Casting »

What's the best way to make Hollywood see past your sexy looks? Star in a sex comedy! No? Well someone's in for a shock then... The Hollywood Reporter posts that Jessica Biel will star in a new comedy called F***ing Engaged.

The brainchild of new screenwriter Julia Brownell (developed with Dan Halsted and Cameron Bunce), the flick is aiming to be "a raunchy comedy about a couple who make a pact to have sex every day leading to their wedding so they don't turn into their crusty old parents." Correct me if I'm wrong, married folks, but isn't the whole sexless crustiness due to sexless lives after the marriage, rather than before? If anything, I'd imagine that overdoing the sex pre-wedding would kill the hormones quicker. And who will play the lucky bloke?

Should this be in a different vein than her last comedy, I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry, it has promise. But really, this whole thing just makes me wish for Nailed. Remember that comedy? The plagued David O. Russell flick where Biel plays a waitress-turned-sex addict making waves in Washington D.C.? That's the Biel sex comedy that should be hitting our eager eyes. Oh well. At least this would make for an apt double-bill with Young People F**king.

It seemed like maybe Adam Sandler was looking at ripping that crap-of-a-comedy stigma from him when he starred in Funny People, reminding the world that the old Sandler was a mix of ridiculous laughs and dramedy. But here's another reason to assume that was just a random blip in lowest common denominator fare: Variety reports that Columbia Pictures has grabbed the actor to star in a romantic comedy called Jack and Jill.

Rom-com can mean many things, and potentially even something good for the actor, but get a load of this: He will "play Jack as well as his twin sister Jill." And it was written by Steve Koren (old SNL scribe behind the Almighty flicks, Night at the Roxbury, and Superstar.) That's all we know. Considering the "rom" part, I'd hope that there's a love interest outside of this duo, because who would want to see Sandler-on-Sandler incest? Yes, I'm being negative, but it all comes from how the project was positioned and revealed. Should we expect anything more from a romantic comedy when the powers that be decide to kick things off by talking about Sandler cross-dressing? If that's the notable part of the news designed to start perking interests, there's definitely a Happy Madison bend to the whole thing. And yes, his company is producing .

Can you think of a way that this film could be anything more than another Chuck & Larry sort of offering? Could this possibly be more Tootsie than The Hot Chick? Do you want to see Adam Sandler in Hollywood drag?

The lovable and hilarious Steve Carell is a bona-fide TV star, but his big screen career has never taken off quite the same way. There were plenty of successes along the way, and he hasn't had an honest to goodness flop (actually, Evan Almighty lost a whole lot of money), but he just hasn't had that movie role that makes you think "Uh-oh, I think Scranton is going to get a new branch manager," you know? I don't know if Carell's latest will be the role that makes him into a full-fledged movie star, but The Hollywood Reporter's Risky Business Blog is reporting that the comedian is in talks to star in the golf-comedy Missing Links.

Links is based on Sports Illustrated writer Rick Reilly's novel by the same name, and it centers on a group of working class friends who scheme to sneak into an elite country club to escape their crappy public golf course. Reilly has some experience as a screenwriter, having already written the period sports comedy Leatherheads, but for Links, The Break Up's Jay Lavender will be in charge of the script. Carell has yet to commit to Warner Bros for Links, and he already has a pretty tight schedule with his role on The Office, the upcoming sequel to Get Smart, and Brigadier Gerard, so I guess we will have to wait and see if he signs on the dotted line.

After the jump; moments from other great golf comedies -- and no, I didn't include Dorf...

Are you ready for another hippie, hippie shake? The New York Post reports that Cocktail is getting turned into a Broadway musical by producer Marty Richards, and Heywood Gould, the pen behind the book and film, will write it. But that's not all. Gould told them: "I am writing it as we speak. Marty Richards is on board and he's working on the score. It's far too early to talk about casting. We haven't approached anybody yet. But I do like Katie Holmes." Yes, original star Tom Cruise's wife. Gould might not be the end-all on decisions, but since he's involved with all the story's incarnations, I bet he has some sway.

