Gotham Journal

Director Breck Eisner (“Sahara”) talked with ShockTillYouDrop about Universal’s long in development remake of “Creature from the Black Lagoon”.

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24-year-old Henry Cavill (“The Tudors,” “Stardust”) has joined the cast of Woody Allen’s upcoming, untitled, romantic comedy.

Cavill will play a man who is set up with Evan Rachel Wood’s character by her mother. Larry David stars as Wood’s love interest. Allen is co-starring, directing and also penned the script, which is being kept under wraps. The film is currently shooting in Queens.

Tripplehorn Goes “Grey”

Jeanne Tripplehorn (“Big Love”, “Basic Instinct”) has been cast as Jackie Kennedy Onassis in Drew Barrymore and HBO’s “Grey Gardens” project.

Barrymore and Jessica Lange star as “Little Edie” and “Big Edie,” the respective aunt and cousin of Onassis, who made headlines when the health department threatened to raid their flea and raccoon-infested estate in East Hampton, N.Y.

Tripplehorn will be joining Daniel Baldwin, who plays Julius Krug, the former secretary of the interior and secret true love of Little Edie; Ken Howard (“Cane”) as Big Edie’s husband; Malcolm Gets (“Caroline in the City”) as Big Edie’s accompanist; and Arye Gross (“The Practice”) as documentary filmmaker Albert Maysles.

Michael Sucsy is directing the project, currently shooting in Toronto. Source: Reuters

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Set your Phasers on stun! Rumors are circulating that actor Chris Pine has given up the lead role in the upcoming James Ellroy adaptation of “White Jazz” because he’s landed the much coveted role of Captain James T. Kirk in J.J. Abrams highly-anticipated “Star Trek” film project.

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Gosling Jumps Jackson’s Bones

Ryan Gosling has signed on to star opposite Rachel Weisz in Peter Jackson’s film adaptation of Alice Sebold’s bestselling novel “The Lovely Bones.”

The story revolves around Susie Salmon, a young girl who has been brutally raped and murdered who watches over her family, and her killer, from heaven. As her family drift apart, her father becomes obsessed with vengeance. Gosling will play Jack Salmon, the girl’s father.

Susan Sarandon, Stanley Tucci and Michael Imperio costar in the DreamWorks-produced feature, which begins filming this October in Pennsylvania and New Zealand.

Source: Variety

Gabriel Macht Has The Sprit

Bronx-born actor, Gabriel Macht (“The Recruit,” “The Good Shepherd”), has landed the title role in writer/director Frank Miller’s adaptation of the classic Will Eisner comic book series, “The Spirit”.

The Lionsgate and Odd Lot Entertainment-produced feature tells the tale of Denny Colt, a rookie cop who faked his death so he can battle crime from the shadows of Central City. He runs up against the Octopus (rumored to be played by Samuel L. Jackson), a villain who’s bent on wiping out the entire city.

Macht is said to have won the role after an intense auditioning process and Lionsgate’s president of film production Mike Paseornek hints he’s set for several sequels should the first be a success.

“We think Gabriel has a devilishly charming quality, and the dry wit that embodies the Spirit,” said Paseornek. “We wanted to do this with someone who can embody this character for the next few years, because we anticipate we’ll be making more than one Spirit movie.”

Six-foot-tall Macht is the son of veteran actor Stephen Macht and is married to actress Jacinda Barrett.

Shooting on “The Spirit” begins in October for release in 2009.

Source: Variety

“Indiana” Is Back In The Saddle
The first picture of Harrison Ford as “Indiana Jones” from the upcoming fourth installment in the “Indiana Jones” adventure, is up at the official site. The photo, taken yesterday on the set of the production, marks the first time since 1989, Harrison Ford dons the familiar costume. Source: IndianaJones.com

“Blade Runner’s” New Look
In somewhat related Harrison Ford news, the trailer for Ridley Scott’s upcoming “Blade Runner Final Cut” DVD release aired last night during the AFI TV special and it’s now up on YouTube. Catch it before the YouTube goon-squad decide to spoil the fun.

The 5-disc DVD set will include pumped-up special effects and new footage shot by Scott for the film’s 25th anniversary re-release. The set is due out this fall.

The Serious “Four”?
On the heels of “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer’s” impressive debut at the box office this past weekend, Chris Evans, who plays Johnny Storm in the film, tells MTV Movies Blog he would like to see a more grown-up take on the characters for the third installment.

