-Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page and Liv Tyler are uniting to star in writer/director James (“Slither”) Gunn’s “Super.” Wilson would play a mild-mannered man who reacts to his wife’s infidelity by taking on a costumed alter-ego. Variety says the movie will lampoon the superhero genre, something we all thought Gunn already did.
–Variety confirms that Will Smith, Charlize Theron and Jason Bateman are in talks to return for a sequel to “Hancock,” arguably the worst in a crowded field of very bad recent superhero movies. Screenwriters Adam Fierro and Glen Mazzara have been given the thankless task of re-interpreting the dumb-as-dogshit mythology of the first film and attempting to provide Will Smith with the least amount of artistic integrity.
-Josh Hartnett has signed on to star in a snowy post-apocalyptic western called “Gunslinger.” He would play one of two theoretically inexpressive brothers who seek justice when their parents are killed. Chris Nahon, who last directed the barely-released “Blood: The Last Vampire,” is behind the camera.
-Sony Pictures Classics has stepped up as domestic distributor for the soon-to-be-shooting graphic novel adaptation “Tamara Drewe.” Gemma Arterton stars as a fetching young reporter who returns to her hometown for a story, only to find herself the center of attention. Stephen Frears is directing the adaptation, which should see release next fall.
-Alessandro Nivola, Elisabeth Shue and Abigail Breslin have joined the cast of rock pic “Janie Jones.” Breslin plays a young moppet who reveals to a rock star at a concert that she’s his offspring. Also starring are Frank Whaley, Brittany Snow, Peter Stormare and Joel David Moore. The loose basis for the story is the classic Clash song, but writer/director David M. Rosenthal also reportedly based it on his own experiences having a penis he just can’t control.
-Reports coming out of Moviehole suggest that the proposed sequel to “Point Break,” originally directed by Jan de Bont (“Speed”), has been shelved indefinitely. “Point Break Indo” has been in development for over two years, but the talent involved suggested it would be a direct-to-DVD endeavor.
–Also canceled is Dreamworks’ proposed remake of “Paranormal Activity.” The original low budget chiller was snapped up when Dreamworks was at Paramount, but after test-screening the original to see which parts of the film were worth ripping off, they’ve decided A) The movie isn’t good enough to remake, or B) The movie is already good enough to release on its own. With Dreamworks moving on, the film is expected to be a Paramount release, but no one can guarantee it won’t receive the “Poughkeepsie Tapes” treatment.
-A trailer has been released for “Takers,” the latest Screen Gems piece of genre drivel. Idris Elba, Matt Dillon, Paul Walker, Chris Brown and a hilariously-hatted Hayden Christiansen lead the cast of this cops and robbers flick in a world where apparently no one can act. Take a gander at the poster, too, its a keeper.
