Parker Posey has signed on to play the villain in the big-screen adaptation of Saturday morning toon classic “Josie and the Pussycats.” Tara Reid (“American Pie“) and Alan Cumming (“Titus”) are in negotiations to join the cast, as well, according to today’s Hollywood Reporter.
“She’s All That” star Rachael Leigh Cook is already a lock to play Josie, the leader of the female rocker/super-sleuth group. Posey will portray a ‘tyrannical egomaniacal record label CEO.’ The story, written by “Can’t Hardly Wait” scribes Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan (who will also direct), has the Pussycats being manipulated by Posey to put subliminal messages in their songs and lure the nation’s youth into media slavery. And no, we’re not making this up.
WHAT ABOUT GABRIELLE? Lucy Lawless is mulling her first movie since becoming a TV star via “Xena: Warrior Princess.” The film, according to The Hollywood Reporter, is “Dealing With Donna,” an Australian comedy about two dysfunctional women, to be directed by Richard Turner.
ARACHNOPHOBIA: The producing team who brought you “Independence Day” and “Godzilla,” then took a break from sci-fi with the forthcoming “The Patriot” with Mel Gibson, is going back to its roots. Centropolis Entertainment will produce a $30 million film called “Arach Attack,” a comedy thriller about rampaging, toxic spiders.
THIS AIN’T DUMBO, FOLKS: The Reporter says Jodie Foster and Morgan Freeman will voice elephants in DreamWorks’ next animated film, “Tusker,” about a herd of elephants trekking across Southeast Asia.
AVEC DU FROMAGE: Oscar winner Dustin Hoffman will star in an English-language thriller from famed French director Claude Lelouch (“A Man and A Woman”), the Reporter says. Shooting on “T For Thriller” is set for later this year in New York, Paris, Britain and Italy.
WOODY GOES WEST: In case anyone’s still paying attention, East Coast denizen Woody Allen has inked a three-film deal with West Coast-based DreamWorks. Allen‘s next flick is “Small Time Crooks,” due out May 19.
