MURPHY CHANNELS RICHARD PRYOR
Has Eddie Murphy found his dream role? A few different sources (Entertainment Weekly, Hitfix) have confirmed that Murphy will play legendary comedian Richard Pryor in a new drama called Richard Pryor: Is It Something I Said?, helmed by Murphy’s Dreamgirls director Bill Condon. The biopic will most likely view the underbelly of Pryor’s life — and probably give Murphy his second (and perhaps last) shot at the Oscar — but one hopes they’ll infuse the film with Pryor’s comedic brilliance as well, a la Lenny.
KEEP READING: Jake Gyllenhaal Sings?
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JAKE GYLLENHAAL SINGS?
OK, I’ve heard Jim Carrey sing when he’s goofing around in his comedies, but Jake Gyllenhaal? Seriously? The two are set to star in a re-imagining (because they don’t do remakes anymore; they re-imagine) of the musical Damn Yankees, Variety reports. The story centers on Joe Boyd, a happily married man who makes a deal with the devil to help save his favorite baseball team. In exchange for his soul, he’s transformed into slugger Joe Hardy. He can break the deal but as fate and the devil would have it, the deadline falls during the World Series. Carrey would play the devil, and Gyllenhaal would play Boyd. Lola (“What Lola wants, Lola gets”), sent by the devil to tempt Joe, won’t be cast until the script is turned in. I think Nicole Kidman would be perfect.
KEEP READING: Barrymore on the Rise
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BARRYMORE ON THE RISE
Wait, Drew Barrymore directs? Seriously? Barrymore is in talks to direct the third Twilight installment, Eclipse, according to the rumor mill over at EW. It’s difficult to say if Barrymore would be a good pick or not, as she’s just completed her directorial debut, Whip It!, but she has run her production company with a steady hand, and there have been many successful actor-turned-directors. So, there might be hope. Apparently, Chris Weitz, who is directing the next Twilight film New Moon, won’t be able to helm Eclipse because he’ll be deep in post-production on Moon when Eclipse starts shooting. One would think they could wait for him, but I guess they are in too much of a hurry to get these movies out.
KEEP READING: Allen Grows His Cast
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ALLEN GROWS HIS CAST
Woody Allen is doing his usual thing, amassing a jumbo, international-sized cast for his next untitled movie without giving one single clue on what it’s about. His newest cast includes Antonio Banderas, Slumdog Millionaire starlet Freida Pinto, Naomi Watts, Josh Brolin and Anthony Hopkins. All that’s great, Woody, but I wanna know plot details! I hate all this waiting …
KEEP READING: Gondry Goes Green
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GONDRY GOES GREEN
Looks like Michel Gondry is directing The Green Hornet — an odd but satisfyingly eclectic choice. Best known for strange but engaging fare like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Science of Sleep, Gondry got the job after presenting a vision that wowed the execs. Seth Rogen is still set to play the title character, and Stephen Chow as his sidekick, Kate. Chow (Kung Fu Hustle) bowed out as director last year over creative differences but decided at that time to remain in the picture playing the Kato role (made famous by Bruce Lee). I’m still thinking about what Gondry did exactly to win them over.
KEEP READING: Melissa Leo Joins the Betty Ann Club
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MELISSA LEO JOINS THE BETTY ANN CLUB
Oscar-nominee Melissa Leo has joined the cast of indie drama Betty Ann Waters, alongside Hilary Swank, Minnie Driver and Sam Rockwell, Variety reports. Tony Goldwyn directs. The film centers on an unemployed single mother who saw her brother begin serving a life sentence in 1983 for murder and robbery. Convinced that he was innocent, she earned a law degree and challenged the conviction with DNA evidence, resulting in her brother being freed in 2001. Swank’s playing the title character, while Leo portrays the only woman officer at a local police station who’s trying to pin the murder on him.
LAST WEEK’S DOTTED LINE: Sean, James and the ‘Little Fockers’
