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In the works

In the works: Opposite George Clooney.

By Alison Willmore on 11/24/2008

Filed under: In the works

Who's starring opposite George Clooney in Jason Reitman's new film "Up in the Air," about a man in pursuit of his millionth frequent flier mile? Variety says Vera Farmiga will play "will play a businesswoman who develops a romantic relationship with Clooney's character through meetings in airports and hotels around the country." [Variety] The Hollywood Reporter claims Anna Kendrick, the policy debating femme fatale from "Rocket Science," "has nabbed the coveted female lead." [Hollywood Reporter] Presumably Kendrick, who's still playing a convincing high schooler, won't be vying for Clooney's romantic affections.... MORE »

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In the works: David Lynch's new web series.

By Alison Willmore on 11/04/2008

Filed under: In the works

In the works: David Lynch has signed with digital media company On Networks to make a new web series! Unfortunately, it'll be based on his book "Catching the Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness and Creativity," so it's best to be ready for more transcendental meditation rantings than strange narratives. Lynch has offered up online videos before on the members only section of his website, including his animated series "Dumbland," the first two episodes of which can also be found for free at Atom Films here and here. [Wired] Gore Verbinski is also looking to the web -- he's going to produce... MORE »

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The week on IFC.com: Mickey Rourke, soundtracks and post-Iraq road movies.

By Alison Willmore on 10/03/2008

Filed under: In the works

This blog should be back to its regular self next week or so. In the meantime, a round-up of what's been happening on the rest of IFC.com: + Review: "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" - Matt Singer wonder why, for a movie that supposedly revolves around music, no one in this teen rom-com seems to like it all that much. + Video: "The Wrestler" at the New York Film Festival - Mickey Rourke, Darren Aronofsky and Marisa Tomei face the press to share stories about the making of this tale of a faded pro wrestler. + Video: "Che" at the... MORE »

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"Che" goes to IFC Films.

By Alison Willmore on 09/10/2008

Filed under: In the works

It looks like those rumors that Steven Soderbergh's "Che" was going to be released by Magnolia Pictures were just that -- this is from the freshest press release: IFC Films has acquired all North American rights to Steven Soderbergh's epic "Che" starring Benicio Del Toro, produced by Laura Bickford and Benicio Del Toro and written by Peter Buchman. The film had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival where Benicio Del Toro won the Best Actor Prize. It is currently screening at the Toronto International Film Festival and will be screening next at the New York Film Festival. "Che"... MORE »

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In the works: John Lennon, the movie; "The Strangers 2: Strangerer."

By Alison Willmore on 08/29/2008

Filed under: In the works

There've already been two recent films about his assassin, so it seems to be time to take on the considerable challenge of the man himself -- Turner Prize-nominated artist Sam Taylor-Wood will make her directorial debut with John Lennon biopic "Nowhere Boy," written by "Control" screenwriter Matt Greenhalgh and apparently focusing on his early life. Here's hoping that, like "Control," the film ends up with an unknown playing its subject. [Hollywood Reporter] Rogue Pictures is working on a sequel to "The Strangers," with Liv Tyler expected to return, and general hopes it could become a "Saw"-style horror franchise. [Variety] indieWIRE's... MORE »

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In the works: Aaron Sorkin and Facebook are now friends.

By Alison Willmore on 08/27/2008

Filed under: In the works

Aaron Sorkin has a Facebook page. It says that Aaron Sorkin is writing a Facebook movie: Welcome. I'm Aaron Sorkin. I understand there are a few other people using Facebook pages under my name--which I find more flattering than creepy--but this is me. I don't know how I can prove that but feel free to test me. I've just agreed to write a movie for Sony and producer Scott Rudin about how Facebook was invented. I figured a good first step in my preparation would be finding out what Facebook is, so I've started this page. (Actually it was started... MORE »

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In the works: "Pump your brakes kid, that man's a national treasure."

