Matthew McConaughey To Reunite With Richard Linklater For Texan Crime Comedy 'Bernie', Rip Torn Also Joins

Update: THR confirms Matthew McConaughey and in additional news that Rip Torn has joined the film. Torn will play Bernie's defense lawyer.

Matthew McConaughey "plans to" reunite with director Richard Linklater for the self-described "Fargo"-esque Texas-set crime thriller/black comedy, "Bernie," which will star Jack Black and Shirley MacLaine.

Renowned for his fair share of fluffy rom-coms and a tendency to appear topless, McConaughey has failed to live up to the promise of his cult-favourite character, David Woodersen, in Linklater's 1993 comedy "Dazed And Confused." Though briefly linked to Linklater's spiritual sequel to 'Dazed' titled "That's What I'm Talking About," the actor looks set to reunite with Linklater once more for "Bernie," a true crime story set in East Texas.

"It's a film I wrote about ten years ago," Linklater told us. "[And it's] set in a little town of Huntsville, East Texas, kind of a little black comedy. It's my 'Fargo' in East Texas, where I group up, so it's crazy local with fifty characters. It's about a funeral home assistant who befriends this old lady. It's kind of a true crime story."

McConaughey's strong Texan roots probably didn't hurt his chances of joining the project with the actor apparently being lined up to play real-life district attorney Danny Buck Davidson; the man tasked with prosecuting the much-loved soft-spoken and bulldog-faced titular character (Black) who oddly finds himself backed by his fellow townspeople despite being accused of murdering his old lady friend (MacClaine) and stealing her money. It's without doubt an interesting premise but is lifted further by Linklater's involvement as well as the promising pairing of Black and MacClaine.

At the very least, it's good to see Linklater back behind the camera after a string of bad luck that found "That's What I'm Talking About" get shelved last summer, his roadtrip buddy dramedy which had Rebecca Hall and Kat Dennings attached scrapped when Miramax collapsed) and his last effort "Me & Orson Welles," barely limp into theaters long after it was completed. We hope his newest project finds those difficulties -- which were frankly out of this control -- behind him.

Shooting on "Bernie" is set begin next month with Castle Rock and Mandalay Vision backing the production. Story originally posted 9/30/10 at 9:06 AM

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Review: 'Freakanomics' Doesn't Quite Make The Leap From Page To Screen

“Freakanomics,” the anthology-style documentary adaptation of the bestselling book from economist Steven D. Levitt and author Stephen J. Dubner, is a mishmash of interesting concepts, with less interesting direction. The book, which discussed and analyzed popular culture theories through economic data points, doesn’t lend itself well to a big screen adaptation. Documentaries, when done well, seem to have their “story” evolve throughout, but when adapting a book of this type – the story is essentially written for you. This is one of the many areas where the film falters, as it has the opportunity to go a bit more in depth and express more than just a realized version of text to film.

The “Freakanomics” anthology is divided up into four mini-stories, each directed by respected filmmakers given the task of adapting a specific concept from the book. The challenge here is to effectively intersect these four separate films into a cohesive documentary, which ultimately just doesn’t happen. Morgan Spurlock, director of game changer “Super Size Me” continues his satirical documentary style with his section, where he looks at the direct effect of baby names on children’s lives and experiences (ie. like a child named Destiny is destined to strip). Spurlock’s mini-story is lackluster and the topic seemingly doesn’t need much analysis – it’s not the name but the socio-economic barriers children are put in that have the greater effect.

“Casino Jack And The United States Of Money” director Alex Gibney’s portion “Pure Corruption” is the longest of the four clocking in at 30 minutes, and despite its length feels more like a Dateline special than an actual documentary feature. Gibney, who thrives when he covers corruption of any kind, takes a deeper look of the wealth and cheating behind sumo wrestling in Japan. Gibney brings light to the abuse that goes on the industry and the mafia style back end deals, but once again the topic doesn’t seem that shocking because as Americans it’s almost impossible not to think of any major sport that is without physical abuse, misuse of funds and cheating.

“Why We Fight” director Eugene Jarecki’s portion looks at possible catalysts to the dropping crime rates of the 1990’s, including the idea of legalized abortion playing a massive role. Unfortunately, this idea is never proven or dismissed, as Jarecki seems terrified to take an actual stand on the issue. Cartoons fill in where real analysis could have been useful.

The highlight of the film is the last section, directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady doc (“Jesus Camp”) responsible for the chilling which focused on education. Based on an actual study Levitt conducted, they attempted to figure out if kids would learn and apply themselves more in school if being paid to do so, in essence bribing them. They focused on two kids, and were able to showcase that wanting to succeed within education and being able to actualize isn’t always simple. This portion was able to do what the other three couldn’t; it took the concept from the book, interjected a documentary look at its subjects and entertained the audience. It was easy to be intrigued in the process and the kids, and felt authentic to the actual point of the film.

The film’s overall lack of cohesion between the director’s ideas and its quite literal adaptation of the source material makes it hard to champion. If you have read the book, there isn’t much else to see or learn with this. And if you are unfamiliar with the source material, you might have your interest peaked for further information after viewing. Unfortunately it did a whole lot of nothing, with a whole lot of possibilities. [C]

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NYFF '10: 'The Tempest' Is Much Ado About Nothing

Everything associated with Julie Taymor's "The Tempest," at least in the initial build-up of pre-release hype, has been built around the faux-provocation of Helen Mirren, distinguished British film actress, multiple award winner, Queen of England, playing Prospero, a character that has traditionally been portrayed as being male, in Shakespeare's classic play. (In the new movie, she's now called Prospera.) It's only after you've been watching the movie for a few minutes, after you take in the changes in the character (if you're a Shakespeare fan or graduated with a Literary Studies degree), that the momentary thrill subsides and then vanishes altogether. The reason all the hype is centered around this slightly oddball casting decision is because there's nothing else to sell the rest of "The Tempest" on.

Which is to say: "The Tempest" is bad. Like, really, really bad.

But it does have a nice title card: large, crisp font, taking up much of the screen, superimposed over the arresting, surreal image of a tiny sandcastle in the palm of a young girl's hand. But once this image is gone, and it's gone fairly quickly, the goofy overwrought nightmare that is "The Tempest" consumes you.

