Blanchett, Louis C.K., Sarsgaard cast in Allen pic

Woody Allen has cast Alec Baldwin, Cate Blanchett, Louis C.K., Bobby Cannavale, Andrew Dice Clay, Michael Emerson, Sally Hawkins and Peter Sarsgaard in his latest film, Variety's Dave McNary reports. The project film will be shot in New York and San Francisco this summer. It's the second time that Allen has directed in San Francisco -- 43 years after his directorial debut in TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN. Co-stars include Max Casella and Alden Ehrenreich for the untitled pic. Allen won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for MIDNIGHT IN PARIS. His upcoming film TO ROME WITH LOVE, will open the Los Angeles Film Festival with its world premiere on June 14 and will be released on June 22 by Sony Pictures Classics.

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It's elementary: Cumberbatch boards '12 Years a Slave'

EXCLUSIVE: Benedict Cumberbatch, star of PBS show SHERLOCK, is set to join the cast of New Regency’s 12 YEARS A SLAVE, Variety's Justin Kroll reports. Steve McQueen is directing the pic starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender and Brad Pitt. Based on Solomon Northrup’s 1853 nonfiction tome, Ejiofor plays the author, a free man kidnapped and sold into slavery. Cumberbatch will play a plantation owner who buys Ejiofor’s character and is won over by his engineering skills.

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Hathaway serenades indie 'Song One'

With big-budget blockbusters THE DARK KNIGHT RISES and LES MISERABLES on the horizon, star Anne Hathaway may return to the dramatic fare that earned her an Oscar nomination for RACHEL GETTING MARRIED, as she’s in early talks to topline the indie SONG ONE, Variety's Jeff Sneider reports. Kate Barker-Froyland will make her feature directorial debut with the romantic drama, which she also wrote. Several elements would have to fall into place in order for the project to come together, and while Hathaway is not officially committed to star in SONG ONE, her filming schedule for the rest of the year seems fairly open for an actress of her stature: none of the development projects to which she’s attached appear to have firm start dates.

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'Thrones' star Madden in for 'Long Nights'

When GAME OF THRONES actor Richard Madden is through trying to establish himself as King in the North, he’ll star in the indie LONG NIGHTS SHORT MORNINGS, Variety's Justin Kroll reports. Story follows a young man on an erotic odyssey through the streets of New York as he sleeps with seven women in seven nights.  Directing is Chad Harboldd, who had his directing debut with REVENGE FOR JOLLY! which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival last year.  Madden has seen his star power grow this year as he’s taken on a more prominent role in HBO's GAME OF THRONES as Robb Stark. He’s been considered for several other high profile roles, including Warner Bros.’ still-in-development ARTHUR AND LANCELOT and A WINTER'S TALE.

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Arterton off to the races with 'RUNNER'

Gemma Arterton has been cast alongside Ben Affleck and Justin Timberlake in New Regency and Stone Village Pictures' online gambling thriller RUNNER RUNNER, Variety's Leo Barraclough reports. Timberlake plays a Princeton student cheated out of his tuition money playing online poker who ends up the right-hand man of the site's corrupt boss (Affleck). Arterton plays Timberlake's love interest. Arterton's upcoming projects include HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS,  SONG FOR MARION and Neil Jordan's BYZANTIUM. RUNNER RUNNER, helmed by Brad Furman (THE LINCOLN LAWYER, THE TAKE), shoots in Puerto Rico from late June.

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Pfeiffer feelin' fire for fam in 'Malavita'

EXCLUSIVE: Michelle Pfeiffer is in negotiations to play another tough mother in Luc Besson's darkly comedic actioner MALAVITA, which stars Robert De Niro, Variety's Jeff Sneider reports. Based on Tonino Benacquista's book BADFELLAS, story follows a notorious mafia family relocated to France under the witness protection program. While they do their best to fit in, old habits die hard and they soon find themselves handling things the "family" way. Pfeiffer will play De Niro's wife who has a penchant for arson when crossed. Besson adapted the script and he'll also produce the pic, which starts production in August in advance of a 2013 bow.

