Jeff Bridges is on board to headline the low-budget independent feature “Scenes of the Crime” for first-time director Dominique Forma, The Hollywood Reporter says. The project, budgeted at less than $10 million and scheduled to begin shooting Nov. 4 in Los Angeles for five weeks, centers on a young man (John Abrams of “Scary Movie“) who makes money as a driver for a local mobster. When the mobster is killed by a rival Mob boss (Bridges), the driver finds himself caught in the middle.
A BIG KISS OFF: Danny DeVito is set to direct the Warner Bros. comedy “Death to Smoochy” about the cutthroat world of children’s programming, the Reporter says. The project, written by Adam Resnick (“Lucky Numbers“) and to be produced by Andrew Lazar, centers on a man who plays Smoochy, a large, blue Barney-type character who is targeted for death.
‘DINNER’ WITH JEWISON: Director Norman Jewison is in talks to helm “Dinner With Friends,” the Off Broadway play by Donald Margulies that won this year’s Pulitzer Prize, for HBO Films. According to the Reporter, no cast has been confirmed, and production is expected to begin in the fall. Jewison’s most recent film was “The Hurricane” starring Denzel Washington.