"The Tempest" is considered, at least by Taymor herself, to be one of Shakespeare's "greats." In her movie, Prospera is a would-be duchess who has been banished to an inhospitable island to live with her child (played by the apple-cheeked Felicity Jones) after charges of witchcraft are leveled against her. When the film opens, it's been 12 years since her banishment, and, using her keen mastery of both science and magic, as well as her friendship with an androgynous nature sprite named Ariel (Ben Whishaw), she maroons those who conspired against her on the same forbidding isle. Said conspirators include King of Naples Alonzo (David Strathairn) and Alonzo's brother and son (Chris Cooper and Alan Cumming). Also on the island: a pair of bumbling drunks (Alfred Molina and Russell Brand) and the island's natural inhabitant Caliban (Djimon Hounsou).

The plot is classically Shakespearean, with the three threads interweaving haphazardly throughout until they all reconcile at the end, with a message that is less about vengeance and more about forgiveness and moving on. A nice sentiment that still resonates four hundred years later. (There's also some stuff about Prospera's daughter getting involved with Ferdinand, played by Reeve Carney, but those are probably the dopiest sections of the already dopey movie.)

It's clear what a huge mess "The Tempest" is from very early on, with the titular storm bearing down on the conspirators' ship. It's well photographed by cinematographer Stuart Dryburgh, with the action being staged not unlike something from the latter "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies. At this point, the score by Eliot Goldenthal hasn't gotten too overbearing. Yes, it's a bit much, but it's a couple of scenes later, when Prospera is going over the attack with Ariel, do we realize just how awful this is going to be. As Ariel recounts the storm, we see him gliding above the ship, laughing maniacally, with Goldenthal's music mutates into some kind of acid rock mutation, with gnarled electric guitars raging; the word "embarrassing" comes to mind.

But, amazingly, this is the tip of the bad-taste iceberg, as throughout the film, Taymor takes advantage of the digital visual effects she fell in love with on her borderline unwatchable Beatles jukebox musical "Across the Universe," to turn Ariel into a swarm of frogs, a giant crow, and a pack of flame-breathing dogs. The effects, supervised by the amazing title designer Kyle Cooper, have an ethereal look that doesn't conjure magical surrealism but a rather a liquidy impermanence. All the while, Ben Whishaw, a normally fine actor, does his best to look dignified, even when his face is being digitally painted into the trunk of a tree and his hair has more product in it than the entire cast of "Jersey Shore" (he looks slightly electrocuted).
As far as casting goes, Whishaw is one of the better calls. Chris Cooper seems wildly out-of-place, but then gets into a groove with his character; by the end of the film you'll be glad he was there, because he seemed to add a little bit of authenticity and humanity to a movie that seemed more concerned with its glitzy visual effects and elaborate costumes than with emotional connectivity. Mirren is wonderful, of course, but spends stretches of the movie off-camera. That was sort of a given. It should, however, be noted that there hasn't been a recent example of sticking-out-like-a-sore-thumb casting as shameful as Russell Brand's. His performance, as the bumbling clown, is supposed to be a little larger than life. Every time he shows up it's like somebody has painted a yellow slash down the center of the screen; it's distracting, off-putting and awful.

Taymor keeps large sections of the text, and outfits her characters in decadent duds (we'd kill for one of those YSL-ish leather jackets) that she said were meant to symbolize timelessness. What they really symbolize is a director more comfortable with camp than with craft, and the way she shoots much of the movie, with the actors taking up the foreground of the shot while the backgrounds (the movie was shot on location in Hawaii) turn into indistinct mush, robs the movie of any sense of scope. It becomes less about the text, the amazing actors that are saying the lines, and the scale afforded by motion pictures, and more about Taymor's lackluster staging.

Bogglingly, "The Tempest" is the "Centerpiece Film" at the New York Film Festival and closed out Venice earlier this year and is being groomed by some as an Oscar heavyweight, once it opens in December. It's absolute absurd to think this, and we're quick to peg it as this year's "Nine:" a movie that seems to have prestige written all over it, until people actually see it. Or, in the words of the Bard: "the past is prologue." [D]

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Ryan Gosling In Talks To Play The Lead In George Clooney's 'Farragut North'

While Chris Pine looked like he might be scoring the lead role of a young communications director who works for a fast-rising presidential candidate in George Clooney's upcoming directorial effort "Farragut North," it looks like Ryan Gosling is now negotiating to get the gig, according to Deadline.

A role once sought by Leonardo DiCaprio (the project has been gestating for at least two years), Deadline makes no mention of previously discussed actors vying or offered parts such as Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Evan Rachel Wood and Marisa Tomei. And perhaps it's because those talks haven't turned into any kind of concrete negotiations yet, who knows.

Optioned by Warner Bros. in 2008, the film is an adaptation of a political play by Beau Willimon. It is loosely based on the 2004 Democratic primary run of Howard Dean, and "the story is set in Des Moines, Iowa, just weeks before the state’s Democratic caucuses officially commence; it follows the exploits of a twenty-something presidential campaign spinmeister/wunderkind named Stephen Myers, and the dirty pool he plays to get his candidate the nomination against a rival senator."

WB doesn't sound involved anymore. Clooney is shepherding the project through his Smoke House Productions banner with partner Grant Heslov (the director of "Men Who Stare At Goats"), which is now set up at Sony, and while no distributor has been named (nor financiers), they could be a potential contender.

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Updated: Wes Anderson To Shoot New Film In Spring 2011, 12 Year Old Boy & Girl Sought For Lead Roles; Film Titled 'Moonrise Kingdom'?

Updated: Production Weekly says the film is called, "Moonrise Kingdom." This is the same title that was dropped in /Film's comments section yesterday. We're hoping they didn't grab the information from there. Our emails and calls to Anderson's American Empirical productions have not been returned.

Production Weekly has been hitting Twitter in a big way over the past 24 hours, and now they've dropped their biggest piece of news yet: Wes Anderson plans to shoot his next film in the spring of 2011.