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Paramount toys with retailers by booting 'G.I. Joe' into next year

At major retailers nationwide, G.I. JOE: RETALIATION action figures are being pulled from shelves after Paramount moved the actioner from June 29 to March 29, 2013, Variety's Marc Graser reports. Some Walmart, Toys R Us and Target locations had started to stock the toys this week, although they weren't supposed to make them available until next week. Those that did wanted to get a jump on demand, and some of the 47 items that would've been sold are expected to show up on eBay at inflated prices by the end of the weekend. Stores had started to clear shelf space of existing G.I. JOE toys to make way for the new. Store managers contacted by Variety said the space allotted for G.I. JOE: RETALIATION will now go to THE AMAZING SPIDER MAN toys and THE AVENGERS, which is still doing brisk business -- for Hasbro. Yet as it tries to keep retailers happy, the toymaker now has another problem to deal with: angry hardcore fans, with a G.I. JOE convention set to take place in New Orleans June 28-July 1 -- the same weekend the movie was set to open.

Malin Akerman has a heart of glass for 'CBGB'

Exclusive: ROCK OF AGES star Malin Akerman is set to play Blondie singer Debbie Harry in Randall Miller's indie CBGB, which chronicles the iconic New York music venue, Variety's Jeff Sneider reports. Brit thesp Alan Rickman stars as Hilly Kristal, the legendary owner of CBGB, while HARRY POTTER thesp Rupert Grint will co-star as Cheetah Chrome, the guitarist for the Dead Boys, as SHOWBLITZ first reported earlier this week.

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Browning senses psychic skills for 'Plush'

EXCLUSIVE: Emily Browning is in talks to star in Catherine Hardwicke's PLUSH, Variety's Justin Kroll reports. Hardwicke, who's also producing, will helm from a script she co-wrote with Artie Nelson. Story follows a psychic psychologist who delves into the minds of patients and sees their memories in order to help them unleash past demons. He meets his match in Browning's teen, who shares his gift. Browning was most recently seen in SLEEPING BEAUTY, and is best known as the female lead in Zack Snyder's SUCKER PUNCH.

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Wilson, Larson and others going for 'The Nuts'

21 JUMP STREET star Brie Larson, Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman and Olivia Wilde are attached to star in Peter Bogdanovich’s quirky indie comedy SQUIRRELS TO THE NUTS, which will be produced by Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbach, Variety's Jeff Sneider reports. Bogdanovich wrote the script, which follows a hooker-turned-Broadway-thesp (Larson) and the recurring intersection between these two facets of her life. Wilson will play a Broadway director who pays for the young protag’s services despite being married to the star of the play. He later gives Larson’s character money to quit escorting and follow her dreams. Schwartzman will co-star as a playwright who falls for Larson despite the fact that he’s dating her therapist (Wilde), whose own alcoholic mother is in rehab.

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Ashley Hamilton in talks for 'IRON MAN 3' baddie

EXCLUSIVE: Ashley Hamilton is in talks to play Firepower, one of the villains in IRON MAN 3, Marc Graser and Jeff Sneider report. In the Marvel comicbooks, the character is the pilot of an experimental armored suit, built by the government, under the secret Project: Firepower project. He eventually uses the suit to battle Iron Man. Thesp, the son of George Hamilton, stepson of Rod Stewart and himself a singer-songwriter, competed on the ninth season of “Dancing with the Stars” before becoming a correspondent on “Extra.” Plot will borrow elements from Warren Ellis’ six-issue “Iron Man: Extremis,” which also influenced the first IRON MAN installment, and focuses on the spread of a virus through nanotechnology.

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Mikkelsen to Marvel viewers in 'Thor 2'

Though AVENGERS continues to dominate the global box office, Marvel is not slowing down on preperations for its future endeavors as Mads Mikkelsen is in talks to star as the villain in THOR 2, Variety's Marc Graser and Justin Kroll report. It is unknown at this time what part he will play, but what is known is that Tom Hiddleston, who played Loki in the original, will still have a big part as an antagonist. Most of the cast from the original, including star Chris Hemsworth, are returning, with Alan Taylor on as the pics director. Don Payne, who co-wrote THOR, penned the original draft with Robert Rodat doing the most recent polish. Marvel has skedded THOR 2 for Nov. 15, 2013, with production expected to start later this summer. 

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Mears, Whalen round out 'Hatchet' ensemble

Genre stalwarts Derek Mears (FRIDAY THE 13TH), Caroline Williams (THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2), Sean Whalen (THE PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS), Diane Goldner (THE COLLECTOR) and THE FP writer-director Jason Trost are set to round out the ensemble cast of HATCHET 3, Variety's Jeff Sneider reports.  Original HATCHET cameraman BJ McDonnell is making his directorial debut with the pic, which stars horror vets Danielle Harris and Kane Hodder as "Bayou Butcher" Victor Crowley. Story finds Harris hunting down the true secret to ending the voodoo curse that has left Crowley's ghost terrorizing Honey Island Swamp for decades.

