Murphy Dresses in White
Brittany Murphy is in negotiations to star in The White Hotel, a long-in-the-works adaptation of the acclaimed D.M. Thomas novel. The story centers on an opera singer (Murphy) who seeks out the services of Sigmund Freud in post-World War I Vienna. Haunted by hallucinatory dreams about a white hotel, she becomes Freud’s famous case study Anna G. Together, they unlock the key to figuring out her memories and her premonitions of the future, which include the Holocaust. Creepy. Murphy also just played the titular title character in the gloomy indie The Dead Girl. Guess she’s all dark, moody–and occassionally dead–now.
Crowe Tries a Little Tenderness
Lionsgate has bought the rights to the Russell Crowe indie thriller Tenderness, which is scheduled for release in late 2007. John Polson (Swimfan) directs from an adaptation of the novel by Robert Cormier, about a teenager (Sophie Traub) who becomes enthralled with a serial killer (Jon Foster). Crowe will play a local cop who has been following the killer for years. Seems like Crowe is trying to keep it low-key, taking little movies like this and in the recent A Good Year, his admirable but ultimately failed stab at romantic comedy. Still, this tract might serve Crowe well.
Dafoe, Goldblum Are Resurrected
Willem Dafoe has signed on to star opposite Jeff Goldblum in Adam Resurrected, a World War II Holocaust drama with Paul Schrader directing. Based on the acclaimed book by Israeli novelist Yoram Kaniuk, the story centers on a former circus clown (Goldblum) who was spared the gas chamber so he could entertain thousands of Jews as they marched to their deaths. Dafoe is playing a Nazi officer. Sounds a little like Roberto Benigni’s touchingly tragic Life Is Beautiful. But Goldblum as a clown? This I have to see.
Arnold Has All the Power
Tom Arnold is set to play a low-rent private investigator in the indie comedic thriller Remarkable Power. The story centers on an eclectic collection of Los Angeles locals whose lives are intertwined after a late-night talk-show host masterminds an elaborate stunt to save his canceled show (murder and mayhem ensue). Also in the cast are Kip Pardue, Nora Zehetner, Dule Hill, Johnny Messner, Bob Sapp, Kevin Nealon and Christopher Titus. Arnold, who wowed more than a few in last year’s edgy ensemble comedy Happy Endings, seems to be continuing his trend to shed the whole loud-mouthed, broad comedy thing. Good for him.
Klein, Durst Play Dead
Chris Klein, Jake Busey and Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst are starring in the dark comedy Play Dead (wow, that’s some stellar lineup). Klein will play a former TV action hero in dire need of a comeback. On his way back from a failed audition, he winds up snowbound in a remote Nevada town run by scary meth dealers, played by Busey and Durst. Can he save himself and the terrorized townsfolk? I’m guessing this isn’t a comedy but I’m not quite sure. The feature is also written by Jason Wiles, who is best known as Maurice “Bosco” Boscorelli on NBC’s long-running series Third Watch. It just keeps getting better.
Until next week…
