bad news:  casting - Keith Moon 
Rather than pick an unknown British young male (they might all be busy auditioning for 007) to play the reckless drummer for The Who, producers for the untitled film are going with Mike Myers, a Canadian who is already ten years Moon's senior at his age of death.  Myers, who has already screwed with one famous character (The Cat in the Hat) will be laughable, likely made up for better resemblance and doing an accent that we will only associate with Austin Powers.  If they want to make this a joke, they should just have cast "MADtv" actor Michael McDonald, who looks more like Moon, and was also in the Austin Powers films.
The Who's singer Roger Daltrey is producing, so I hope he knows what he's doing.  (Variety)

bad news:  remake - The Eye 
Renée Zellweger is in the casting news for a second day in a row.  She is set to star in Paramount's remake of Oxide and Danny Pang's Asian horror film The Eye, about a girl with creepy visions after receiving new eyes from a murdered donor.  I've seen the original and can not imagine anything worse from Hollywood, but I find it a little ridiculous that Hideo Nakata has been hired to direct.  After starting the whole Asian horror hype with Ringu and its sequels and the remake sequel, he's now doing remakes of other Asian horror?  The poor guy needs to go back and take some time off, think of something new, and maybe come back to us when he's ready.  Especially with a script co-written by Sebastian Gutierrez (Gothika), this just isn't going to do wonders for his career.  (Variety) 

bad news:  biopic - Miss Potter 
The clever biopics of authors never fail in their attempts to be creative, intertwining elements or characters of their work into the film.  I'm not sure if Dreamland was the first to do it, probably not, but it is the one I think of every time.  The Potter film is being directed by Chris Noonan (Babe) and will be live-action with some animation (talking animals!).  Renée Zellweger is set to play the creator of Peter Rabbit and Ewan McGregor has been cast as her lover, Norman Warne, who died of leukemia a month after proposing to her.  Thank goodness.  I thought for once they'd make a happy movie out someone's life.  (Variety)


bad news:  remake - 36 
Another remake of a French film is on its way.  This time the source material is Olivier Marchal's 36 Quai des Orfevres, a 2004 crime drama starring Gérard Depardieu and Daniel Auteuil.  The title refers to the address of Paris' "PJ" (Police Judiciaire) and the plot focuses on two detectives on the case of armored car robberies.  I'm only looking forward to seeing what the Americanized title will refer to and whether or not No matter how thrilling the end result appears, with Marc Forster (Monster's Ball; Finding Neverland) directing, remember to bring a hanky.  Actually, with Dean Georgaris (Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life; Paycheck), writing, remember to avoid it in the first place.  (Variety)  


bad news:  tv adaptation - Gilligan's Island 
Shipwreck indeed!  This might just be a rumor or nothing more than shits and giggles from Rob Schneider, but supposedly he and Adam Sandler have been talking about a film version of the hit show "Gilligan's Island", in which Sandler would be the title character.  No clue who Schneider is thinking of playing (couldn't be the Professor) but he wants Michael Caton as the Millionaire, Brian Dennehy as the Skipper and former Miss Universe Jennifer Hawkins as Ginger.  I wonder if Schneider and Sandler ever saw this.  (Dark Horizons)


bad news:  conspiracy - Live 2 Tell 
Since his death nine years ago, Tupac Shakur has made a plethora of albums, leading many to think he is still alive.  Now it turns out that he's written a screenplay, too?  His mother, Afeni, has just sold and will produce the script, supposedly written in 1995 as a vehicle for the rapper, himself.  You know, since he's not actually dead (I mean, come on, with a title like Live 2 Tell?), he can still star in the film and they can claim that computer effects are just that good these days.  (The Hollywood Reporter) 

bad news:  book adaptation - Bridge to Terabithia 
Disney and Walden Media can't get enough of trying to find the next successful LOTR/Harry Potter-copying fantasy franchise.  Aside from the first Chronicles of Narnia title coming this Christmas, they have no bought rights to Kathine Paterson's Bridge to Terabithia, which won the Newberry Medal when published in 1977.  The story involves an imaginary kingdom with the usual mythological creatures of British lore.  Gabor Csupo, a producer/animator with a history on NickToons, will direct despite having no proven capability working with actors.  Jeff Stockwell (The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys) is writing.  (Variety) 

bad news:  remake - Kiki's Delivery Service 
A glance at screenwriter Jeff Stockwell's credits show that he's working on a assumably live-action remake of Miyazaki's anime film Kiki's Delivery Service, which was bad enough to include Kirsten Dunst as the lead in the American dub.  Maybe they can get Melissa Joan Hart, who could probably use the typecasted work.  (IMDB)

bad news:  casting - The Pleasure of Your Company 


Jason Biggs is only good for fucking pies, and that just isn't close enough to fondling sweaters or bottles of dick cream.  What I'm saying is that I'm disappointed with the casting of the talentless American Pie star in Michael Ian Black's directorial debut.  It is true that the film's announcement did not mention whether or not Black's usual gang (including Stella partners David Wain and Michael Showalter) will have any part, however, and my assumption that it will have similarities with Wet Hot American Summer are premature.
Nobody should give Jason Biggs work regardless.  Just because Woody Allen does something, that does not make it okay.  He practically married his daughter, too, remember.  (Production Weekly) 

bad news: r.i.p. -Don Adams (1923-2005)

Maxwell Smart is dead...and...loving it.  Well, I hope that Adams is in a better place and indeed loving it.  "Get Smart" is one of the funniest shows ever written but it was Adams who made the pages even funnier.  As hilarious as Steve Carrell can be, he won't come close to the original Agent 86 in next year's planned movie version.  For a wonderful tribute, read the obituary written by his son-in-law, Jim Beaver.  (Google Groups)

bad news: comic book adaptation - Courtney Crumrin and the Night Things 

Killing two birds with one stone, this movie fills the fashion of comic book movies and Harry Potter copycats, telling of a little girl who moves to her uncle's magic-filled house.  Graham Tallman, an assistant director for Bulletproof Monk is writing the script.  (Variety)

bad news: novel adaptation - Headhunters 

     Nicole Kidman needs at least one or two unfunny Hollywood comedies a year and she just picked next years.  Jules Bass's badly reviewed Headhunters tells of four New Jersey women who fly to Monte Carlo to snag rich husbands.  There is some subplot with some jewel theives, too.  Sounds like something that would have been passable by Disney about 40 years ago, but today will be unbelievable and obnoxious.  (Variety)

bad news:  golf biopic - Dance the Green 

      Hockey great Wayne Gretzky is producing movies?  About golf pros?  Not that any golf drama has ever had an audience (I think golfers even find them a bore), Hugh Wilson (Dudley Do-Right) is directing a film, produced by Gretzky, and written by Barry Morrow (Race the Sun) about Moe Norman.  (Production Weekly)



bad news:  Hard Candy, one of my favorites from Sundance has been pushed back until the spring, which crushes all hopes of Ellen Page becoming nominated for best actress.

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