Ludwig: From District 1 to 'Grown Ups 2'

Alexander Ludwig, who played the main baddie Cato in THE HUNGER GAMES, is pivoting to a less menacing role, joining the cast of GROWN UPS 2 to play David Spade's son, Variety's Justin Kroll reports. Sony sequel stars Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock and Rob Schneider. GROWN UPS helmer Dennis Dugan is returning to direct. Pic marks first big role for the thesp since THE HUNGER GAMES bowed in March.

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Grint grins with two roles

HARRY POTTER star Rupert Grint seems ready to transition into more adult roles, landing parts in THE NECESSARY DEATH OF CHARLIE COUNTRYMAN and CBGB, Variety's Justin Kroll reports. COUNTRYMAN stars Shia LaBeouf as a normal guy who falls for a woman who's been claimed by a violent crime boss. Evan Rachel Wood co-stars, with Fredrik Bond helming from a script by Matt Drake. CBGB stars Alan Rickman as CBGB owner Hilly Kristal and the New York City club's impact on the underground music scene, highlighting artists like the Talking Heads, the Ramones and Blondie. Grint will play Cheetah Chrome of the Dead Boys, who played a prominent role during the club's rise. Randall Miller will direct from a script he co-wrote with Jody Savin.

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Bandits Cruise-ing for a bruising in 'Magnificent Seven'

EXCLUSIVE: As MGM prepares to start production on ROBOCOP and CARRIE later this year, the studio has begun developing yet another remake, this time of John Sturges' classic 1960 Western THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN with Tom Cruise attached to star, Variety's Jeff Sneider reports. There is no director on board the project yet, though sources tell Variety that MGM has quietly started its search for a writer. Sources tell Variety that while Cruise has long been interested in saddling up for a MAGNIFICENT SEVEN remake, the project is still a long ways off and is not in Cruise's immediate plans. A remake of Akira Kurosawa's 1954 pic SEVEN SAMURAI, THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN starred Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Robert Vaughn, Brad Dexter, and Horst Buchholz as a group of American gunmen who are hired to protect a small Mexican village from a group of savage bandits, led by Eli Wallach.

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Duplass, Kingsley attending 'CONVENTION'; Aniston circling

EXCLUSIVE: Mark Duplass and Ben Kingsley are attached to star in quirky sci-fi comedy CONVENTION, while Jennifer Aniston is circling the pic’s female lead. Commercial helmer Justin Reardon will make his feature directorial debut from a script by Christopher Painter. Set at a national box convention, indie pic will star Duplass as an inventor who unveils his latest creation: the five-sided box. The mysterious new design initially seems perfect, until the inventor learns that each time he creates its special fold, he rips a hole in the space-time continuum. It’s up to him and his sister to put things back together and save the world. Aniston is circling the role of Duplass’ sister, though she hasn’t officially committed as producers haven’t settled on a firm start date.

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Ryan Reynolds may be the one: 'Highlander'

EXCLUSIVE: The franchise’s motto is “there can be only one,” and Lionsgate-Summit seems to have found the man to carry on the HIGHLANDER franchise: Ryan Reynolds has emerged as the front-runner to topline the reboot, and though it’s unclear whether an actual offer has been made,  sources tell Variety that both sides are in talks and are very interested in working together. Insiders add that Reynolds is weighing other offers and that could still pursue another project. Juan Carlos Fresnadillo is on board to direct. Though plot details on this installment are vague, the original series followed an immortal swordsman who battled other immortal warriors through the centuries. -Justin Kroll

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Badge Dale feels Coldblood-ed for 'Iron Man 3'

James Badge Dale has joined the cast of IRON MAN 3, Variety's Marc Graser and Justin Kroll report. Dale will play Eric Savin. In the Marvel comicbooks, he's a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army put in charge of Project: Ultra. After he steps on a land mine, cybernetic surgery is performed on him, and Savin's resurrected as the cyborg Coldblood. IRON MAN 3 starts production this month under the helm of Shane Black, who also co-wrote the script with Drew Pearce. Robert Downey Jr. returns as billionaire Tony Stark, while Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Ben Kingsley and Rebecca Hall are also set. Pic's plot will borrow elements from Warren Ellis' six-issue IRON MAN: EXTREMIS, which also influenced the first IRON MAN installment, and focuses on the spread of a virus through nanotechnology. Disney has already skedded "Iron Man 3" for release on May 3, 2013.

