There’s loads been going on in Hollywood, so here’s some quick updates on other new developments in Tinsel town…
Dennis Lehane, the bestselling author of books like Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone and Shutter Island, is turning screenwriter. He’s been hired by Fox to adapt his own short story, Animal Recue, for the big screen. The tale revolves around a killing that results from a lost and contested pit bull. While his books have proved popular in Hollywood, this is the first time he’s taken on one of his own tales for the cinema, although he did write a few episodes of The Wire. (Source: Variety)
Alicia Silverstone is set to reunite with the director of Clueless, Amy Heckerling, on the new movie, Vamps. For a while we’ve known that Heckerling would be making the film, which is about two female vampires who live it up in New York until love enters the picture, when each has to make a choice that will jeopardise their immortality. Krysten Ritter will play one of the vampires, and now it’s been announced that Silverstone will play the other. It’s certainly good news for Alicia, as she’s been rather starved of decent film roles in the last few years, and reuniting with Heckerling could give her the boost she needs. (Source: Screen Daily)
The film formerly known as I’m With Cancer has added a new actor to its roster – Bryce Dallas Howard. The movie will star James McAvoy as a man who discovers he has cancer and battles the disease over several years. Despite the rather grim sounding premise, it’s actually a comedy, loosely based on the life of Da Ali G Show producer, Will Reiser (who also wrote the script). While both Seth Rogen and Anna Kendrick have also previously been announced to star, Bryce Dallas Howard is a new name for the list. Shooting is due to being in Canada later this month. (Source: Variety)
With Peter Berg leaving the planned remake of Dune behind and Taken director Pierre Morel taking over, it’s little surprise that a new screenwriter has been brought onboard to work on adapting Frank Herbert’s immensely complex tome for the big screen. While the first script for the remake was handled by Josh Zetumer, Chance Palmer has now been brought in to work Morel’s ideas into the screenplay. At least the new director says he wants to stick close to the book, which should hopefully mean it’s not as bombastic as his other movies. (Source: THR)
Susan Sarandon is eying a role in The Big Valley, the upcoming feature film version of the 1960s western TV series. The show concerned the Barkley family and their ranch in 1870s California, who have to deal with all sorts of varmints trying to steal their cattle and cause trouble. The head of the family is Victoria, originally played by Barbara Stanwyck, and it’s this role that Sarandon is in talks to play. Daniel Adams will write and direct, with shooting due to take place in May. (Source: THR)
Big-time producers Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald (Gladiator, Men In Black) have optioned the rights to Richard Matheson’s book, Earthbound. Matheson is of course the man behind stories like I Am Legend, What Dreams May Come, The Box and Real Steel (which is about to be made into a film starring Hugh Jackman). Earthbound is about a couple on their second honeymoon, who are trying to spark fire back into their relationship. However the husband meets a woman and begins an affair, but when he tries to end the tryst, he starts to suspect the woman is a ghost (eww, ghost sex). At the moment no studio is involved. Parkes and MacDonald are likely to try and get a script written before they shop it around. (Source: Variety)
A few months ago, New Line announced they wanted to bring back the National Lampoon’s Vacation franchise (although without the National Lampoon name), this time with the next generation of Griswolds going off on a trip. Now Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley have been hired to handle the script, which is being described as more an update than a sequel, centring on the now grown-up Rusty Griswold and his family (although Chevy Chase is expected to return as Clark, now the grandfather of the family). John Francis Daley is best known for playing Dr. Sweets in the TV series Bones, but he and Goldstein have had success in Hollywood selling their scripts, and they’ll now work on Vacation: The Next Generation. (Source: Variety)