We did some digging and while we don't have too many details yet, from what we've heard, the director is seeking a boy and a girl, aged 12 years old for the lead roles. So could Anderson be continuing in the vein of younger fare after the excellent "Fantastic Mr. Fox"? Could be. At any rate, he's already said he doesn't plan to direct "The Rosenthal Suite," his rewrite of the French comedy hit "My Best Friend" that he was linked to late last year. And we don't think it's the long-gestating script he and Noah Baumbach have been kicking around that doesn't quite seem finished anyway.

At any rate, it's a new Wes Anderson film to look forward to. We're excited and eager to see what the director has in store. Story was originally published 2:40 PM ET on September 29, 2010.

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Emma Thompson Joins The Cast Of 'Men In Black 3D'

Oh, Emma Thompson, why have thee forsaken us?

Yes, it's true. The British thespian, who doesn't really embarrass herself in the "Nanny McPhee" films, is set to embarrass herself in the third installment for the "Men In Black" films, "Men In Black 3D," which are films for.... kids? Or adults with the sensibilities of kids? It's hard to tell these days since people of all stripes seem to enjoy this delightful sci-fi comedy franchise.

Maybe we're being overtly harsh, but one, we happen to like Thompson a lot and two, what's the point of a third "Men In Black" film other than to buy Jaden Smith a "Back To the Future" time travel Delorean that actually works?

Barry Sonnenfeld made a great Coen Brothers cinematographer, but his cartoonish sensibilities never really gelled as a director (even for his cartoonish films). The original "Men In Black" was marginally fun entertainment and the sequel quickly flew south into unwatchable territory. The mild hope is Etan Cohen, who wrote "Tropic Thunder," will make the threequel -- said to sport a time travel bent -- enjoyable, but David Koepp has already re-written it, and tentpole comedies like this tend to be overwritten to death by committee.

Anyhow, Deadline reports she'll take a lead role in the film that already stars Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, plus Josh Brolin (rumored to be the young version of Tommy Lee Jones), Jemaine Clement and probably Rip Torn if he's not rolling around a ditch with his pants around his ankles and a blow-up doll in one hand. Dare we say we'd rather see the completely unnecessary "Ghostbusters 3" before we see this? As you were.

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Keke Palmer Says She's Been Asked To Join Marvel's 'Runaways'

Last we heard, Marvel's "Runaways" was set to being shooting next March, but buzz on the project has curiously been zero. No casting rumors at all and essentially no chatter around what should be a film with heavy geek interest.

At any rate, the buzz should start to build again as it looks like casting is indeed underway as Keke Palmer ("True Jackson, VP") tells Essence magazine that she's been asked to join the film saying, "['True Jackson, VP'] had me tied up so much that I haven't been able to do much of anything else. But before the show I did a lot of films, so I'm familiar with it. But I'm ready to go back. I've had a nice little break with the steady TV show but I'm definitely ready to do some more films again. I was just asked to join a new Marvel comic project called, 'Runaways.'"

The project is interesting for a couple of reasons. Firstly, Peter Sollet ("Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist," "Raising Victor Vargas") has been tapped to direct, which is intriguing given that he has essentially no action or special effects experience. But given that the film has been called "'The Breakfast Club' with superheroes," it seems like the right choice. Additionally, this will be the first Marvel film to hit with what could arguably be called unknown characters. "Iron Man" these kids are not. The story revolves around a group of teenagers who discover their parents are part of an evil crime group called Pride.

The last issue had the film under the title "Small Faces," but we're guessing that's a production code name, not an official title switch. But it definitely appears that offers are going out and a March shoot seems to be on target. The film was written by Brian K. Vaughn ("Lost") and has not yet been slotted with an official release date, but expect it sometime in 2012.

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Brett Ratner Options 'The Reluctant Communist' With An Eye To Direct

Even though he's getting set to direct Ben Stiller in the caper comedy "Tower Heist" this fall, Brett Ratner is keeping an eye on what's next.

The auteur has optioned the 2008 memoir "The Reluctant Communist," with an eye to possibly direct the film. The story follows U.S. Army sergeant Charles Robert Jenkins, who surrendered to North Korea while drunk and ended up being imprisoned for forty years. As if that isn't odd enough, he became a minor celebrity in the country after being forced to act in anti-American propaganda films.

Ross Katz, writer/director of the TV film "Taking Chance" and producer of "Marie Antoinette" and "Lost In Translation," is penning the screenplay with Rat Entertainment's John Cheng producing. The material sounds great, but we're not convinced Ratner could do it any justice. Here's hoping it finds another director. [Variety]

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Reasons Why 'The Social Network' Is Not The (TV) Movie Of The Decade

Slow down there tigers. David Fincher's "The Social Network" is an admirable piece of work, another outstanding piece of technical craftsmanship from the notoriously fastidious filmmaker, a tour de force of editing, a snap, crackle and pop of witty "His Girl Friday"-like tête-à-tête dialogue, and it does feature Jesse Eisenberg's best performance so far. Admittedly, there is a lot to love about the film, but those critics bemoaning the fact that it doesn't have a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes because of Armond White (that evil man, how could he!?) are being downright silly. The picture — like all movies — is not perfect (does a truly perfect movie even exist aside from a handful of unimpeachable classics?) and more importantly, it has its flaws.

Moreover, it's a film that has been doused in hyperbole. The film that defines a generation. Really? Why, because it features computers? It's well established that the film is not about Facebook and or social media or social networks. It's about — at the end of the day — friendship, greed, betrayal, entitlement, and to an extent, communication in the communication age. But how most of those themes only apply to this decade is puzzling (Peter Travers, care to explain?). Don't get it twisted, we liked the film (this writer's grade is more B, B+ than the A-grades it's been getting across the board, but whatever), but it's not god's gift to movies (though it certainly will have more long-tail resonance than the enjoyable, but slight, "Toy Story 3" which also almost had a 100% RT grade until Armond did his unspeakable dislike thing).