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Sony sets Sorkin for Jobs Job

Sony Pictures has tapped its Oscar-winning SOCIAL NETWORK scribe Aaron Sorkin to adapt Walter Isaacson's bestselling biography of late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, Variety's Jeff Sneider reports. Though Sorkin has openly said he was offered the job and was weighing it, this confirms that the Jobs movie will have that snappy Sorkin dialogue.

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Fuhrman to topline horror remake 'Suspiria'

EXCLUSIVE: Isabelle Fuhrman, who parlayed her starring turn in ORPHAN into a key supporting role in THE HUNGER GAMES, has landed the lead in David Gordon Green’s remake of SUSPIRIA. Daria Argento’s 1977 horror pic followed Suzie, a young girl who travels to Europe to attend a world-renowned school, only to learn that the academy is a front for a coven of witches. Fuhrman recently wrapped indie THE HEALER and is currently filming M. Night Shyamalan’s sci-fi pic AFTER EARTH with Jaden Smith.

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Tatum takes one for the 'White House'

After proving he can hold his own with a romantic drama and comedy, Channing Tatum is looking to get back to his action-hero roots as the 21 JUMP STREET star is in advanced talks to topline Sony's WHITE HOUSE DOWN, Variety's Justin Kroll reports. Roland Emmerich will direct from a script by James Vannderbilt. The film is described as DIE HARD in the White House and follows a secret service agent who must save the president. Sony had no comment on the casting. Production is expected to start in late summer. Sony's next objective is to find the pic's president and the head of the Secret Service, though no offers have been tendered at this time.

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Scorsese rolls up in Rolls Royce biopic

EXCLUSIVE: Martin Scorsese is teaming with Lord Richard Attenborough and Anthony Haas to produce SILVER GHOST, a drama based on the true story of the founding of Rolls Royce that will be a co-production between the HUGO helmer’s Sikelia Prods. banner and Zuma Prods. SILVER GHOST is described as a complex love story, not only between men and women, but men and machines. Set at the turn of the last century, it traces the story of Charles Rolls and Henry Royce, as well as the love affairs of the famed Beaulieu family. Said Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, one of the 90 elected hereditary peers that remain in the House of Lords, the upper house of the Parliament in the U.K.: “It is a remarkable story which has long been a family secret and I am delighted that Martin Scorsese has joined Richard Attenborough and Anthony Haas in bringing it to the screen.” - Jeff Sneider

Diaz, del Toro do drug war dance for 'Agent'

Cameron Diaz and Benicio del Toro have boarded the action-comedy AGENT: CENTURY 21, Variety's Diana Lodderhose reports. Pic is directed by Danish helmer Adam Hashemi, who makes his feature film debut. Story, penned by Greg Brooker, sees Diaz play a woman who works in real estate and is dejected from her recent divorce. Feeling that she can't catch a break, she agrees to take on an unpleasant task for her boss which leads to her getting kidnapped and tossed into the center of a Mexican drug war. Del Toro plays the Cartel boss who takes pity on her and gives her a chance to save her life by sending her on an impossible mission to avenge the death of his son.

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'SCARY MOVIE' writers sending up 'HUNGER GAMES'

EXCLUSIVE: It was only a matter of time before someone sent up one of the year's runaway hits: Spoof auteurs Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer have come on board to write and direct THE STARVING GAMES, with K5 selling its international rights at Cannes. Though HUNGER GAMES will be front center for many of the jokes, other pics it plans to pillory include THE AVENGERS, SHERLOCK HOLMES and the HARRY POTTER finale. Friedberg and Seltzer have made a living making fun of other people’s work starting with SCARY MOVIE, for which Friedberg and Seltzer served as writers and Safran was an exec producer. Since then the duo have co-written and co-directed VAMPIRES SUCK, DATE MOVIE, MEET THE SPARTANS and DISASTER MOVIE. -Justin Kroll.

Rudd, Poehler come together for 'They Came Together'

EXCLUSIVE: WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER stars Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler are set to reteam with director David Wain on THEY CAME TOGETHER, a romantic comedy parody, Variety's Jeff Sneider reports. Wain and his longtime collaborator Michael Showalter wrote the script shortly after WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER, though the project never got made. When Joel (Rudd) and Molly (Poehler) meet, it’s hate at first sight; his big corporation is the one that threatens to shut down her quirky knick-knack store. Story, which follows their predictably on-again/off-again relationship, features rom-com staples such as the jealous ex-girlfriend, the office jerk, scary in-laws, a boring dentist, a wise dog and beautiful shots of New York City in autumn. Both Rudd and Poehler participated in a table read of the script at the San Francisco Sketchfest back in January.

