The producers of “American Beauty” are trying to snag a very big fish for their next project, according to today’s Variety: Steven Spielberg. Appropriately, the project is titled “Big Fish.” Based on the book of the same title, it’s a comedy-drama about a dying braggart father and his estranged son who tries to unravel fact from fiction in his dad’s life through a series of funny flashbacks.
AHOY, MATE: It’s high time that the sea-faring novels of Patrick O’Brien were brought to the screen, and now 20th Century Fox is in discussions with Aussie director Peter Weir (“The Truman Show”) to do just that. Variety reports that Weir might direct a film version of O’Brien’s first book, “Master and Commander.”
HARRY’S WORLD: While the search for a kid actor to play Harry Potter in the upcoming film version continues, actors Richard Harris ahd Alan Rickman are in talks to play Dumbledore and Professor Snape, The Hollywood Reporter says.
BACK TO WORK: Gerard Depardieu is out of the hospital and back on the job after successful heart bypass surgery, filming “Le Placard” (“The Closet”) in France, says Variety.
KILLER SCRIPT: Writer-director Kevin Williamson, he of “Scream” and “Dawson’s Creek” fame, is returning to his horror-movie roots, apparently. The Hollywood Reporter says Williamson will write and produce “Cursed,” a story about a serial killer in New York, for Dimension.
