Spray It On, Baby!
Looks like John Travolta and Queen Latifah will star in the feature film version of the Tony-winning musical Hairspray. Adam Shankman (Cheaper by the Dozen 2) is set to direct. Makes sense–it’s the latest trend, isn’t it? To make a movie adapted from a stage musical that is based on a movie. Should be oodles of fun. Set in Baltimore during the 1960s dance TV craze, the story tells of zaftig high school hair-hopper, Tracy Turnblad, who graduates from outsider to celebrity trendsetter. Along the way she stars on “The Corny Collins Show,” wins the heart of resident hunk Link Larkin and kicks down the barriers for black and white integration on local television. Travolta will play downtrodden housewife Edna Turnblad, made famous by Harvey Fierstein on stage, and Latifah will play Motormouth Maybelle, a civil rights activist and dance show host in the 1962-set musical. Variety reports a nationwide search is on to find a fresh face for Tracy Turnblad, the chubby teen played by Ricki Lake in John Waters‘ original film and by Marissa Jaret Winokur in the Broadway musical. Here’s some more juicy inside tidbits: Travolta‘s deal to star in Hairspray ended a tug of war between New Line and Fox/New Regency, which had been trying to secure him to play J.R. Ewing in the Dallas feature. Travolta is still eager to play that role, but the film will have to be pushed back if that is to happen. Aww, too bad, so sad.
Hoffman Gets Savage
Hot off his Best Actor win Sunday, Philip Seymour Hoffman has signed on to star in the comedy drama The Savages, co-starring Laura Linney and directed by Tamara Jenkins (The Slums of Beverly Hills), who also wrote the screenplay. The film revolves around a pair of adult siblings (Hoffman, Linney) who are obliged to care for their estranged and ailing elderly father who never took care of them. As they do, they confront the legacy of their upbringing and the realities of familial responsibility. Oh god, not another domestic drama. I suppose I need to give the film a chance; it does have a good cast. But just reading the premise, I’m thinking, “Blah, blah, blah…talk, talk, talk…” Yawn.
De Niro, Pfeiffer Get Dust in Their Eyes
Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer and Claire Danes have signed on to star in Stardust, an adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s fantasy novel. The Paramount Pictures project centers on Tristian (Charlie Cox), who, in order to win the heart of his beloved (Sienna Miller), promises to fetch a falling star named Yvaine (Danes). This sets in motion an adventure in which Tristian and Yvaine must face off against a pirate named Captain Shakespeare (De Niro) and an evil witch (Pfeiffer). Now, this is what I’m talking about! I love all things fantastical. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the film’s director, Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake), and Gaiman are longtime friends, and Vaughn had been slowly developing Stardust as something he would do in the far-off future. Vaughn quietly put together the cast, with particular focus on the role of Yvaine, for which many actresses screen-tested. Guess he decided to stick with his Cake cutie, Miller. Good choice.
Madonna, Snoop Dogg and David Bowie…In a Movie Together
Well, sort of. Pop diva Madonna, rapper Snoop Dogg and songster David Bowie are among the voices featured in Arthur and the Minimoys, a live-action/computer-animated fantasy feature based on a popular French children’s book by filmmaker Luc Besson, who is directing the project. The story centers on 10-year-old Arthur (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’s Freddie Highmore), who tries to save the home of his grandmother (Mia Farrow) by seeking out his grandfather’s treasure in the land of the tiny Minimoys. There he encounters Princess Selenia (Madonna) and Max (Snoop Dogg), who travel with him to a city ruled by the nefarious Malthazar (Bowie). Besson should know what he’s doing in this genre–after all, he did do The Fifth Element, a stellar blend of fantasy and sci-fi. The project will be distributed in English-speaking territories by the Weinstein Co. Let’s just hope the Weinsteins don’t ruin it like they did Doogal, their most recent animated film. Wow, that was a bad movie.
Get Out the Saw
A third installment of the hit Saw horror franchise is in the works for an Oct. 27 release. And why the hell not? It’s a goldmine for Lion’s Gate. The first Saw and its sequel became surprise box-office hits, grossing nearly $250 million worldwide combined. Last month, Saw II (that’s two severed fingers for those of you who may have missed the movie poster) debuted at No. 1 on the national DVD sales and rental charts. Saw III will stay true to the serial killer franchise’s roots but will add “fresh, terrifying and unimaginable new twists,” producers Mark Burg and Oren Koules told the Reporter. Goody.
Baker Learns a Bit About Sex
Simon Baker, who was just so darn cute in the recent romantic comedy Something New, will star in Sex and Death 101, a dark comedy about a man whose life is upended by a mysterious e-mail containing the names of every woman he has had sex with and, eerily, every woman he will have sex with in the future. Oh my goodness. That could either be the biggest nightmare ever or a blessing in disguise. Dan Waters, who wrote Heathers and Batman Returns, penned the script and is directing the indie film. Heathers and Batman Returns? Those are two very different scripts. Guess the guy has some versatility.
Until next week…