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'Unknown' director, Neeson reteam for 'Non-Stop' thrills

EXCLUSIVE: Jaume Collet-Serra looks ready to reteam with his UNKNOWN star Liam Neeson, as the helmer is in negotiations to direct NON-STOP, Variety's Justin Kroll reports. Pic takes place on an international flight on which Neeson is forced into stop a threat. Joel Silver’s Dark Castle Productions picked up the airplane spec from John Richardson and Chris Roach back in August. Plan is for production to start in October in New York. Since UNKNOWN, Collet-Serra has had a tough time getting his next project up and running. He was to direct WB’s AKIRA, but production halted so the studio could work on the script and budget. There also had been talk of him moving to Dracula pic HARKER, but that project is still looking for leads.

Evans feels 'Fast and Furious'

Universal has set one of the final pieces of casting for FAST AND FURIOUS, as Luke Evans is in negotiations to star as the villain opposite Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and Dwayne Johnson, Variety's Justin Kroll reports. Sources tell Variety that Evans has worked out skedding issues with his work on THE HOBBIT and will transition immediately from the Peter Jackson pic to FAST AND FURIOUS 6. Twitchfilm reported last week that Evans had received an offer, but it was unclear whether the dates would work out. Justin Lin will direct, with Chris Morgan penning the script. Plot details are being kept under wraps, but sources say it would involve the crew heading overseas to work on a heist job. Evans would play the leader of another crew trying to pull off the same job.

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'ON THE ROAD' gets a U.S. home at IFC Films, Sundance Selects

EXCLUSIVE: AMC Networks has acquired all U.S. distribution rights to ON THE ROAD, to be released jointly by the company’s film distribution labels IFC Films and Sundance Selects sometime this fall. Walter Salles’ adaptation of the Beat Generation tome by Jack Kerouac will world premiere in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, which begins next week. AMC Networks, which owns IFC and Sundance Selects, is said to have acquired the title in a low seven-figures deal. Multiple people who have seen the film agreed that it contains awards-caliber performances and cinematography, but add that its two-hours-plus length and nebulous narrative will make it a challenge to market to mainstream auds. But ON THE ROAD will unspool with more than one built-in fanbase: Fans of Kerouac’s stream-of-consciousness road trip tale, written in 1951 and published in 1957, will be eager to check out its first-ever bigscreen adaptation. And another factor at the box office will be fervent TWILIGHT devotees, who have been constantly buzzing about her role as Mary Lou since the project was announced two years ago almost to the day. Other cast includes TRON: LEGACY star Garrett Hedlund as Dean Moriarty; Kirsten Dunst as Camille; and Sam Riley as Kerouac’s alter ego, Sal Paradise. Amy Adams, Elisabeth Moss and Viggo Mortensen co-star. -Josh L. Dickey

Nick Cassavetes going (back) to 'Cali'

EXCLUSIVE: Nick Cassavetes (THE NOTEBOOK) will direct the gritty action pic CALI, for which Kristen Stewart is set to star. Pic follows a pair of San Fernando Valley lovebirds who sell a fake snuff film and ride off with a bundle of cash. Years later, the girl (Stewart) must “return from the dead” to save the younger sister she left behind. Voltage Pictures will be selling the film at the Cannes Film Market, and producers are anticipating a late summer start. Cassavetes is best known for directing the hit Nicholas Sparks adaptation THE NOTEBOOK, as well as the true crime tale ALPHA DOG. Cassavetes is an actor as well, and he most recently appeared in THE HANGOVER PART II. -Jeff Sneider

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'AVENGERS' staying in all IMAX locations in sharing agreement with Warner Bros.

EXCLUSIVE: Turns out Disney-Marvel’s THE AVENGERS won’t have to vacate any Imax houses this weekend to make way for DARK SHADOWS after all. Disney and Warner Bros. agreed Monday to evenly split digital Imax showtimes this weekend between the two movies, leaving the Marvel pic in all 275 digital-only Imax screens from which it collected a record-setting $15.3 million last weekend. AVENGERS was slated to lose 200 of those Imax locations to DARK SHADOWS as dictated by a pre-existing three-year pact inked between Imax and Warners back in April 2010. Prior to today’s agreement, SHADOWS had secured 225 Imax locations all to itself from varying U.S. markets. By sharing screens, the film now has 300 runs in all Imax DMAs, with approximately 25 print-only locations to itself. (AVENGERS is a digital-only release.) It’s a win-win … win situation for Disney, Warners and individual exhibitors, who kickstarted the screen-sharing talks after AVENGERS posted a staggering $207.4 million overall domestic bow.

