‘Happy Tears’ Gets Picked Up By Roadside, ‘Trainspotting’ Author Irvine Welsh To Make His Feature Film Directorial Debut

Roadside Attractions has picked up to family comedy “Happy Tears” for release early next year. The film, which stars Parker Posey, Demi Moore, Ellen Barkin and Rip Torn, follows the love-hate relationship of two sisters. [THR]

“City Of God” co-director Katia Lund is attached to direct an adaptation of “Dancing Arabs,” the story of an Arab-Israeli whose gains admission into a Hebrew boarding school whilst assuming the identity of a Jewish-Israeli friend. This will be Lund’s follow up to ‘God.’ [Variety]

The author of “Trainspotting,” Irvine Welsh will direct and co-write with father-son writing team Pete and John Adams on “The Magnificent Eleven,” a modernization of the “The Magnificent Seven” about a local amateur soccer team, a Tandoori restaurant and a group of menacing thugs. [THR]

An action-thriller take on the story of Harry Houdini has gained “Indiana Jones And The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull” and “Catch Me If You Can” scribe, Jeff Nathanson, for the project. The film will apparently depict Houdini as a “part Indiana Jones and part Sherlock Holmes” kind of protagonist as will focus on stories regarding Houdini alleged life as spy for Britain and a debunker of con artists from the spiritual movement. [FirstShowing]

Cher is reportedly in talks to join Christina Aguilera in Steve Antin’s “Burlesque.” She would play the burlesque club owner that Aguilera’s lead performs in. To get a taste of what this will be like, director Antin is the brother of Robin Antin, creator of the Pussycat Dolls. Yikes. [EW]