Alrighty folks, here's the latest from Elston Gunn, and once again he's jam packed this Weekly Recap with all the latest news from the trades. I hope you enjoy the news. Personally the project I'm most curious about is THE GIFT to be directed by Sam Raimi. If you know or hear of anything about this film or project... Drop me a line ASAP... Thanks! And now... heeeeeeeere'sssss Elstoooon....
TAKEN FROM VARIETY AND HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
CASTING
* Eddie Griffin (FOOLISH) will star in the indie flick THE SECOND COMING OF SAMMY which is described as OH GOD in the hood with Griffin playing a homeless man with a gift for prophecy. He has also joined PICKING UP THE PIECES where he'll play a drunk.
* Nicolas Cage is in talks to star in CAPTAIN CORELLI'S MANDOLIN for director Roger Michell (NOTTING HILL) and Working Title Films. The film, based on the Louis De Bernieres novel, focuses on Cage's Italian WWII officer and his relationship with the daughter of a local doctor in Greece (of which the Italians just invaded). Shooting will most likely begin in March.
* Cate Blanchett is in talks to play the lead in CHARLOTTE GRAY for director John Madden as well as THE MAN WHO CRIED with Robert De Niro. Blanchett may also be in talks to star in THE GIFT for director Sam Raimi from a script co-written by Billy Bob Thornton.
* David Hyde Pierce ("Frasier") and Tom Wilkinson (THE FULL MONTY) join SHINY NEW ENEMIES with Steve Zahn, Jeff Goldblum, Salma Hayek and Orlando Jones. Pierce will play the assistant to Wilkinson's character Bollingsworth.
* Laura Linney and John Tenney join Matthew Broderick, Rory Culkin, Gaby Hoffman, Mark Ruffalo and J. Smith-Cameron in YOU CAN COUNT ON ME.
* Cuba Gooding Jr. is back in the cast of NAVY DIVER with Robert De Niro for director George Tillman Jr. (SOUL FOOD).
* Jimmy Smits is in final talks to join Kim Basinger in the supernatural thriller BLESS THE CHILD for Paramount and director Chuck Russell. He'll play a detective who tries to keep a child away from a satanist.
* Stockard Channing joins WHERE THE HEART IS with Natalie Portman and Ashley Judd.
* Blythe Danner joins THE INVISIBLE CIRCUS with Cameron Diaz about a girl investigating her sister's death.
* Harry Enfield will star in KEVIN AND PERRY, a feature spinoff of the BBC's "Harry Enfield and Chums." Enfield wrote the script with Dave Cummings about two sex obsessed teens. Ed Bye will direct.
* Megan Mulally ("Will & Grace") joins MONKEY BONE. She'll play Brendan Fraser's sister. (and Harry Knowles will play the Angry Neighbor!)
* Jeremy Irons will play the villain who tries to overthrow the empress in DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS.
DIRECTOR/WRITER ATTACHMENTS
* Joan Chen (XIU XIU: THE SENT DOWN GIRL) is in talks to direct Richard Gere and Winona Ryder in AUTUMN IN NEW YORK, a love story written by Allison Burnett where a restaurateur who has trouble with commitment falls in love with a dying girl.
* Ben Stiller will direct John Cleese in the comedy THE MAKING OF THE PRESIDENT, 1789 for New Line Cinema. The story focuses on George Washington and how he always failed upward. Steve Martin is also interested. Stiller will exec. produce with Stuart Cornfeld. Ed Solomon and Teddy Lynn will produce the pic based on the Marvin Kitman book GEORGE WASHINGTON'S EXPENSE ACCOUNT.
* Robert Dornhelm is directing THE VENICE PROJECT with Lauren Bacall, Dennis Hopper, Stockard Channing, Stuart Townsend and Linus Roache. Nicholas Klein wrote the script about a princess who puts on an art show and the eccentric characters involved. Ben Cross, Frederique van der Wal, Parker Posey, Dean Stockwell and Cheech Marin also star.
* Fred Dryer ("Hunter") will direct, star and produce the indie flick HIGHWAY 395 in which he'll play a cop investigating serial murders. His own Fred Dryer Prod. will put together more low-budget pictures to sell to distributors.
* Director Tony Goldwyn (A WALK ON THE MOON) will again work with Dustin Hoffman (as producer) in DINNER FOR TWO AT THE EL CORTEZ for Miramax written by Jeremy Pisker (BULWORTH) from an original screenplay by Ed Kaplan about a middle-aged mother with Alzheimer's.
