Everything is coming up Rachel Weisz these days, which is fantastic news for people who like pretty people (geek credentials not necessary). Word was last week that she’d attached herself to Sam Raimi’s Oz: The Great and Powerful as Glinda, opposite Mila Kundis’ Theodora and James Franco’s Oz. That may or may not happen now, as she’s now in talks to perhaps take the female lead in Jeremy Renner’s Bourne reboot. She could do both, depending on the scheduling, but Cinemablend is also spreading rumors that she might even sign on as Nora Charles opposite Johnny Depp in Rob Marshall’s The Thin Man remake. Even with Depp and Weisz, you have no idea how much the idea of a remake of The Thin Man upsets me. Just don’t do it. I know you sold your soul to Disney, Depp. But look deep within it and realize that you need to leave perfect enough alone. (Deadline)
Colin Firth is signing on to an interesting as yet untitled dark comedy. He’ll play a “man who hates his job and is hated by his ex-wife and son. Feeling he missed his one shot at living the dream, he fakes his death and buys a new identity. Along the way he meets a woman who is also trying to leave her past behind. The pair break into empty homes and pose as the absent owners.” That woman? Emily Blunt. That’s a hell of a combination. (Deadline)
In days-old news that you might have missed, Charle Hunnam (“Sons of Anarchy”) has signed on to Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim. He will play the lead in the movie about aliens who attack the Earth, only to see humans develop robots to fend them off. (THR)
Did you know that Brad Pitt will star in the Andrew Dominik film Cogan’s Trade as a mob enforcer? Well, now you do. And here’s an image from the set.
Bret Ratner has also got a new gig. He’ll direct 39 Steps, based on the young adult book series, which has its own card and board game. The project was originally developed by and for Steven Spielberg, but hey! Ratner’s always the next logical choice, isn’t he? (Deadline)
I thought that after the box-office failures of Scott Pilgrim and that movie where he had a mustache, Michael Cera would be cooked. But he has signed on in a supporting role in Magic Magic from the director of The Maid, Sebastian Silva will direct the movie “about “a girl vacationing with her friends in a remote area of Chile who slowly starts losing her mental faculties. She tries to get her friends’ attention, but they ignore her until it’s too late.” (Variety)
Someone found yet another based-on-true events boxing story to tell, this one about Chuck Wepner, the inspiration behind Sly Stallone’s Rocky. The Bleeder will star Naomi Watts, Liev Schreiber and Christina Hendricks. You can probably slot those faces into the boxing movie formula to figure out who is who (hint: The redhead is usually the mistress) (Collider)
James Franco has hired newcomer Val Lauren to play Sal Mineo in Franco’s feature directorial debut Sal. (THR)
Katie Holmes and Chase Crawford have signed to star in the romantic comedy Responsible Adults, which has Holmes playing a 30-year-old med student who falls for a younger man (Crawford) only to realize that she was once his babysitter. That sounds absolutely dreadful. (THR)
Meanwhile, the Emu is in yet another project, The Words, where he’ll play a celebrated writer who steals the work of another man (Jeremy Irons). Dennis Quaid is also attached. (THR)
Finally, Alexander Payne hasn’t made a movie since Sideways, but now he returns with The Descendants starring George Clooney. Here’s the first clip. Warning: It’s completely useless.
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The Colin Firth/Emily Blunt thing sounds a lot like The Riches. And I quite enjoyed The Riches at the beginning, so hey, maybe it'll be pretty cool. Even though I am not a fan of Colin Firth. But he is a great actor, so I can get over it.
Aren't the 39 Steps the instructions for a combustion engine? Seems like it'd be tough to make a board game out of that.
Posted by: Socrates_Johnson at May 11, 2011 12:59 PM
George really should get some proper running shoes. Your feet need support and protection.
Posted by: logan at May 11, 2011 1:08 PM
You implied there would be a picture of Colin Firth after the jump. There was not. I know some people will be satisfied by Brad Pitt and George Clooney after the jump. I am not one of those people.