By Alison Willmore on 08/19/2008

Filed under: In the works

In the works: Paul Hogan has a new film -- "Charlie & Boots" will follow "a father and son who travel from Victoria to Cape York to fulfill their lifelong ambition to fish off Australia's northern tip." Hogan's last, 2004's "Strange Bedfellows," found him and Michael Caton pretending to be a gay couple in order to take advantage of new tax laws -- it was the source of a minor uproar when the producers took up a failed copyright suit against the awfully similar "I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry." [Variety] The Coens have found the leads of their... MORE »

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In the works: Willem Dafoe does "Antichrist."

By Alison Willmore on 08/13/2008

Filed under: In the works

In the works: "Antichrist," Lars von Trier's $11 million English-language horror flick, having gotten its funding down late last month, now has a cast -- Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg "will play a couple who retreat to an isolated cabin in the woods following the death of their child." Dafoe's actually coming back for more -- he's worked with Von Trier before, in "Manderlay." [Variety] And Isabel Coixet, whose "Elegy" topped out the indie box office this past weekend, is in talks to cast Rinko Kikuchi in "Map of the Sounds of Tokyo," "a Japanese-set dramatic thriller that centers on... MORE »

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Remakesploitation.

By Alison Willmore on 08/12/2008

Filed under: In the works, Rumors

I'm catching up from a few days off the grid, so it's still news to me that the Telegraph reported last week that Britney Spears may or may not have been picked by Quentin Tarantino to play Varla in a remake of the Russ Meyer's 1965 "Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!" that may or may not be happening: A source said: "Quentin is convinced Britney will be brilliant. She's delighted. She thinks it could turn her career around. It is perfect Tarantino material. He wanted to get Britney first. She's playing the most important character." The story seems a little unlikely,... MORE »

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In the works: Eric Bana and Mark Ruffalo ready to direct, as is the "I'm Fucking Matt Damon" guy.

By Alison Willmore on 08/05/2008

Filed under: In the works

In the works: Eric Bana, the Aussie comedian turned sad-eyed leading man, will make his directorial debut with "Love the Beast," in which he's also starring as... himself, as the film tracks his 25-year relationship with "The Beast," a 1974 Falcon Coupe. The quote from the Australian distributor: "In an unexpectedly emotional journey, Eric explores the importance of friends, hobbies, and what it means to live life to the fullest. Along the way Eric seeks counsel and guidance from household names such as (US talk show host) Dr Phil and (Top Gear host) Jeremy Clarkson." [The Daily Telegraph] Also stepping... MORE »

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In the works: Murakami's "Norwegian Wood"?

By Alison Willmore on 07/31/2008

Filed under: In the works

In the works: A great bit of news from indirectly, Screen Daily: French-Vietnamese director Tran Anh Hung, of the acclaimed "Vertical Ray of the Sun" and "The Scent of Green Papaya," will next been working on a Japanese-language adaptation of Haruki Murakami's "Norwegian Wood." The only work of Murakami's to be adapted to the screen so far have been two short stories -- "Tony Takitani," which was made into a minimalist feature by Jun Ichikawa, and "All God's Children Can Dance," which apparently yielded a short from Robert Logevall starring Joan Chen. Most of Murakami's work would seem impossible to... MORE »

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Ingloriously yours, possibly even by Cannes 2009.

By Alison Willmore on 07/29/2008

Filed under: In the works

"Universal Lands Tarantino's 'Inglorious Bastards' Despite Hatred Of Harvey" headlines Nikke Finke at Deadline Hollywood Daily. And that's all she's got as I'm posting this. Still, yay....? Over at the New York Sun, Grady Hendrix compares Enzo Castellari's 1978 film with Tarantino's proposed remake, writing: Mr. Tarantino is said to be courting Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio to play the leads in his film about a group of Jewish soldiers who parachute into occupied France in order to bomb a Parisian movie theater where Goebbels's latest propaganda film is slated to screen. With characters named "the Bear Jew" and "the... MORE »

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In the works: "Cocaine Cowboys" the feature, "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" the remake.

By Alison Willmore on 07/24/2008

Filed under: In the works

In the works: Journalist and screenwriter Evan Wright, best known for penning the book on which "Generation Kill" is based, has been hired to write the screenplay for a feature version of Billy Corben's guilty pleasure doc "Cocaine Cowboys," about Miami and the rise of the Colombian cocaine barons. Mark Wahlberg will star, and the in-demand Peter Berg will direct. [Hollywood Reporter] Don't be afraid, but MTV is remaking "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," sticking with the original screenplay but possibly adding new music. Which can only mean that "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" is being looked at as the... MORE »

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Bollywood -- so hot right now.