‚Äö?Ñ??I think I‚Äö?Ñ?¥d just like to see the characters grow up” said Evans. “I like to see them more mature. I think that we‚Äö?Ñ?¥re starting to see [with ‚Äö?Ñ??Rise of the Silver Surfer‚Äö?Ñ??] that if we give these guys depth ‚Äö?Ñ?Æ if we don‚Äö?Ñ?¥t shy away from taking a more serious tone ‚Äö?Ñ?Æ it will still work…I think that if this movie does ok and people respond with the appreciation of a more serious tone, hopefully [with] the third one we can inch closer to a legitimate cast and a legitimate film.‚Äö?Ñ??

“Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer” took in $57.4 million at the box office on it’s opening weekend, slightly surpassing the $56.1 million opening of “Fantastic Four” two years ago. Source: MTV Movie Blog

“Speed Racer” Goes French
French actor Melvil Poupaud will be playing a small part as a former champion turned TV network race commentator in the Wachowski Brothers’ big-screen adaptation of “Speed Racer.”

Poupaud says “he’s kind of cool and pretentious, and at one point, when the race becomes crazy, he starts speaking in French.” Source: Coming Soon.

“Bond” 22 Gets A Director
Producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli have chosen Marc Forster, best known for dramas such as “Finding Neverland” and “Monster’s Ball,” to direct the upcoming 22nd James Bond film. Foster will shortly begin working with writer Paul Haggis on a draft of the screenplay by Neil Purvis and Robert Wade.

This marks a decidedly different direction for the producers of the Bond franchise, who have typically gone for more action oriented directors. Forster said the latest direction of the Bond character opens up “a host of new possibilities” for him as director.” “I have always been drawn to different kinds of stories, and I have also always been a Bond fan,” he said “so it is very exciting to take on this challenge.”

The 22nd installment in the Bond franchise will once again star Daniel Craig as Bond and is slated to start shooting this December in London for a November 7th, 2008 release. Source: Variety.

No, the title does not refer to a night out with Lindsay Lohan, instead, here’s video of a press conference for the Wachowski Brothers’ upcoming live-action adaptation of “Speed Racer” including footage of the Mach 5.

I was a big fan of “Speed Racer” as a kid and it’s been said the Wachowskis are being very faithful to the look and feel of the classic anime, so I’m very much looking forward to the movie’s release. I will be following the film’s progress throughout the coming year and post every bit of information I get –so get used to it.

In “Speed” casting news, hunky Scott Porter (Friday Night Lights, Prom Night) has landed the role of Rex, Speed Racer’s older brother who fakes his death and returns as Racer X (played by equally hunky Matthew Fox). He joins Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci, John Goodman and Susan Sarandon in the production which begins shooting in Berlin this month.

Sources: Reuters, Variety
Official Site: speedracerthemovie.com

Woody Allen’s upcoming Spanish project will be titled “Midnight in Barcelona.” The film stars Scarlett Johansson, Javier Bardem, and Penelope Cruz and is scheduled to shoot on location in Barcelona this Summer.

Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Eva Mendes, Jada Pinkett Smith, Debra Messing and Candice Bergen are in negotiations to star in an updated remake of the 1939 classic “The Women.” Diane English, writer and producer of the hit TV show “Murphy Brown,” will be making her directorial debut on the drama, which is due for release next year. George Cukor directed the original, which starred Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford and Rosalind Russell.

Don’t count on Hollywood legend Sofia Loren to make an appearence in any of director Quentin Tarantino’s movies any time soon. During a press conference held at the Italian-Australian Film Festival in Sydney, the 72-year-old Italian cinema icon was asked what she thought about comments Tarantino made at the Cannes Film Festival recently in which he claimed Italian cinema was dead. “How dare he talk about Italian cinema” replied Loren, “when he doesn’t know anything about American cinema.” Ouch.

Sources: Dark Horizons, The Australian

Christina Ricci will be joining Emile Hirsch in the Wachowski brothers’ live-action adaptation of the 1960s cartoon “Speed Racer”. Ricci will play Trixie to Emile’s Speed, with John Goodman and Susan Sarandon playing Speed’s parents.

In these clips Ricci and Hirsch discuss the upcoming production, which is scheduled for a May 9, 2008 release.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter