Nicole Kidman and Dev Patel will come together for an adaptation of Saroo Brierley‘s "A Long From Home." Titled "Lion," the movie follows "a street kid from Calcutta (Patel) who is taken in and adopted by a couple in Australia." So, "Slumdog Suburban-aire"? Garth Davis ("Top Of The Lake") will direct, with Luke Davies (Anton Corbijn‘s "Life") penning the script. [THR]
"A Better Life" star and Oscar nominee Demian Bichir will star in "Low Riders." Ricardo de Montreuil will direct this "inspirational youth culture movie" about "a teen caught between his traditional father, to be played by Bichir, and the teen’s estranged gangbanger brother, who are both competing in the annual lowrider ‘Supershow.’ " Bonding. [Variety]
Once set to star Anton Yelchin and Megalyn Echikunwoke, "Vincent & Roxxy" will now be led by Emile Hirsch and Zoë Kravitz in the tale of "two down-on-their-luck rebels who fall in love and fall apart when their violent pasts catch up with them." Gary Michael Schultz wrote and the script and will direct, with production starting in December. [Deadline]
Naomi Watts, Susan Sarandon, and Elle Fanning are teaming up for "Three Generations." Gaby Dellal ("On A Clear Day") will helm the film tracking "the interwoven lives of a New York teen transitioning from female to male, her single mother and lesbian music manager grandmother." [Screen Daily]
Tracy Spiridakos, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, and Maksim Chmerkovskiy are lining up for "Byrd And The Bees." Finola Hughes directs this feel-gooder that "follows the relationship ups-and-downs of Rebecca Byrd. Emotionally bruised from a painful breakup, aspiring romance novelist Rebecca Byrd is further rattled when she learns that her father, whom she thought was an anonymous donor at a sperm bank, is alive and well and living in Scotland where he is the Laird of a large estate. Rebecca, who is longing for a change, heads off to the land of her forebears and is quickly plunged into her own unlikely romance. Rebecca’s adventure begins when a swarm of stolen bees sends her careening into the arms of Gavin, a sweetly handsome young Scottish man who just may be the true love she’s always longed for. However, Gavin’s startling connection to Rebecca’s past may put the kibosh on their romance before it has even started." Wait, stolen bees?
And for your weird casting of the day, Arsenal football star Lucas Podolski has taken a small role in the German comedy "Macho Man." The story follows "Ulmen, is the opposite of macho and wins the heart of Tenzel, but Tenzel’s Turkish family wants a real man. That’s when the fun starts." Um, okay. Production is now underway. [ESPN FC]
As if the Australian Film Industry isn\’t in enough trouble, it appears Kidman, the Queen of Box Office Poison, is hell bent on completely destroying it.