The 1998 film focuses on a young guy (Cruise) who drops out of school and becomes a famous bartender. Eager to have his own bar, he heads to Jamaica to earn enough money. While there, he must choose between the girl he falls for, and the rich woman who needs a "drink-mixing stud." Is it terrible to root for the latter? Who wouldn't want their own personal bartender?

If this sucker becomes a reality, I predict Cocktail, Reimagined! -- starring Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise -- coming to the big screen by 2015. Yeah, he's 20 years older as it is, but could he resist returning to his bartending fame alongside Katie? Or maybe he'll leave the love to a young and lucky bloke, and take over Bryan Brown's (Doug) bar vet ways? Or Doug becomes the drink-mixing stud?

Speaking of Hollywood couples -- for a pair so into one another, is it surprising that they haven't co-starred together yet? Maybe Tommy is fearing another Eyes Wide Shut experience.

Frank Sinatra is still what many (if not all) red-blooded man aspire to be. Playing him in a Martin Scorsese biopic is not only a dream job for any actor, it's wish fulfillment on the highest level. Is it any surprise that the some of the biggest names in Hollywood are said to by vying for the role of Old Blue Eyes? The Guardian reports that Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, and George Clooney are in fierce competition to land the part, with Universal executives allegedly pushing hardest for the marketable Depp.

It's a tough thing to cast someone like Sinatra. While I certainly like all three men as actors in their own right, I think their own fame makes it impossible for them to disappear under the skin of an icon. This isn't exactly Howard Hughes or John Dillinger, figures that an actor can shape from facts and bits of footage, but still make their own. This is a man we're all familiar with from countless movies, concerts, albums, and television appearances. How do you portray that honestly with Depp, DiCaprio, or Clooney? If forced to choose from the three, I'd pick DiCaprio purely because of the physical resemblance, and politely suggest Clooney play Dean Martin.

Personally, I hope Scorsese finds a semi-unknown for the part (someone on the level of Tom Hardy -- who might actually be really good now that he's sprung to my mind) and steers clear of the A-List. The actor lucky and brave enough won't have to sing, as Universal and Mandalay spent 2 years clearing the rights to Sinatra's catalog, but he still has to be someone you believe to possess that voice. Would you cast one of the Big Three above? Or do you have someone else in mind?

Jay Roach's Dinner for Schmucks is adding another seat at the table for Ron Livingston; the movie also stars funny guys Zach Galifianakis, Steve Carell, and Paul Rudd. Dinner is based on the famous French movie directed and written by Francis Veber, Le dîner de cons, otherwise known as The Dinner Game, which won a César for best writing. Dinner is the story of a dining group with a rather interesting twist; they have a contest to see who can bring the biggest idiot to dinner. Soon enough, though, the guests realize their little snarky game isn't so harmless.

The question is, who will be the biggest schmuck? Carell and Rudd star, and either could be schmucky, although Carell can play dumb with a straight face pretty damn well. (He loves lamp, after all.) However, I can't picture Zach Galifianakis as a bougie dinner party guest and not a schmuck. Maybe he's a more minor schmuck? In any case, this dinner table is getting full of schmuckitude, and will give all us writers a great chance to exercise our mastery of Yiddish slang for weiners.

It's impossible to top an icon like John Wayne, but the Coen Bros' True Grit is shaping up to have a better supporting cast than the original did. (Hey, Wayne supposedly didn't like Kim Darby either.) Variety has just announced that Matt Damon and Josh Brolin are in talks to join Jeff Bridges in the Coens' remake.

Bridges will play Rooster Cogburn, while Damon is in talks to play La Boeuf, the Texas Ranger who pairs up with Cogburn and Mattie. I'll probably anger the Glen Campbell fans out there, but I think this is a vast improvement over the original casting. I can actually buy Damon as a Texas Ranger.

Brolin will be taking a walk on the nasty side, as he'll be playing Tom Chaney, the man who gunned Mattie's father down for the gold he had in his saddlebag. While Chaney wasn't the most pleasant fellow in the original, there's no doubt that Brolin will increase the menace and nastiness. I think we can all agree Brolin has done no wrong since his No Country For Old Men comeback, and this is the kind of role that'll be delicious to watch him tear into. The film is set to go into production in March 2010, and the Coens won't waste any time in the editing room as it's slated to be released in late 2010.