Eisley set as Jolie's mini-'Maleficent'

EXCLUSIVE: India Eisley  is set to play a younger version of Angelina Jolie’s character in Disney’s MALEFICENT, Variety's Jeff Sneider reports. Veteran production designer Robert Stromberg is making his directorial debut from a script by Linda Woolverton, who wrote Disney’s billion-dollar grosser ALICE IN WONDERLAND. Live-action fantasy pic stars Jolie in the title role as Disney’s ultimate villainess. Eisley will play young Maleficent in the opening act. Sharlto Copley will co-star as Stefan, the half-human, half-fairy bastard son of the human king (Kenneth Cranham). Supporting cast also includes Sam Riley as Maleficent’s right-hand man, Miranda Richardson as Maleficent’s regal aunt, and Brit thesps Imelda Staunton and Lesley Manville as pixies who care for Aurora. Disney will release the pic on March 14, 2014.

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Tommy Lee Jones playing 'Homesman' all four ways: Directing, Writing, Producing & Starring

EXCLUSIVE: Just weeks before Sony releases MEN IN BLACK 3, star Tommy Lee Jones has lined up his next directing vehicle, as he’s set to write and direct THE HOMESMAN, a period pic he’ll also produce and topline. Story follows a pioneer woman and a claim-jumping rascal of a man (Jones) who usher three insane women on an odyssey from Nebraska to Iowa. Jones made his directorial debut with the 1995 TNT telepic THE GOOD OLD BOYS, which starred Jones and his fellow Oscar winners Sissy Spacek and Frances McDormand, as well as an up-and-coming thesp named Matt Damon. 

Pattinson, Pearce get rugged for 'Rover'

Robert Pattinson and Guy Pearce are in negotiations to star in David Michod's ROVER, Variety's Justin Kroll reports. Pearce will star as a man who after having his car stolen by a group of men pursues them through the wild and rugged Australian Outback. Pattinson will portray one of the thiefs. Michod will helm and wrote the script which based on an idea he and ANIMAL KINGDOM star Joel Edgerton originated.

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Heard hears 'Machete Kills' call

EXCLUSIVE: THE RUM DIARY star Amber Heard is in talks to become the latest femme fatale to join the cast of Robert Rodriguez's sequel MACHETE KILLS, Variety's Jeff Sneider reports. Danny Trejo stars alongside returning thesps Jessica Alba and Michelle Rodriguez and series newcomers Mel Gibson and Demian Bichir. Pic, which starts production this month in Heard's hometown of Austin, Texas, finds the titular ex-federale (Trejo) recruited by the U.S. government to stop an arms dealer (Gibson) from launching a deadly missile. Heard will play a manipulative assassin code-named Miss San Antonio.

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Bekmambetov feels shock of 'Current War'

EXCLUSIVE: One of the hot specs of 2011 is getting a jolt as Timur Bekmambetov's Bazelevs banner has acquired THE CURRENT WAR as a directing vehicle for Bekmambetov, Variety's Justin Kroll reports. Michael Mitnick penned the spec, which chronicles the competition between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse to create the first sustainable electrical current. With Bekmambetov and Zaillan on board, the search will now begin for actors to play the historical figures. Sources say Sacha Baron Cohen had shown interest in playing Edison, but offers would not be made until a director was locked. It's unclear whether an offer would be made to Baron Cohen -- or whether he'd even be available.

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Bichir boasts two new projects

Hot off his first Oscar nomination for his perf in A BETTER LIFE, Demian Bichir is in negotiations to join Robert Rodriguez's MACHETE KILLS, Variety's Jeff Sneider reports. Sources also tell Variety that Bichir has been tapped to star in William Friedkin's next film, the indie thriller TRAPPED. Details on Bichir's role in MACHETE KILLS remain under wraps, though he'll play an Israeli operative in the Friedkin pic, according to sources. Bichir will shoot the MACHETE sequel in early June, while TRAPPED will lens early next year.

