The Dallas Exodus
Ah, there’s trouble on the Southfork ranch. Dallas, the big-screen version of the ‘80s primetime soap, has been put on hold indefinitely after the film’s cast was scraped–save for John Travolta, who’s still set to star as J.R. Ewing, the sly schemer of the dripping-rich, dysfunctional family. Gone are Luke Wilson as brother Bobby and Shirley MacLaine as matriarch Miss Ellie. Jennifer Lopez, who was to play Sue Ellen, J.R.’s boozy wife, already dropped out in August and talks with Meg Ryan to replace her have broken down. Even director Gurinder Chadha (Bend It Like Beckham), who took over the reins in April, is vacillating on whether she’ll direct the film when and if the new cast comes together. The reason for the sudden exodus? Seems the big guns are afraid the movie might not translate well to younger audiences (uh, you think?), so they want to make Dallas for a substantially lower price than its most recent $65 million budget by going out to actors with lower quotes. Furthermore, Chadha, who replaced helmer Robert Luketic, was not happy with the cast, and focus group research concluded that J.R. was the only character audiences felt strongly about. I say just bag the whole thing. Even if they get a less known cast at a cheaper price, the thing is still going to fall flat on its face. My two cents, anyway.
Aniston Gets in Deep
Jennifer Aniston will produce and possibly star in the comedy-drama Counter Clockwise. Centering on the real-life findings of noted Harvard psychologist Ellen Langer–known for her work in the illusion of control, decision-making and aging theories–the script focuses on a study Langer conducted in which she reversed the aging process of her subjects by making them believe they were younger. Langer wrote about her findings in Mindfulness, and the study received mention in Deepak Chopra’s book Ageless Body, Timeless Mind. Well, now, that sounds all fine and dandy in the world of psychology, but tell me again exactly how this will make a compelling movie?
Murphy Hitches a Ride on a Starship
Helmer Brian Robbins and Eddie Murphy are re-teaming on Starship Dave. Based on their Norbit relationship, a comedy being released next year, Murphy gave Robbins the Starship script. The story is about a crew of miniature, human-looking aliens who are seeking a way to save their doomed world. Murphy will play the human spacecraft they travel in (Starship Dave) as well as the ship’s captain. Whereas Norbit is more a “fairy tale–it has its own little world that we created,” Robbins told Variety, Starship Dave is “more of a fish-out-of-water movie.” Um, Eddie? A few words of warning: The Adventures of Pluto Nash
Lane Is Untraceable; Jackman Plays Tourist; Berry Plays Teacher
Diane Lane is set to play an FBI agent who must track down a ruthless online predator in Untraceable, a thriller that begins shooting in February. Diane, honey, you have GOT to get a better agent. Meanwhile, Hugh Jackman will produce and star in The Tourist, a thriller about a meek accountant (Ewan McGregor) introduced to a sex club by a magnetic lawyer (Jackman). Michelle Williams will costar as an object of McGregor’s desire. “Her name is never revealed—she’s ‘S’ as in sexy,” laughs Jackman to Entertainment Weekly. “I sound like a really cheesy producer, don’t I?” Uh, yeah. So does making a movie about a sex club–but we’re so there. Also in the works is a drama with Halle Berry. She’ll tackle Class Act, a true story about a (white) sixth-grade teacher whose students help her run for Congress. Notes producer Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas to EW: “[The teacher’s] skin color was irrelevant, so who was I to make it relevant?” Good point.
The A-Bomb Rears Its Ugly Head
Sam Shepard is attached to star in the period biopic Descending From Heaven: The Strange and Extraordinary Tale of Claude Eatherly, A-Bomb Pilot. The film recounts the story of the pilot who flew the reconnaissance B-29 that dropped the bomb on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. Shepard will play the pilot’s father, who eventually had to commit his son to a veteran’s psychiatric hospital over the ordeal. “It’s one of the great untold stories,” Sandy Smolan told the Hollywood Reporter, who will direct the $10 million feature. “He was one of the top pilots in the Air Corps, an all-American Texas hero. It’s a dark comedic tale about the bomb and personal responsibility.” According to the Reporter, Eatherly carried so much unconscious guilt about his act that he could not accept his role as a war hero. So he acted out by passing bad checks and stealing IDs. But when no one wanted to punish him, his crimes started to escalate. Eatherly eventually began to speak out against the atomic bomb, which forced the military and his father to have him committed. No one is yet cast as the pilot. Wow, untold story, indeed. Sounds fascinating.
Hounsou Gets in The Trunk; Preston, Trachtenberg Discover Possibilities
Djimon Hounsou, who received an Oscar nomination for his supporting role in In America, is attached to star in the drama The Trunk. Hounsou will play an aspiring concert pianist who fights to escape the ghetto as his jealous friends try to hold him back. Odd title for the film’s subject matter. Does the protagonist find himself in a trunk at some point? Meanwhile, Kelly Preston and Michelle Trachtenberg have sparked to The Possibility of Fireflies. Preston will play a single mother struggling to keep her life in order after her husband abandons her, forcing her to raise their two daughters on her own. Trachtenberg will play the older daughter. Ugh, Lifetime TV take it AWAY!
Until next week…