* Robert Ellis Miller (REUBEN, REUBEN) will direct the mystery SWELTER for Patriot Pictures about a cult murder conspiracy. Kate Robbins wrote the script.
* Lionel C. Martin (HOW TO BE A PLAYER) is directing JACK OF ALL TRADES for Trans Continental Pictures. 'N Sync, Britney Spears, Take 5, Lyte Funky Ones, C-Note, Innosense and Solid Harmonie will make appearances.
MISCELLANEOUS PRODUCTION TIDBITS
* Pandora Cinema has picked up the rights to FADE TO BLACK written by John Sayles based on the Davide Ferrario novel and to be directed by Oliver Parker. The story follows Orson Welles, who is involved in a murder investigation while filming a movie.
* Warner Bros. has picked up the rights to the novel SIMPLY DIVINE by Wendy Holden for Gerber Pictures. Greg Berlanti ("Dawson's Creek") will adapt the novel about an editor who is bummed when she is assigned to ghost-write for a celebrity who is everything she is not. She later ends up falling in love with the celeb's brother.
* Ron Underwood (MIGHTY JOE YOUNG) has left the directing job of the Vince Vaughn-starrer GUAM GOES TO THE MOON after Paramount failed to commit to a start date. Underwood will now turn his attention to the development of the Eddie Murphy pic PLUTO NASH.
* Warner Bros. has greenlit the feature-length animation film OSMOSIS JONES about a red blood cell who teams up with a cold tablet to fight an evil virus inside the body of Frank, a construction worker. Marc Hyman wrote the script which will be directed by Tom Sito and Piet Kroon.
* Universal has moved MYSTERY MEN from August 6 to July 30.
* Jim Henson Pictures has optioned the novel THE MOON AND THE SUN by Vonda N. McIntyre. Laura Harrington wrote the script and Christopher Renshaw will direct the story about Louis XIV capturing a sea monster and a woman who discovers its humanity.
* John Travolta has exited THE SHIPPING NEWS and Billy Bob Thornton is in talks to replace.
* Mel Gibson and Luc Besson are developing THE PROFESSOR AND THE MADMAN based on the novel by Simon Winchester for the former to star and the latter to direct. The story follows a professor, who is chief editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, befriending a madman, who is one of his key contributors.
REMAKE NEWS OF THE WEEK: There are two. 1) Michael Steinberg (THE WATERDANCE) will direct and produce a remake of Fritz Lang's 1956 crime drama WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS. 2) Touchstone Pictures is planning a remake of the 1953 Gary Cooper/Burt Lancaster western VERA CRUZ. Ron Shelton will produce and is not currently planning to direct. Christian Darren will write the screenplay under the title COUNT THREE AND PRAY.
Ron Underwood leaves GUAM GOES TO THE MOON, Cuba Gooding Jr. is back in NAVY DIVER, but Travolta leaves THE SHIPPING NEWS...some fickle folks this week. *** Stockard Channing is busy with WHERE THE HEART IS and THE VENICE PROJECT (check out the cast to the latter--wow.) *** The cast to SHINY NEW ENEMIES is filling out nicely. *** I'd love to read the script to THE MAKING OF THE PRESIDENT, 1789. That sounds like it'll be a fun project. *** Cate Blanchett may star in a Raimi film written by Billy Bob Thornton? Tell me more. *** Blythe Danner joining Cameron Diaz sounds cool. We'll probably hear more casting on this flick soon. *** Fred Dryer's doing indie pics? Had no clue. *** THE SECOND COMING OF SAMMY, CAPTAIN CORELLI'S MANDOLIN, THE SUN AND THE MOON, and FADE TO BLACK all have intriguing premises. Which sounds the best to you? *** Jeremy Irons just gave DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS a boost, wouldn't you say?
I caught AUSTIN POWERS 2 last night and had a lot of fun with it. Myers said this week that he wants to do 4 more. I think he should name the next one AUSTIN 3: FOR S's AND G's....it sort of rhymes, and S's and G's (meaning shits and giggles) keeps it relevant to his lingo. Oh well, just a thought... Anyway, with that and EPISODE 1 already under the belt it seems like summer should be soon coming to an end, but really it's just starting. We've still got a month yet 'til EYES WIDE SHUT. Can't wait.
Um...Happy Flag Day, Monday. Grill out.
Thanks for the emails.
Elston Gunn
elstongunn@hotmail.com
