Hey, everyone. ”Moriarty” here.

When I was in Prague recently, I was talking with producer Mark Johnson about the line-up in May of next year, something he’s obviously interested in since that’s when PRINCE CASPIAN is coming out. He asked what I knew about IRON MAN or INDY 4, and then he mentioned that some release schedules still had THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL listed as coming out that month, too. That didn’t seem right, though, since I hadn’t heard anything about them beginning production.

Well, today, things seem to be a little clearer with the news breaking that Keanu Reeves has signed on to star as Klaatu, the alien whose arrival on Earth triggers the film’s events. It’s a good choice, and I’m eager to see what director Scott Derrickson is going to do with the film.

Here’s part of what VARIETY had to say about it this morning.

Reeves committed over the weekend to play Klaatu, a humanoid alien who arrives on Earth accompanied by an indestructible, heavily armed robot and a warning to world leaders that their continued aggression will lead to annihilation by species watching from afar.

Erwin Stoff is producing, with Scott Derrickson ("The Exorcism of Emily Rose") directing from a script by David Scarpa. Reeves' commitment puts the picture on track for a late fall or early 2008 production start. Studio sees it as a tentpole.

I hope they do justice to the original, which is one of the most soulful of the ‘50s SF classics. Its moral lessons are still relevant today, unfortunately, and there’s certainly room to bring this story to a new generation if it’s done right.

Drew McWeeny, Los Angeles