Oh, and don't let producers tell you that screenplays that leak online are just first drafts. While that's often the case, it's not always true, and Aaron Sorkin's script is proof; the version online and the finished film are almost word for word the same in dialogue and certainly in exact structure and sequence flow. Regardless, here's six issues and/or quibbles why the film is not "perfect."
1. The under-developed relationship between Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) and Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield). While Justin Timberlake is an important part of the equation as entrepreneur Sean Parker, the film's nuts and bolts are about the dissolution of the Zuckerberg/Saverin relationship. And in a very Sorkin-esque/TV manner, the backstory of their friendship is done away with and implied. It's fully in swing when the film starts and when it eventually crumbles under the weight of underhanded maneuvers, potential betrayals, miscommunication and greed (though this is all subjective and the viewer is supposed to decide), there's no real sense that Saverin is Zuckerberg's "only friend" as Garfield states in the film. We're not asking for a hugging scene or a heart-to-heart, but something that developed their relationship a little deeper may have made the conclusion a bit more resonant. This under-developed friendship, in a way, is the Achilles heel to the picture; it zips by so enjoyably and with such thrilling zest you might not even realize until later.

2. Speaking of underdeveloped relationships, the girlfriends -- Erica (Rooney Mara) and Christy (Brenda Song) -- are given particularly short shrift. While Mark continues to pine for Erica after she dumps him in the first scene, we're never really shown that he cared for her or they had much of a relationship to begin with. As for Christy, her turn from casual sex Facebook groupie to the raving psychopath girlfriend of Eduardo is as random as it is puzzling and ultimately pointless. Her ultimate impact on the narrative or even Eduardo's brief arc is nil.

3. Fincher's tone is cold and aloof. While "The Social Network" is Fincher's most humanist film, that's still relative and he keeps the viewers at emotional arm's length. This speaks to the director's decision to not develop the friendship further or task the screenwriter to do the same (in a recent Vulture interview Fincher says the studio asked for something more between the two in the film's conclusion, but they ultimately decided to not add the scene).
4. The TV-ish-ness of it all. Yes, the editing is something thrilling, but the sometimes unimaginative cutting-back-and-forth structure in the middle of the film feels slack and TV-ish, as per Sorkin's standards. There's an episodic feel to Zuckerberg's adventures with Sean Parker sans Saverin and one could argue that "The Social Network," while a thrilling piece of drama, is nothing more than super entertaining two-hour tele-film. One created by one of the best technicians working in cinema today, but there's something about the episodic nature and structure that has little emotion and more importantly, little long-tail resonance. "The Social Network" is thrilling in the moment. A little later? Not so much.

5. It's "Law & Order" functioning at its highest level. Back to the TV argument again, but the script — which this writer didn't really care for — is essentially a court room drama played out in flashbacks. Pretty conventional stuff when you think about it.

6. A very small quibble, but the film's lack of interest in current Facebook predicaments — the sharing and profiting of people's personal profiles and Zuckerberg's antagonism towards the critics of this practice would have been some excellent drama or themes that are not utilized.

7. Also, hello? Not enough Winkelvi. Kidding. Sort of, though Armie Hammer as the Winklevoss twins is an outstanding scene-stealer.
Again, don't get it twisted. This isn't the contrarian critic point of view, more of just a keep your pants on fyi to the the critics who woke up passed out with their pants around their ankles and their underwear conspicuously missing when their reviews were completed (in a year of Oscar fives, this writer believes "The Social Network" would have a zero shot). As for the hate on Armond, well, pile on all you want, but he's right with this point (even though we too often don't always agree with him either), "[the] frat-boy mentality [is] in effect, no one else in cyberspace dares dissent from the hype." And it's true and unfortunate. Once that buzz ball starts rolling downhill, everyone wants to join and rarely does anyone care to hear otherwise.

Also? We could totally be wrong, but like Justin Timberlake recently said, this film could easily divide audiences. We suspect it'll do well, but it feels like a critics film to us, not one that the public is going to be totally receptive to afterwards. We could be wrong, time will tell. What seems to be clear though is that the raves and the curiosity bug has bit them. With little competition this weekend, "The Social Network" should easily nab the #1 slot, now it's just a matter of how well it does. Our guess is the $15-20million range, but maybe the Facebook appeal — there are 500 million users worldwide after all — could prove stronger. -- RP, Gabe Toro, Kevin Jagernauth

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Michael Caine Reveals The End Of 'Inception'

Obviously, if you haven't seen the film or if you have your own satisfactory theory for the end of "Inception" don't read this story, because Michael Caine is putting an end to speculation about the end of the film.

Talking on BBC Radio's The Chris Moyles Show (via ScreenRant) Michael Caine decided to drop some truth bombs about Christopher Nolan's playfully open ended conclusion to his dream world blockbuster "Inception." Caine says, “[The spinning top] drops at the end, that’s when I come back on. If I’m there it’s real, because I’m never in the dream. I’m the guy who invented the dream.”

Is your mind blown yet? Truthfully, this is pretty much what we figured (frankly, we would've preferred a darker ending) and confirms what costume designer Jeffrey Kurland said about the ending back in August.

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The Captain Sully Story Headed For A Theater Near You

A year and a half after the awesomely named Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger saved the lives of his passengers on Flight 1549, landing them safely in the Hudson River after an errand flock of birds flew into the plane's engines, those desperate moments are finally going to come to the big screen.

The Kennedy/Marshall Co. and Flashlight Films have optioned Sullenberg's memoir "Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters" with plans to turn it into a movie. We can't wait to find out how it ends.The producers are currently seeking backing for the film and it's not aligned with a studio yet, though it is going out to writers. No offense to Sullenberger, who certainly did act heroically that day, but we have no desire to watch a movie about this. This is a project we might expect, at best, on Lifetime, not from a major Hollywood studio.

But, audiences show great affection for big-hearted movies, particularly those with a story they're already familiar with, and they usually reward them with steady box office receipts. So, any ideas on who should play Capt. Sully? We're voting for Christopher Walken. Just to spice things up. [Variety]

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Trent Reznor Says He Turned Down 'The Social Network' Scoring Gig At First

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' score to David Fincher's "The Social Network" is an incredible piece of work vacillating between ominous, yet melancholy tracks ("Hand Covers Bruise") and the more pulsating electronic tracks ("In Motion") that keep the already fast-paced picture propelling forward. While it won't be recognized by the Academy come Oscar time, score aficionados are likely going to be rocking it on their iPods long after the film has been released.