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BBC wants ABC's Lee

EXCLUSIVE: ABC Entertainment Group prez Paul Lee is being courted for the top job at the BBC, Variety's Steve Clarke reports. It's understood that BBC-affiliated execs have reached out to the ABC topper in recent weeks, though source say Lee has no intent of taking the post. The British exec began his career at the BBC in 1984. Lee is coming off a strong season at ABC in which the network fielded successful new series in ONCE UPON A TIME, REVENGE and SUBURGATORY, plus other promising newcomers. The BBC 's search for a new topper is heating up as current director general Mark Thompson prepares to step down later this year or early next following the broadcaster's coverage of the summer Olympics and the Queen's Jubilee celebration. Lee first joined the BBC in 1984 as a general trainee and in 1990 moved to drama, where he produced, directed and wrote TV movies. He ultimately served as channel editor for BBC Prime, the company's 24-hour entertainment channel.

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Magnolia unburies Jobs' 'Lost Interview'

Magnolia Pictures has acquired US rights to STEVE JOBS: THE LOST INTERVIEW, filmed in 1995 by Robert Cringely, Variety's Dave McNary reports. Magnolia will open the film in select theaters on May 11 with a DVD and VOD release to follow later this summer. The film had limited special screenings at select theaters in the Landmark circuit earlier this year. In the interview, Jobs discussed his early days, career battles, and vision for the future. Small portions of the piece were used for a TV series at the time, but the vast majority was shelved and had been thought to be lost until recently. The interview took place two years before Jobs would retake control of Apple Computer.

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Favraeu reclaims acting 'Identity'

EXCLUSIVE: Jon Favreau is taking a break from the directing chair and going back in front of the camera, as the multihyphenate has  joined the cast of the Universal comedy IDENTITY THIEF, Variety's Justin Kroll reports. Pic currently stars Jason Bateman, Melissa McCarthy and Amanda Peet, with Seth Gordon at the helm. Story revolves around a man (Bateman) whose life is upended when his identity is stolen by a woman (McCarthy). Sources tell Variety Favreau will play Bateman’s boss. Steve Conrad penned the first draft with Craig Mazin doing the most recent rewrite.

Brosnan caught in 'The Coup'

Pierce Brosnan has come on board to star opposite Owen Wilson in the thriller THE COUP with lensing set to start in October, Variety's Dave McNary reports. John Erick Dowdle is directing from a script he co-wrote with his brother Drew Dowdle. Story's centered on an American family that moves to Southeast Asia and finds themselves entangled in a violent coup where merciless rebels are attacking the city.

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'Pariah' director to reunite 'This Man, This Woman'

EXCLUSIVE: After developing the project for 17 years, producer Mike Lobell has attached PARIAH helmer Dee Rees to direct the indie love story THIS MAN, THIS WOMAN, Variety's Jeff Sneider reports. Frederic Raphael wrote the script, which follows a divorced couple struck by tragedy who find themselves seated next to each other on an airplane, where they rekindle their relationship as they reminisce about what went wrong. Lobell sparked to Rees after seeing her acclaimed directorial debut, PARIAH, which she also wrote. After Lobell called Rees' reps at WME to express his interest, the unlikely duo went to lunch to discuss the project, which led to a three-hour meeting at Lobell's home. Producer and helmer are currently seeking talent before they start searching for financing.

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'Chariots' director back in the saddle with 'Midnight Sun'

EXCLUSIVE: It's been a dozen years since CHARIOTS OF FIRE helmer Hugh Hudson took on a feature film, and he's chosen for his return a family-friendly adventure in MIDNIGHT SUN, which Hyde Park Entertainment and Image Nation Abu Dhabi are teaming to finance. Intended to be in the vein of FREE WILLY and DOLPHIN TALE, story follows a young boy’s efforts to reunite an abandoned polar bear cub with its mother in the ice fields of northern Canada. Hudson, whose last feature was I DREAMED OF AFRICA in 2000, will direct from a script he co-wrote. - Josh L. Dickey

Moura set for the sweet life of 'Fellini'

Brazilian thesp Wagner Moura, who starred in the ELITE SQUAD films, is set to play Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini in FELLINI BLACK AND WHITE, Variety's Jeff Sneider reports. Henry Bromell (HOMELAND is set to direct from his own script. Pic has Terrence Howard, Peter Dinklage and William H. Macy attached to play supporting roles. Set in Los Angeles in March of 1957, story follows Fellini’s first voyage to America to attend the Oscars, during which he went missing for 48 hours and barely made it to the ceremony. Pic postulates what might have happened during those two days, after which the helmer returned to Italy and directed his two most revered films, LA DOLCE VITA and 8 1/2. Script finds Fellini discovering the jazz and surf scenes and falling for a veterinarian while his wife tries to drown her sorrows by cavorting with Ricky Nelson. Howard will play a jazz musician who introduces Fellini to his world. Macy will play Fellini’s publicist, while Dinklage will play the vet’s lover.