Last summer, it was reported that Columbia was setting up a remake of My Fair Lady and that Keira Knightley was pursuing the iconic, Cockney role of Eliza Doolittle. While Knightley has been "attached" ever since, The Telegraph reports that Scarlett Johansson was also vying for the role. But Knightley won out, and the Telegraph not only confirms that she's got the role, but that Joe Wright will be directing. Emma Thompson is writing the script.

Knightley has been taking singing lessons ever since the possibility came up (and I actually think she proved she had a good voice in The Edge of Love), and I think she'll be absolutely charming as Doolittle. But then I'm biased towards her. Even if you aren't (and I expect many "too skinny!" comments), I think the combination of Wright and Thompson pushes this into very, very promising territory. Thompson can do no wrong by me.

What will really tip the balance is who they cast as the grumpy, misogynist Professor Henry Higgins. The Telegraph reports that Daniel Craig is being considered, and he'd certainly be ideal as the grim Higgins, probably moreso than the dapper Hugh Jackman. I wouldn't mind seeing Patrick Wilson become a contender, and I half wonder if Gerard Butler's vocal chords were trotted out on Saturday Night Live as an audition. Just you wait, and practice your R's, and we'll see whose face Knightley must become accustomed to.

UPDATE: Screenrush caught up with Joe Wright, who says he never signed on, and is uninterested. Given the shakiness of the initial report, it's unclear whether Knightley's casting is official either.

It remains to be seen what Mad Max fans will think, but the businesses of Australia are excited that work on Mad Max 4: Fury Road will begin immediately, according to a story today in the Daily Telegraph. There is no confirmation as to who will be starring in the film, but it will most likely not be Mel Gibson. The likeliest candidate as of now is Sam Worthington (Terminator: Salvation) (not Tom Hardy), with Charlize Theron as the leading lady. Original Mad Max director George Miller -- who most recently gave us Happy Feet -- will once again helm.

Either way, the locals are thrilled. Some of the locations used on the previous three films, Mad Max (1979), Mad Max 2 (a.k.a. The Road Warrior) (1981) and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985), have become local attractions. The owner of one such attraction, the Silverton Hotel, said, (insert Australian accent here): "This is bloody huge. Absolutely magnificent. Silverton depends on the film industry, it survives on the film industry, and if Mad Max is going to be filmed here it's going to be just tremendous."

The production is expected to provide more than 500 local jobs and funnel tens of millions of dollars into the local economy. Pre-production begins immediately, with shooting scheduled to begin next year.

UPDATE: Watch a video after the jump of director George Miller introducing some of the vehicles being used in the new Mad Max movie, as well as addressing some of the casting rumors. According to the man himself, nothing is definitive yet and he still has a lot more people to see.

There has been talk of a live action Ghost in The Shell for some time now, and while I knew that a US remake was probably inevitable, there was still a small part of me that thought that maybe this time, we would be spared another inferior North American 're-imagining' of a pretty spectacular anime. But I guess I'm not that lucky, because Variety is now reporting that Dreamworks has just hired Laeta Kalogridis (Shutter Island) to adapt the manga for a live action 3D film, bring the film that much closer to reality.

Street Kings writer, Jamie Moss, had originally been hired to write the story of "...the exploits of a member of a covert ops unit of the Japanese National Public Safety Commission that specializes in fighting technology-related crime." But I guess Dreamworks wasn't thrilled with the final result, because now Moss is out and Kalogridis is in.

Details about the film are still pretty scarce, and there are plenty of things to decide on, but maybe the most important detail will be casting. The story of GITS is a strange and complicated one, but it all hinges on The Major. It will be crucial to find the right actress for the role if this film has a hope in hell of succeeding -- so I thought I would have a little fun and make a few suggestions to who I think could rock the Thermoptic Camouflage.

After the jump; Five ladies I think could be Major Motoko Kusanagi...