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NOLAN ISN’T DENYING A BATMAN 3 …
Writer-director Christopher Nolan admitted to the L.A. Times he isn’t opposed to doing a third Batman, he just wants it to be done the right way. He pontificates: “There are two things to be said. One is the emphasis on story … Is there a story that’s going to keep me emotionally invested for the couple of years that it will take to make another one? … On a more superficial level, I have to ask the question: How many good third movies in a franchise can people name?” Um. Heard of Harry Potter, Chris?
KEEP READING: Hugh’s Got Sarah Jessica This Time…
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HUGH’S GOT SARAH JESSICA THIS TIME
Hugh Grant likes to mix things up with his rom-com co-stars. From Andie MacDowell to Julia Roberts to Drew Barrymore, he’s never been with the same actress twice. Now it’s Sarah Jessica Parker’s turn. Variety reports the two are in negotiations to star as an estranged high-powered New York couple who witness a murder and are placed in a witness-protection program in a small Wyoming town. It’s still untitled, and directing will be Marc Lawrence,who also directed Grant’s Music and Lyrics and Two Weeks Notice — not the biggest of endorsements.
KEEP READING: Brody’s Super Courier
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BRODY’S SUPER COURIER
Adrien Brody will star in indie actioner The Courier about a daredevil courier who’s pursued across the country by corrupt cops and rival crime bosses when he has to deliver a briefcase to a notorious underworld figure who can’t be found. Has Brody seen any of the Transporters? He should.
KEEP READING: Preacher Gets Big-Screen Treatment
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PREACHER GETS BIG-SCREEN TREATMENT
And at the helm is … Sam Mendes? Yes, the Oscar-winning American Beauty director will create a big-screen adaptation of the supernatural graphic novel Preacher, Variety reports. From writer Garth Ennis, the comic focuses on the preacher of a Texas town, who is struggling to get by and is driven only by his strong moral sense. When the city is decimated by an otherworldly force, he embarks on a journey across the country to take on the evil. Who could be the Preacher? Actually, Mendes’ Beauty bud Kevin Spacey could play him — if he were younger.
KEEP READING: Oldman, Washington Fight Over a Book
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OLDMAN, WASHINGTON FIGHT OVER A BOOK
Denzel Washington is a busy guy these days. Along with starring in David Cronenberg’s Robert Ludlum update The Matarese Circle, he’s set to join Gary Oldman in Book of Eli, a post-apocalyptic drama to be directed by Allen and Albert Hughes (From Hell), says the Hollywood Reporter. The story revolves around a lone warrior (Washington) who must fight to bring society the knowledge that could be the key to its redemption. Oldman plays the despot of a small makeshift town who’s determined to take possession of the book Eli’s guarding. Sounds more like Will Smith’s speed.
KEEP READING: Jackson’s a Badass Again
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JACKSON’S A BADASS AGAIN
You can tell Samuel L. Jackson likes to have fun in his movies. His latest effort has him once again playing the heavy, starring in a remake of Motown Records founder Berry Gordy’s 1985 cult classic The Last Dragon. According to the Reporter, Jackson will play Sho’Nuff, the Shogun of Harlem, a role played in the original by the late Julius Carry, whose spiel included asking ego-driven questions like “Am I the baddest mo-fo lowdown around this town?” Each time his gang of thugs answered, “Sho’Nuff!” Oh yeah, totally up his alley. The plot will be along the same lines of the original, centering on young martial arts student Leroy Green in his quest through the streets of New York to achieve the highest level of martial arts accomplishment, known as the Last Dragon. “I’m a huge fan of the original and look forward to bringing Sho’Nuff into the 21st century,” Jackson says.
LAST WEEK’S DOTTED LINE: Hathaway, Zeta-Jones and ‘Red State’