And yet when Fincher first approached the Nine Inch Nails frontman to do the score, Reznor said he wasn't in a good state of mind and actually turned down the gig. "And of course it gnawed away at me," Reznor said in a recent L.A. Times interview. "I got back in touch with him in late winter or early spring and apologized again and asked him to keep me in mind in the future [on other projects].

Of course the tenacious Fincher knew all along that Reznor was doing the score and had never taken his no for an answer. "He said, ‘No, what are you talking about? You’re doing this one.’ ” And that was pretty much that.


While the "The Social Network" filmmaker had already directed the Nine Inch Nails music video “Only” in 2005 (see below), the reasons why he pursued him for the score were simple. "I wanted to work with Trent," Fincher said matter-of-factly at the recent New York Film Festival Q&A. In fact, he was planning it all along, long before he had even contacted the musician with his proposal. "We had [the rough-cut] temped a lot of the movie to Nine Inch Nails' [2008 instrumental and experimental album] Ghosts I–IV already, the conceptual studio album they did in like two weeks," Fincher noted.

Conversely, and contrastingly, the film closes with The Beatles "Baby You're a Rich Man" which in a very Fincher-ian way, is transformed into a much more sardonic and acidic kiss-off given the way the drama concludes. It's a musical stroke of genius and transports the film to another level.

"When we were shooting the final deposition scene and I was listening to my iPod and I heard the Beatles song and I thought, 'We might be able to get away with this,' " Fincher noted in the Q&A. "I played it to Jesse [Eisenberg] and he nodded his head which, you know, is his form of approval and then we tested it. We laid it under the scene and then [before we watched how it worked] we played the entire movie and I remember going, 'yeah, I think that's gonna work.' "

"The Social Network" score by Reznor was released on Tuesday September 28th. The film has already opened in New York and for the rest of the country it hits tomorrow, Friday, October 1.
NIN's "Only" directed by David Fincher

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Naomi Watts In Early Talks To Join Dakota Fanning In 'Now Is Good'

Call it the suicidal, teenage "Bucket List" if you will, but Naomi Watts is reportedly in early talks to join Dakota Fanning in "Now Is Good," an adaptation of Jenny Downham's Before I Die.

The story follows Tessa, a teenager dying from leukemia who drafts a list of things to do before she dies (the top choice being sex), while dealing with the relationships with various family members in the lead up to her death. Sounds fun! The film is set to be directed by Ol Parker ("Imagine Me & You") and we would imagine Fanning and Watts would play mother and child.

No word yet on shooting schedules or other details, but as always, early talks are just that.

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The Drums, Common, Black Sabbath, Queen, The XX & More: All The Music Featured In 'It's Kind Of A Funny Story'

Alright, to keep it brief. You've already seen the soundtrack tracklist, you've heard some of the music and you know that Broken Social Scene wrote the score, plus some original songs for Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden's upcoming coming-of-age dramedy, "It's Kind Of A Funny Story" which stars Keir Gilchrist, Zach Galifianakis and on-the-rise starlet Emma Stone.

The soundtrack does feature contemporary indie bands like The Wowz, Pink Mountaintops, The Middle East, '80s punk from The Damned, A Pixies' cover on piano (Maxence Cyrin's "Where Is My Mind"), soul R&B funk from Little Denise (the awesome "Check Me Out") and Egyptian funk (Rachid Taha's "Habina") to name a few.

But music is an integral part of the film and there's much much more. Indie-rockers will be happy to hear the name-check mention of Vampire Weekend, plus use of The xx, The Drums and Dead Oceans, classicists will enjoy the mentions of Dylan, the standout use of Queen/Bowie, Black Sabbath, hip-hop heads will dig the Common and Method Man trainspotting and deep cut soul enthusiast will surely love the appearances of Kenny Smith, the aforementioned Little Denise, Lil` Lavair and The Fabulous Jades ("Cold Heat"). There's plenty of music in the film and it's all well utilized. Anywhoo, if you're curious. All the music is listed below. The soundtrack dropped on Tuesday (September 28 via Rhino Records) and the film hits theaters October 8.

All The Music Featured In "It's Kind Of A Funny Story"
“Chameleon” - Broken Social Scene Presents: Brendan Canning
“No Smiling Darkness/Snake Charmers Association” - Broken Social Scene
“Weddings” - Broken Social Scene
“Ambulance For The Ambience”- Broken Social Scene
“Millionaire” - Izza Kizza
“Busy Shoppers” - Len Stevens
“Let’s Go Surfing” -The Drums
“Smash It Up” - The Damned
“Happy Today” -- The WoWz
“Tourist In Your Town” - Pink Mountaintops
“Icarus” - Dead Oceans
“Intro” - The xx
“The Breaks” -Kurtis Blow
“2-4-6-8 Motorway” - The Tom Robinson Band
“Murderous Assault” -Harry Lubin
“Don’t Forget Your Torch” --Jon Durnie Brooks
“Soledad” - Pharoah Sanders
“Where You Go” - Elden Calder
“Beym Rebin’s Sude” --Robin Jeffrey and Roddy Skeaping
“Under Pressure” --Queen & David Bowie
“The Ills” --Mayer Hawthorne
“Da Rockwilder” --Method Man and Redman
“Lost In The Galaxy” --Harry Lubin
“Where Is My Mind?” -- Maxence Cyrin (Pixies cover)
“It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)” --Bob Dylan (only referenced in dialogue)
“Blood” - Middle East
“It’s Alright” - Black Sabbath
“Cold Heat” - Lil’ Lavair and The Fabulous Jades
“We Have Each Other”- Kenny Smith
“Check Me Out”- Little Denise
“Habina” - Rachid Taha
“Be (Intro)” - Common
“Major Label Debut (Fast)” - Broken Social Scene
“Not At My Best” - Broken Social Scene

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Katherine Heigl Considering Lead Role In Adaptation Of Diana Gabaldon's 'Outlander'

With the rom-com "Life As We Know It" hitting theaters next weekend, and the high concept private investigator flick "One For The Money" arriving in 2011, Katherine Heigl is considering a shift into some straight fantasy/dramatic fare for her next film.

In an interview with the NY Times, the actress reveals she's circling the lead role of the film version of Diane Gabaldon's "Outlander" saying, “Scotland? 2012? What do you think?” The book, the first in a six novel series, starts in 1945 and follows Claire Beauchamp Randall, an English nurse, who while on honeymoon in the Scottish highlands is transported back in time to 1743, where she finds a series of adventures and romance.