By Alison Willmore on 07/10/2008

Filed under: In the works

Not so long ago, taking roles in mainstream films overseas was pretty much the domain of faded stars who needed some cash and figured the flicks were likely never going to see the light of day in the U.S. -- Coolio playing an over-the-top villain in "China Strike Force" is just a less dignified version of Jodie Foster doing a Japanese cosmetics commercial. But lately plenty of established talent has been looking, happily, to Bollywood. First, of course, there's "Incredible Love," the most expensive Bollywood production to date, which is being shot at Universal Studios and which will also be... MORE »

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But what will become of "Princess"?

By Alison Willmore on 07/09/2008

Filed under: In the works

Palisades Media, which Variety describes as a "Gotham-based securitization and P&A financing specialist," has picked up most of the UK Tartan Films library, having snagged Tartan USA's library back in May. Palisades' chairman-CEO Vin Roberti has some promising things to say: Roberti said that he will continue to buy titles for both territories under a new company called Palisades-Tartan Acquisitions. "We believe strongly in the new digital world at Palisades, and will be aggressively ramping up future acquisitions," he said. Goal is for Palisades to own a library of some 2,000 titles by 2010. "We're not in the blockbuster business,"... MORE »

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An Inglorious day.

By Alison Willmore on 07/08/2008

Filed under: In the works

"Inglorious Bastards" is Quentin Tarantino's "Chinese Democracy," the World War II epic he's been working on forever, dropping mentions of it in interviews dating years back when it threatened to be a 600-page behemoth screenplay with enough material for three features, the film he's always claimed to be on the verge of working on next. In late June, Tarantino, who claimed to have recently finished the "Inglorious Bastards" screenplay, said he was going to start on pre-production for the film -- for serious, this time. And it looks like he means it -- Nikki Finke at Deadline Hollywood is reporting... MORE »

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In the works: Curses, organ harvesting.

By Alison Willmore on 03/04/2008

Filed under: In the works

A look at who's starring in what, what's in the works and what's going to make it to theaters: [Photo: Alison Lohman in "Delirious," Peace Arch, 2007] Slightly less shiny indieish starlet Alison Lohman will step into the role of a woman under curse (recently vacated by "Juno"'s Ellen Page) in Sam Raimi's horror film "Drag Me to Hell." The film is Raimi's first return to the genre since 2000's "The Gift." [Hollywood Reporter] And Dermot Mulroney will star in "Run for Her Life," a thriller about a D.A. who tries to buy his ailing daughter onto the Mexican organ... MORE »

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In the works: New projects from Bong Joon-ho and Lars von Trier

By Alison Willmore on 02/27/2008

Filed under: In the works

Director Bong Joon-ho, who last title was the awesome genre-quaking monster movie "The Host," has a new film in development (after international multi-director triptych "Tokyo!"). It will apparently be called "Mother" and will focus on a woman who tries to prove her son's innocence after he's accused of a terrible crime. [KFCC] Lars von Trier claims that his next film won't be "Wasington," the follow-up to "Dogville" and "Manderlay": Instead, his next feature is Antichrist, a "psychological thriller that evolves into a horror film". It features one man and one woman, yet to be cast, will be shot in Germany... MORE »

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"I'm Fucking Seth Rogen" : A Cautionary Tale

By Alison Willmore on 02/26/2008

Filed under: In the works

I'd never want to encourage the "I'm Fucking _________" video trend, which looks to be making its way along the sharp downhill grade to Overkillsville right... about... now, but Kevin Smith, whose current film in production, "Zack and Miri Make a Porno," is, well, about the act in question, has turned in his own version featuring leads Elizabeth Banks and Seth Rogen. The two are charming enough to make an already old joke work, particularly in when Banks casts the song as a tale of trying to get ahead in Hollywood, and when Rogen extols his skill at improvising scenes... MORE »