It Takes Will Smith to Make a ‘Thief’
The affable Men in Black actor is looking to star in the feature adaptation of the TV series It Takes a Thief. The series, which starred the dashing Robert Wagner and ran from 1968-780, was loosely based on the Alfred Hitchcock film To Catch a Thief, starring the equally dashing Cary Grant. And now Will Smith. Big stretch. He will play a charming rogue who is blackmailed by the government into doing covert larceny for the good of his country. The film will put the professional thief in the employ of the CIA. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Smith and his Overbrook Entertainment partner James Lassiter have come aboard to produce the film with Kevin Misher, John Davis and Joe Singer. Davis and Singer set up the project at Universal nearly a decade ago, when it was envisioned as a potential starring vehicle for Michael Douglas. Way back when, that definitely could have worked. The studio has had Smith in its sights for several years, but the project just recently gained forward motion with a fresh take and new writers. Thing is, in the late ‘60s, a charming thief working for the government was a novel idea. Now? A little old hat, I’m afraid.
Kidman Gets Into the Spy Game
Nicole Kidman will star in and produce an untitled spy thriller described as a female version of The Bourne Identity, but the plot details are being kept under wraps. I think it’s good of Kidman to tackle something a little different, especially since her Australian Gone with the Wind-style epic with Russell Crowe and director Baz Luhrmann has hit the skids. I’m not sure if she can pull off the whole action motif but it’ll be fun to see her try. You might remember, Kidman was originally attached to co-star in the actioner Mr. and Mrs. Smith alongside Brad Pitt but dropped out because of scheduling conflicts, paving the way for Angelina Jolie to join the cast and ignite a well publicized romance. Here’s the real question: if Nicole had stayed with it, would she be having Brad’s baby right now?
Penguins March On
I reported awhile ago that Bob Saget was producing a spoof of the Oscar-winning documentary March of the Penguins called Farce of the Penguins. Well, with a distributor, ThinkFilm, and a huge slate of stars, the parody is now set for a late-summer release. Saget wrote the script and is directing a feature that transforms the docu’s depiction of penguin survival and mating rituals into the story of one bird’s search for love while on a 70-mile trek with hedonistic buddies obsessed with getting laid. Classic. It’ll be narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, while Saget voices the lovestruck penguin lead; Lewis Black, Mo’Nique and Tracy Morgan, the other leads. Supporting critters will be voiced by Jason Alexander, James Belushi, Jason Biggs, Dane Cook, Harvey Fierstein, Whoopi Goldberg, Gilbert Gottfried, Norm MacDonald, Carlos Mencia, Alyson Hannigan, Jamie Kennedy, Jon Lovitz, Adam Duritz and Saget‘s Full House co-stars John Stamos and Dave Coulier, among others. After making the initial deal, Saget and editor Michael Miller culled enough docu footage to replicate the March structure. Jackson possesses the commanding oration of March narrator Morgan Freeman, but his play-by-play is in keeping with the pic’s R-rated territory. Oh. My. God. This is going to be hysterical!
Hanks Goes Grande; Harrelson Goes for a Walk
Tom Hanks is attached to star in How Starbucks Saved My Life, about an advertising executive who loses his job and family and has to work at the coffee chain to pay the bills. He befriends the young manager and learns about life and love. Gus Van Sant is in negotiations to direct the Universal project. Well, it’s about time someone made a movie about Starbucks, for chrissakes. Meanwhile, Woody Harrelson will play the title role in The Walker, a film from American Gigolo director Paul Schrader. Harrelson will play an escort of society ladies in D.C. Schrader told Variety the character is his vision of what his American Gigolo protagonist would have become when he hit 50. Yikes. That’s kind of a scary thought. “His gifts are now more social than sexual. He’s this society walker who has his lady friends, and a boyfriend on the side,” Schrader said. While Harrelson seems a surprise to play the gay lothario, Schrader said he had elements that made him ideal. “His wittiness is the initial point of entry for the viewer into a story which takes a dark turn. This will be quite a transformation for him, from the hairpiece and his manner to the clothes he wears,” Schrader said. Kristin Scott Thomas, Lauren Bacall, Ned Beatty, Moritz Bleibtreu, Willem Dafoe and Lily Tomlin round out the cast.
Mutated Malkovich
John Malkovich is set to portray a 23rd century corporate overlord in The Mutant Chronicles, a sci-fi thriller based on the popular role-playing board game. Malkovich‘s character, Constantine, heads a United Nations-style council of four corporation-run countries that have pillaged Earth’s natural resources. When a marauding army of “NecroMutants” battles the humans for the little that remains, Constantine is tempted to destroy the planet and evacuate some of its people rather than allow it to be overtaken, all with the corporations’ best interests in mind. Thomas Jane (The Punisher) stars as Maj. Mitch Hunter, a Marine who leads the humans in their fight and becomes Constantine’s antagonist. Eggheads everywhere are all a-twitter, I suppose.
The Honeymoon Is Over; Dogtown for Shannon
The decidedly retro cast of Daryl Hannah, Roy Scheider, Eric Roberts and Sean Young are on their way to Dark Honeymoon, an indie thriller that follows a man who marries a seductive woman after a brief and passionate relationship. During their honeymoon on the Oregon coast, he uncovers the terrible truth about her as those around them begin to die mysterious and violent deaths. So it’s I Married an Axe Murderer but without the comedy. Wonder who Sean Young is playing? Meanwhile, SNL alum Molly Shannon is in final negotiations to star in the comedy Year of the Dog, which marks the directorial debut of actor/writer Mike White (School of Rock, The Good Girl). Shannon will play Peggy, a happy-go-lucky secretary who lives alone with her beloved dog Pencil. But when Pencil unexpectedly dies, Peggy embarks on a journey of transformation. I just bet she does.
Until next week…