The books were optioned by Essential Pictures back in 2008 with an eye to creating a franchise. Randall Wallace ("Braveheart," "Pearl Harbor") was hired to pen the script, with a director being sought for a 2009 start. Obviously that didn't happen, but if Heigl were to join, we would imagine the pieces would come together quickly.  However, judging by her comments, it doesn't seem likely to shoot until 2012.

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Timur Bekmambetov & Tim Burton Shop 'Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter' Around Town

Back in August, Timur Bekmambetov revealed that "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" would be his next directing gig and the project, produced by Tim Burton, is now headed out to studios to see who will bite.

Based on the novel by Seth Grahame-Smith ("Pride And Prejudice And Zombies"), the story spins the familiar history of Abraham Lincoln, but casts him as a ruthless vampire killer. Last month, Bekmambetov said the film would shoot in the United States and he was eyeing a winter start date. As for what we can expect stylistically, Bekmambetov said, " If you remember 'Nightwatch,' it is maybe in the vein of that kind of movie." He also hopes to explore the world Grahame-Smith has created in potential sequels.

As for who will pick up the project, it remains to be seen. DreamWorks and Disney are said to be "out of the running" but the other big boys, Universal, 20th Century Fox, and Warner Bros. are still in play. It's definitely in the vein of revisionist history/fables that seems to be du jour in Hollywood and with Burton involved it should attract interest. [Vulture]

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Darren Aronofsky Rumored As Candidate To Direct 'Preacher'

We're paraphrasing here -- it's something we read on another site recently but can't seem to find now -- but it more or less goes like this: Darren Aronofsky just made a movie about lesbian ballerinas but people still want him to make a comic movie. The sentiment is one we share; coming off "Black Swan," one of the most ambitious and original films of the year, we're not sure why Hollywood or geeks keep throwing boring comic book material at the guy or why people want him to do it.

Following talk of "Wolverine 2" and "Superman: The Man Of Steel," Newsarama (via MTV) is claiming that a source has informed them that Aronofsky is one of Columbia Pictures' top choices to direct the long-developing comic "Preacher." Please note, this is a "choice" which means his name is most likely on a list with a bunch of other people as is the usual case for this kind of thing.

The series, published between 1995 and 2000, follows a priest who comes into contact with a supernatural being called Genesis and goes on a mission to find an absentee God, and has seen a number of directors circle the project. "Tank Girl" director Rachel Talalay was attached for some time, and "Daredevil" writer-director Mark Steven Johnson was working on a version for HBO. More recently, John August was hired last year to script it for Sam Mendes and Joe Carnahan most recently expressed interest in the material.

At any rate, just add it to the list of projects being sent Aronofsky's way and don't expect it to be the last linked to him. He's an acclaimed director with geek cred so we're sure his name is on many studio lists as their choices for franchise projects, but it doesn't necessarily mean it's going to happen. For us, we'd rather see him continue to pursue projects that are closer to his heart.

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Adam Scott Joins Jon Hamm, Kristen Wiig & Jennifer Westfeldt In 'Friends With Kids'

Adam Scott has joined Jon Hamm, Kristen Wiig and Jennifer Westfeldt in the latter's directorial debut, "Friends With Kids."

Earlier this month, the project began taking shape with Hamm joining the film and Wiig and Anne Hathaway as "hopefuls" to come aboard. While Wiig has joined, it looks like Hathaway has moved on with Westfeldt taking a role in front of the camera as well. The film project, which Westfeldt also wrote, was previewed earlier this year at a theatre festival reading with Scott being one of the participants. Other actors who took part in the reading were the stellar likes of Rebecca Creskoff, Rosemarie Dewitt, Noah Emmerich though it isn't known if any of them will follow Scott.

Plot details are hard to come by but earlier this summer Hamm, whose longtime girlfriend is Westfeldt, talked about the tough decision to have kids, the poor examples of marriage they both had from their youth and losing his parents at a young age and we would wager that these experiences have helped shape the material. "I like kids but I also like the option to close the door," Hamm said. "Becoming a parent is a whole other life, and it doesn't stop."

Production on the film is set to begin next month in New York City.

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Alison Pill & Marc-André Grondin Join Jay Baruchel & Seann William Scott In 'Goon'

With the Evan Goldberg and Jay Baruchel written, Michael Dowse ("Fubar," "It's All Gone Pete Tong") directed hockey comedy "Goon" set to begin filming in a few weeks, the cast is beginning to solidify.

Alison Pill ("Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World") and Marc-André Grondin ("C.R.A.Z.Y.") have joined the previously announced Seann William Scott and Jay Baruchel in the film, with roles yet to be specified. Talking about the project earlier this year, Baruchel said,"We like to think of ["Goon"] as a funnier 'Raging Bull.' It's real mean, and it's truthful, and it's everything hockey is without any of the bullshit sports movie clichés, and it is dead funny. Lot of swears, that's a hard R. It's a very crass movie, there are something like 20 fights in it, but it's the badass movie that hockey fans have been waiting to see their whole lives. It will be by far the best hockey movie since 'Slapshot.' Hockey fans have needed one for a long time, it's a sport that movies never do well. Ours will be a fucking movement."

Sounds pretty awesome.

If you're wondering about Seann William Scott and that other hockey movie he was linked to, Kevin Smith's "Hit Somebody," it looks like that movie is a bit of a way off with the director revealing he won't get to it until mid-2011 at the earliest, once he's done with "Red State."

Filming gets underway on Ocotber 18th in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

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Ben Affleck Offered '40s Cop Drama 'Tales From The Gangster Squad' To Direct, Considering Film With Matt Damon

Warner Bros. are reportedly so impressed with Ben Affleck's directorial work (and box office results) on the Boston-set crime-drama "The Town" that they've offered him the director's chair of the 1940s cop-drama, "Tales From The Gangster Squad."

