (Marissa's brother) also star.
* Marley Shelton (NEVER BEEN KISSED) is in talks to take the lead in New Line's SUGAR AND SPICE for director Hank Perlman as a cheerleader who turns to a life of crime.
* Dan Aykroyd joins HOME BREW, sequel to STRANGE BREW. Shooting begins in July in Toronto.
* Catherine Zeta-Jones will star in the romantic sci-fi thriller THE TENTH VICTIM to be directed by Lee Tamahori (MULHOLLAND FALLS, THE EDGE). It's a remake of the 1965 Italian film LA DECIMA VITTIMA based on Robert Scheckley's short story THE SEVENTH VICTIM about a society where there are organized murder hunts and a couple of contestants who fight the system.
* Patrick Swayze and Melanie Griffith will star in the black comedy LOVING LULU which also stars Penelope Ann Miller. John Kaye writes and directs about a schizophrenic who tracks down her college boyfriend, a TV writer who is tiring of his wife.
* Brooke Shields and Johnathan Schaech (THAT THING YOU DO!) will star in AFTER SEX about 5 women who really understand their relationships while their men are away.
* Macaulay Culkin, Fairuza Balk and Natasha Lyonne are in talks to star in DIARY OF A MAD FRESHMAN for writer/director Amy Talkington aobut a student who explores the nightlife in New York.
* Sir Ian McKellen will play the villanous Magneto in X-MEN for director Bryan Singer and 20th Century Fox. Shooting begins in August.
DIRECTOR/WRITER ATTACHMENTS
* Peyton Reed ("Mr. Show") will direct the comedy CHEER FEVER about a cheerleader in battle for the few spots on her squad, learning valuable lessons while readying for a natural competition.
* Simon Doonan will adapt his own novel CONFESSIONS OF A WINDOW DRESSER for Madonna's MADGUY Films about a kid who sells his soul to be forever young in the high fashion business.
* Dwight Yoakam will direct SOUTH OF HEAVEN, WEST OF HELL, a Western he co-wrote with Stan Barthoud and starring Yoakam and Billy Bob Thornton. Peter Fonda, Bridget Fonda, Vince Vaughn, Paul Reubens, Michael Jeter and Bud Cort. The story follows a U.S. Marshal who vows to bring justice a gang made up of his former surrogate family.
* Pat Peach and Dennis Rockney are adapting the autiobiography of Jim Rose FREAK LIKE ME: INSIDE THE JIM ROSE CIRCUS for the big screen.
* Director John Landis is making a deal to produce and direct a segment of the tenatively-titled four segment horror anthology REALLY SCARY.
HARRY NOTE: Joe Dante will direct one of the other segments!
* Burt Reynolds will direct THE LAST PRODUCER starring himself, Lauren Holly, Benjamin Bratt, Charles Durning, Ann-Margret, Joe Montegna, Robert Costanzo, Gregg Gurman, Sean Astin and Robert Goulet. The film focuses on an aging producer trying to make his masterpiece before he's forgotten.
* John Sayles is working on an adaptation of Davide Ferrario's novel BLACK MAGIC for director Oliver Parker. It combines facts from Orson Welles life as well as a fictional story of Welles becoming involved in a murder investigation.
MISCELLANEOUS PRODUCTION TIDBITS
* Walt Disney Pictures will distribute David Lynch's THE STRAIGHT STORY in the U.S., Scandinavia and Australia.
* Warner Bros. seems to be developing three projects involving their classic animated characters. Barry Levinson and Paula Weinstein are developing a live action/animated project that would feature Bugs Bunny and Robin Williams; a full-length featuring Tasmanian Devil is another possibility; and a SPACE JAM-esque feature involving the Tiny Toon characters.
* Rhino Films is in the production lead with its horror spoof I KNOW WHAT YOU SCREAMED LAST SUMMER shooting in L.A.; Dimension's SCREAM IF YOU KNOW WHAT I DID LAST HALLOWEEN to be directed by Keenan Ivory Wayans hasn't found a firm start date.
* Director Stephen Sommers and producers Jim Jacks and Sean Daniel will soon meet with Universal about a sequel to THE MUMMY about the creature resurfacing in London.
* Whole Nine Prods. has optioned film rights to two books: GENTLEMAN OF LEISURE by Susan Hill and Harvey Baum's OSCAR CALIBER GUN.
* 20th Century Fox bought the romantic action-comedy pitch LONGSHOT from Danny Jacobsen and David Chappe about a guy from the Bronx and a beautiful woman from Mexico who together try to pull of a racetrack scam.
* United Artists picked up the screen rights to THE ROAD TO EDEN'S RIDGE by Myra McLarey and Linda Weeks about a woman who changes her life at the altar on her wedding day to try to become a country singer in Nashville.
* Meg Ryan passed on the WB sci-fi flick MARS. Joseph Fiennes is in talks to star.
* Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner are developing THE OTHERS, a ghost story to star Nicole Kidman and to be the English-language debut of Spanish director Alejandro Amenabar.
* Warner Bros. may move the release date for WILD WILD WEST to June 30 from July 2.
* Merchant Ivory Films are developing four projects: Henry James adaptation THE GOLDEN BOWL with Nick Nolte, Uma Thurman and Anjelica Huston; the Vanessa Redgrave starrer THE WHITE COUNTESS; James Baldwin adaptation GIOVANNI'S ROOM; a film version of V.S. Naipaul's MYSTIC MASSEUR.
REMAKE OF THE WEEK: Martin Scorcese is trying to develop a new version of Akira Kurosawa's HIGH AND LOW that David Mamet may write and direct. Steve Martin, William H. Macy and Joe Montegna are in talks to star in the pic about a business exec who is ruined financially after paying ransom money to kidnappers who mistakenly took his chauffer's son. The film was based on an Ed McBain novel.
I didn't think the casting would ever stop this week. I don't think the casting will ever stop on PICKING UP THE PIECES--a lot of names in that flick. The cast is also huge for SOUTH OF HEAVEN, WEST OF HELL. I very much look forward to both films. *** Macaulay Culkin makin' a comeback? With the help of Fairuza Balk and Natasha Lyonne? I'll see it. *** Finally, official casting news from the trades on X-MEN...and Sir Ian McKellen to boot. *** Dan Aykroyd joining HOME BREW. A decent mix. *** Glad to see Curtis Armstrong is still working. I have fond memories of him in "Moonlighting." *** Lots o' remakes this week: GET CARTER, THE TENTH VICTIM and HIGH AND LOW (the latter of which I'm the most excited about--come on: William H. Macy AND Steve Martin AND David Mamet). *** John Sayles is going to focus on writing for a while. BLACK MAGIC sounds very cool. Anybody read it? Tell us how good it is in the Talk Back. *** I like the sound of THE LAST PRODUCER--Reynolds starring and directing and an interesting cast along with him. Can't wait to hear more.
Just a reminder to everyone to mind their manners standing in the long lines this week--don't get too crazy....REMEMBER you will get your turn to watch A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM soon enough like everyone else.
Until next week...
Elston Gunn
elstongunn@hotmail.com