I'm curious, Nat Kittyface, if you think Colin Firth is a great actor, why are you not a fan?
Posted by: Three-nineteen at May 11, 2011 1:20 PM
Sal Mineo! Right Franco. It just proves how much of a dick you really are. Directing a movie is different from posting some shitty ass video on youtube of you and your cat taking a nap. Why don’t you go back to school and impress those dopey classmates of yours and leave the rest of us the fuck alone.
Posted by: Pookie at May 11, 2011 1:32 PM
The Firth thing sounds grand--and Kitty is right--it's got some Richery going.
Now I'm depressed again.
Posted by: Cindy at May 11, 2011 1:37 PM
The book series is called 39 clues.... I worked in a book store where I had to set up ridiculous displays for these asinine books with trading cards and sets of just trading cards and whatever else merchandise we were required to carry and prominently display on a table or shelf. So I hate them just on principle that I constantly had to rearrange them each week, and every time a new title or new trading card package or new something the fuck else came out I had to redo the whole shebang. But the title is ingrained in my brain so I immediately knew 39 steps was an incorrect title to that description, but then I re-read Bret Ratner and began to think perhaps he is going to call it that because he typo-ed it and has the arrogance to believe he is infallible.
Posted by: protoformX at May 11, 2011 2:24 PM
If anyone needs me, I'll be at William Powell's grave site wailing and rending my clothing.
Posted by: Mrs. Julien at May 11, 2011 3:03 PM
Socrates, the 39 Steps is an organization of spies working on behalf of the Foreign Ministry of--
*BANG!*
*gets shot in the stomach*
*dies*
Posted by: Jim Doggie at May 11, 2011 3:26 PM
Will there be a lesbian sex scene between rachel and mila? If so I am so there.
Posted by: clancys_daddy at May 11, 2011 7:16 PM
I fucking hate Bret Ratner. I feel palpable rage whenever I read that he's still getting work.
Posted by: superasente at May 11, 2011 7:44 PM
If anyone needs me, I'll be at William Powell's grave site wailing and rending my clothing.
Posted by: Mrs. Julien at May 11, 2011 3:03 PM
Right On, Mrs. Julien. This is one remake I won't stand for. This movie simply cannot be remade. Leave it alone.
Posted by: John G. at May 12, 2011 2:33 AM
And now in memoriam of the one true and only The Thin Man from 1934:
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Nick Charles: Oh, it's all right, Joe. It's all right. It's my dog. And, uh, my wife.
Nora Charles: Well you might have mentioned me first on the billing.
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Tommy: Say, I'm getting out of here.
Nick Charles: No, you stay here.
Tommy: If I stay, I know I'm gonna take a poke at him.
Nick Charles: Then I insist that you stay.
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Nora Charles: How many drinks have you had?
Nick Charles: This will make six Martinis.
Nora Charles: [to the waiter] All right. Will you bring me five more Martinis, Leo? Line them right up here.
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Reporter: Well, can't you tell us anything about the case?
Nick Charles: Yes, it's putting me way behind in my drinking.
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Nora Charles: Pretty girl.
Nick Charles: Yes. She's a very nice type.
Nora Charles: You got types?
Nick Charles: Only you, darling. Lanky brunettes with wicked jaws.
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Nick Charles: I'm a hero. I was shot twice in the Tribune.
Nora Charles: I read where you were shot 5 times in the tabloids.
Nick Charles: It's not true. He didn't come anywhere near my tabloids.
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Posted by: John G. at May 12, 2011 2:42 AM
Are you sure that's Rachel Weisz in the picture because it really, really looks like Leighton Meester. It's seriously uncanny.
The Colin Firth/Emily Blunt thing sounds a lot like The Riches. And I quite enjoyed The Riches at the beginning, so hey, maybe it'll be pretty cool. Even though I am not a fan of Colin Firth. But he is a great actor, so I can get over it.