The adaptation is based on a series of articles in the L.A. Times by Paul Lieberman and was picked up soon after it's publication in 2008 by Warner Bros. who, in turn, hired former L.A. cop turned novelist Will Beall to adapt. The major focus of Lieberman's article were a specialized L.A.P.D. unit set up in the '40s to fight the growing influence of the East Coast Mafia, namely that from infamous gangster Mickey Cohen, a mogul who started as muscle for Al Capone in Chicago.

Whether or not Affleck will consider the offer seriously remains to be seen. Several projects are, however, already on his radar: he's reportedly considering directing a Showtime pilot from the mind of "24" producer Howard Gordon about a sleeper cell and a ex-CIA operative and has eye on an unknown "two-hander" also at Warner Bros. which may star his BFF Matt Damon.

Could that be the New York Yankees wife-swapping pic, "The Trade," which Affleck was attached to write, direct and star in along side Damon? The script by Dave Mandel ("Seinfeld," "Curb Your Enthusiasm") was highly spoken of and was based on Yankee players Fritz Peterson and Mike Kekich who, in reality, did in fact swap wives and ended up falling for each other's partner.

It might be a while yet anyway before Affleck goes behind the camera again. When recently asked about his next directorial effort, Affleck noted "I don't know yet. Maybe [I'll write again], we'll see. I'm not sure. I just want to find something good. I waited a while before doing ["The Town"] and I'm glad because I really like this. And I think one of the dangers is if you pick something too soon and it can go sideways. You work on something for two years, you have to really love it as much on day 700 as day 1."

All the while, "The Town" has now earned just under $52 million at the box office and has even been touted as a potential dark horse to sneak into the Oscar Best Picture race. [Vulture]

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Anthony Hopkins Joins Rachel Weisz In Fernando Meirelles' '360': Frances McDormand & Eminem In Talks

After his semi-autobiographical acting debut in "8 Mile" proved to feature both a pretty solid performance, and a pretty decent movie, many expected hip-hop star Eminem to carve out a profitable side-career in acting. But outside of a pretty good cameo as himself in Judd Apatow's "Funny People," it never materialized, partly due to the rapper's struggle with addiction to alcohol and prescription drugs.

But with his latest record, Recovery proving to be something of a return to form, commercially at least, it looks like Marshall Mathers is set to return to acting, as Production Weekly have reported that the actor is in negotiations to join the cast of Fernando Meirelles' sex drama "360," which Rachel Weisz signed on to a few weeks back. Furthermore, Frances McDormand is also said to be in talks, while Anthony Hopkins appears to have signed on to the project officially.

All in all, it's lining up to a very exciting, eclectic cast for the Peter Morgan-penned reworking of Arthur Schnitzler's "La Ronde." The original is made up of several short scenes between couples, who span class and social divides, who are shown before or after a sexual liaison. After each scene, one character from the pairing is then shown with another partner, who is then shown with another partner, and so on, until the promiscuity comes full circle. With this in mind, we can expect quite a few other casting announcements before filming kicks off later in the year. But frankly, even the faint prospect of a sex scene between Slim Shady and Marge Gunderson kind of blows our minds.

With Meirelles coming off the misfire "Blindness," he's got a little more to prove this time at bat, but he certainly seems to be assembling the right kind of cast here. Eminem, meanwhile, may be seen at some stage in a 3D horror anthology "Shady Talez," although there's been no word on this for almost a year, so don't hold your breath.

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R.I.P. Tony Curtis (1925-2010)

In the latest sadness in what's already been fairly miserable week in film, with the deaths of Sally Menke and Arthur Penn, this morning brought the news that the great Tony Curtis passed away overnight. A rep for the actor's daughter, Jamie Lee Curtis, confirmed the news to Entertainment Tonight early this morning.

Born Bernard Schwartz in New York in 1925, the child of Hungarian Jewish immigrants, Curtis served in the Navy in the Second World War, before heading to Hollywood and making his name as a contract player for Universal. He appeared in supporting roles in the likes of "Winchester '73," alongside Jimmy Stewart, before taking up leading roles as something of a heartthrob leading man in films like 1953's "Houdini," and Carol Reed's "Trapeze." He went on to show new depths when he reteamed with his co-star in the latter, Burt Lancaster, in Alexander Mackendrick's stone-cold classic "Sweet Smell Of Success," as a publicist who clashes with a powerful gossip columnist.

This kicked off a hugely successful few years for the star, with roles alongside Kirk Douglas in "The Vikings," an Oscar-nominated turn in Stanley Kramer's "The Defiant Ones," Blake Edwards' submarine comedy "Operation Petticoat" and a supporting role in Stanley Kubrick's "Spartacus" all following in quick succession. But of course, the role, or indeed roles, that ensure he'll never be forgotten, is his incredible performance in Billy Wilder's "Some Like It Hot," alongside Jack Lemmon as jazz musicians who witness the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, and have to pose as women to escape, Curtis' character falling in love with Marilyn Monroe along the way.

It's easily one of the greatest comedies of all time, and Curtis is extraordinarily funny in it, particularly when he riffs on his "Operation Petticoat" co-star Cary Grant as the wealthy Shell Oil Jr. (you can check it out below). He gave another excellent, albeit very different, performance, as the serial killer Albert DeSalvo in Richard Fleischer's 1968 drama "The Boston Strangler," one that Curtis always picked out as a personal favorite from his career.

He moved into TV in the 1970s, starring for several seasons on "Vega$," and alongside Roger Moore in the cult adventure show "The Persuaders." He was also a keen painter, and, although he continued acting into his ninth decade, dialed it back in favor of his art -- one of his surrealist paintings was displayed in the Met in New York.

He was married six times, including to "Psycho" star Janet Leigh,with whom he fathered actress Jamie Lee Curtis. When asked in an on-stage interview at the BFI in London in 2008 what he'd like on his tombstone, Curtis answered, "Nobody's perfect." We can't think of a better tip of the hat to his greatest performance, and to the man who gave it.

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Christopher Plummer Joins David Fincher's 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo'

With all the chatter surrounding David Fincher's "The Social Network" opening this Friday, it's been a temporary reprieve from the noise around the other movie he's gearing up to shoot, "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo."

Well, expect the buzz to build again as Christopher Plummer as joined the cast in the role of Henrik Vanger, the wealthy industrialist who hires Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) to dig into the decades old murder mystery, digging up dark secrets in the process. As you might recall, Max Von Sydow was in talks to take the role last month, but evidently, Plummer landed the part.

Plummer will join Craig, Rooney Mara (who was not injured on set), Robin Wright and Stellan Skarsgaard in the film that is set to begin filming in Sweden this fall. Fincher will be directing from a script by Steve Zaillian ("Schindler's List," "Gangs Of New York") and the film is slated for a December 22, 2011 release. [THR]

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Watch: Gia Coppola's Video For Fashion Designer Orla Kiely's Spring/Summer 2011 Line

Following her short "Non Plus One" co-directed with Tracy Antonopoulos, and starring her cousin Jason Schwartzman and Kirsten Dunst, and her short film for designer Zac Posen to promote his clothing line at Target, Gia Coppola has unveiled another short for another designer.

Commissioned by Orla Kiely to create a spot for her spring/summer 2011, the latest spot by Gia Coppola displays the nostalgic gaze and breezy attitude of her previous efforts. Thought not as memorable as previous spots, it still does what it's supposed to do: highlight the clothes in a fun, unique way. Certainly, its better than the kind the perfume ads by Guy Ritchie and Frank Miller.

You can watch the video below and wonder when she'll join Francis and Sofia in making a feature.

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Jessica Biel Joins 'Martyrs' Director Pascal Laugier's 'The Tall Man'

While celebrated in some quarters as some kind of cerebral horror achievement, this writer thinks Pascal Laugier's "Martyrs" was torture porn dressed up in some intellectual mumbo jumbo. Regardless, the film has its fans, and they might be pleased to know Laugier has another film on the horizon.

"The Tall Man" sounds a bit less extreme than "Martyrs" and the story will center on a town where a number of children have gone missing over the years without a trace. Local legend tells the tale of the titular Tall Man who takes them away never to be seen again. One woman takes action when her child is taken and tries to discover who the Tall Man is and what happens to the children.

With that in mind, Jessica Biel has joined the film which is now filming in Canada, in what we guess in the main role. She joins a cast that includes Stephen McHattie ("Watchmen," "Pontypool"), William B. Davis ("X-Files" as the Cigarette Smoking Man), Samantha Ferris ("Supernatural") and Jodelle Ferland ("Tideland," "Case 39"). The project is described confusingly as "an outdoor 'Panic Room'" and a "suspenseful thriller in the vein of M. Night Shyamalan’s earlier films." So take that for whatever its worth. [JoBlo]

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Greta Gerwig To Star In Whit Stillman's 'Damsels In Distress,' Will Feature Song & Dance Numbers?

Consider our indie film loving hearts now exploding as Greta Gerwig, the mumblecore actress who has crossed over to more mainstream fare like Noah Baumbach's "Greenberg" earlier this year and upcoming Russell Brand comedy "Arthur," has revealed to WWD (via Hollywood Elsewhere) that she is set to star in Whit Stillman's "Damsels In Distress."

Earlier this summer, the project came to light and was announced to be a low-budget affair that would have "no stars and while Gerwig certainly isn't a household name, she's not an entirely unknown element either. That said, at the time of publication of the interview in mid-September, Gerwig said she would be starting work on the film "in two weeks" so would imagine the project is set to begin any day now, if it hasn't already.

This is definitely exciting stuff as it's been twelve long years since Stillman's "Last Days Of Disco," and he's unfortunately seen a handful of projects not quite come together over the past years. In the film, Gerwig says she'll play, "Violet who runs a suicide-prevention center at a liberal arts college. She prevents suicides through the powers of Thirties song-and-dance numbers. So it’s a very dark comedy." So, does this mean musical numbers are in the film? Guess we'll have to wait and see. You can read the full synopsis revealed earlier this year after the jump:

[The picture] centers on a group of college girls who take in a new student and teach her their own misguided ways of helping people. Lily, a new student at Seven Oaks University, winds up filling in with a dynamic and highly individualistic group of girls, addicted to the elegance of the past: Heather, Violet and Rose all volunteer at the campus Suicide Prevention Center, convinced that musical dance, sharp clothes and good hygiene — the Dior perfume "Diorissimo" is their trademark — can all contribute to staving off the inevitable self-destructive impulses that follow hard on the heels of failed college romances. Despite their sophisticated talk and savvy use of perfume, the girls are plagued by Cupid's arrows and must adjust their psyches to the onset of amour.

No word yet on other cast members, but the project appears to be completely under the radar (IMDB doesn't know it exists yet). Needless to say, we're very exited that Stillman is back; he's definitely a director long, long overdue for a new film and we hope his comeback is strong.

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Robert Zemeckis Eyes 'Superman,' Attached To New Time Travel Film 'Timeless'

At this point, what director isn't interested in Warner Bros. gestating "Superman: Man Of Steel"? From new kids on the block like Matt Reeves to auteurs like Darren Aronofsky, it appears the Christopher Nolan-godfathered film is trying everyone in Hollywood on for size.

Buried in Deadline's exclusive on a new live action Robert Zemeckis project, the site reveals the director "has lately been rumored to be kicking the tires on such live action projects as Superman." The name is a bit of surprise considering Zemeckis has been following his motion capture muse for the last ten years with "Beowulf," "A Christmas Carol" and "The Polar Express" and it's been two decades since his last major live action tentpole film, "Back To The Future III." But he definitely knows his way around effects, and is a respected director, so it's not entirely out of the question (and he's a much better choice than say, Tony Scott).

As for the live-action project, his first since 2000's "Cast Away," Zemeckis is attached to produce and possibly direct a pitch picked up by Warner Bros. called "Timeless" by Mike Thompson. Thompson, who wrote "Dragonfly" and "Love Happens," is best known in Hollywood circles for teaming with Brandon Camp and earning a big day for their script "Steinbeck's Big Day." The film gained heat when Tom Cruise showed interest in the project, and the duo ended up earning millions thanks to play or pay deals when it fell apart. No word yet on the plot details for "Timeless" except that it's a time travel film.

We presume with Zemeckis eyeing other projects that his "Yellow Submarine" remains on the back burner. The director was also looking at the futuristic young adult novel "Dark Falls" earlier this year, and that also remains on his plate as a potential project.

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