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New Regency opts for 'The Operators'

EXCLUSIVE: New Regency has optioned Michael Hastings' tome THE OPERATORS and joined with Brad Pitt's Plan B shingle to produce, Variety's Rachel Abrams reports. OPERATORS has roots in Hastings' 2010 article in Rolling Stone, "The Runaway General," which chronicled the actions of U.S. Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal as head of the U.S. war effort in Afghanistan. That account, which included less-than-flattering quotes about President Obama from McChrystal, led to the general's resignation later that year. Book picks up where the article left off, chronicling Hastings' observations during a 2010 pan-European trip with McChrystal as he gathered help for the war in Afghanistan. The book offers behind-the-scenes glimpses into the lives of top military officials, including their after-hours partying as well as life-and-death wartime decisions.

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Kloves swings from Rowling to Kipling

HARRY POTTER scribe Steve Kloves is in early talks to write and direct a live-action take on THE JUNGLE BOOK for Warner Bros., Variety's Jeff Sneider reports. Kloves wrote every film in the WB's eight-pic HARRY POTTER franchise, and he also worked on the script for the studio's long-gestating pic AKIRA, as well as Sony's summer tentpole THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN.

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'Mormon' star Gad in talks to play Woz

The indie movie about Steve Jobs is close to filling the role of Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, with “The Book of Mormon” star Josh Gad is in talks for the role opposite Ashton Kutcher, Jeff Sneider reports.

Joshua Michael Stern's pic is written by Matt Whiteley, and chronicles Steve Jobs from wayward hippie to co-founder of Apple, where he became one of the most revered creative entrepreneurs of our time.

Gad is making a deal to play Wozniak, who created the Apple I computer and co-created the Apple II computer in the mid-1970s.

Gad recently earned a Tony nomination for Trey Parker and Matt Stone's “The Book of Mormon” and is set to star in the NBC pilot “1600 Penn,” a family comedy set in the White House that Gad co-created and will exec produce.  

 

 

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Goldsman fancies Farrell for 'Winter's Tale'

EXCLUSIVE: After a thorough search of up-and-coming leading men, writer-director Akiva Goldsman has offered the lead role in his passion project WINTER'S TALE to Colin Farrell,Variety's Jeff Sneider and Justin Kroll report. Farrell would be joining Jessica Brown Findlay should he accept the coveted part in the Warner Bros. project. Farrell hasn't yet begun negotiations, which could still prevent him from taking the role, as sources tell Variety that the actor is seeking a payday with his starring turn in Sony's summer tentpole TOTAL RECALL already generating heat. If Farrell doesn't take the offer, Goldsman has been considering Luke Evans, Garrett Hedlund, Liam Hemsworth, Aaron Johnson and rising star Benjamin Walker to play the protag, a young thief on the run who breaks into a wealthy man's home and ends up falling for his terminally-ill daughter. Goldsman's past collaborators Russell Crowe and Will Smith are expected to take on supporting roles along with a flying horse that factors into the plot. Goldsman is set to make his directorial debut with WINTER'S TALE, a supernatural drama based on Mark Helprin's 1983 novel of the same name.

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Riseborough, Skarsgard scared for 'The Hidden'

Andrea Riseborough is set to star opposite Alexander Skarsgard in THE HIDDEN, Variety's Justin Kroll reports. Matt and Ross Duffer will direct from their own spec script. Project is an elevated horror-thriller about a family hiding in a bomb shelter after escaping a mysterious outbreak. With Riseborough’s deal now done, the film should gain a greenlight shortly as one was contigent on getting its two stars to close deals.

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Duhamel feels the Sparks for 'Safe Haven'

After the recent success of Nicholas Sparks’ THE LUCKY ONE, Relativity is gearing up another Sparks novel with Josh Duhamel in negotiations to star in SAFE HAVEN, Variety's Justin Kroll reports. Lasse Hallstrom is helming the pic with Dana Stevens adapting the script. Story follows a mysterious young woman who arrives in a small North Carolina town, and her reluctance to join the tight knit community raises questions about her past. Slowly, she begins putting down roots, and gains the courage to start a relationship with a widowed store owner with two young children. Duhamel would play the widower. The pic is set to bow on Feb. 8, 2013 and Relativity will now try to lock down the female lead. There was talk of Keira Knightley taking the part but as of now the role is still open.