Anna Faris is everywhere. She’s joining Robin Williams in a romantic comedy for touchstone called, “Wedding Banned.” She’ll play Williams’ daughter in a story that sounds only marginally better than the abhorrent Mandy Moore, John Krasinski vehicle, “License to Wed. ” ‘Banned’ focuses on a long-divorced couple who kidnap their daughter (Faris) on her wedding day to prevent her from making the same mistakes they did. THR says the mom has not been cast. Faris was born to do comedy, but that one sounds borderline mentally retarded.
Speaking of the actress, who still hasn’t really found the right comedic project to showcase her talents outside a few supporting roles (she was great in “Observe & Report” though fanboys defending the rape scene was hard to watch), she’s also set to star in “TMI” (that stands for too much information if you’re an adult) with rom-com cardboard cutout Ryan Reynolds. The premise is couples that share too much, well, that can be… too much information! Ugh.
Another poster for Tim Burton’s “Alice In Wonderland” starring the fey Carrot Top, errr, Johnny Depp. Someone remarked recently, can’t remember who, that every role Burton hires Depp for, he completely emasculates the actor and makes him into a pansexual-like eunuch (“Charlie & The Chocolate Factory,” “Edward Scissorhands,” “Ed Wood” etc.). It’s totally true and a good observation. Burton should make Depp straight for once or at least not such a huge fucking wuss (even in “Sleepy Hollow” or “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” he never gets it on with anyone).
“Fight Club” is coming to Blu-ray. So, for the 10th anniversary of the David Fincher film 20th Century Fox are offering free screenings of the movie in NY/LA. But maybe you’re not supposed to talk about them, isn’t that the first rule?
Paramount has bought a script by Jim Field Smith and George Kay, the writers behind the still-unreleased, “She’s Out of My League” teen comedy (ironically enough by Paramount; though apparently due March 12, 2010). Paramount won’t reveal what the story is called or what it’s about, but it’s evidently a family-oriented adventure-comedy in the vein of “Night at the Museum.” Congratulations we guess… meh.
Stephen Root, still probably best well known (and adored) for his work in Mike Judge’s “Office Space,” has joined the ensembles of two well-cast pictures. Robert Redford’s “The Conspirator” starring James McAvoy and Robin Wright Penn and the Miguel Arteta comedy, “Cedar Rapids” starring Ed Helms and John C. Reilly, plus Sigourney Weaver, Alia Shawkat (“Arrested Development”) and Anne Heche. Good on ’em, both are looking like very interesting pictures.
Hack producer Lorenzo Di Bonaventura (“G.I. Joe,” “Doom”) is at it again and is producing the action thriller “Last Stand” from writer Andrew Knauer that has been picked up on spec by Lionsgate. The film is said to have shades of “Gone in 60 Seconds” which really does it zero favors.
“Avatard” actor Stephen Lang (who was also in “Public Enemies” this summer) will join the cast of John Gray’s indie drama “White Irish Drinkers,” where he will play a tortured longshoreman according to THR.
Icelandic experimental pop star Björk and Icelandic poet and author Sjón are writing a song together for the “Moomins and the Comet Chase,” which is made by Finnish children’s movie company Filmkompaniet, and it will be coming to theaters in August/September 2010 according to Björk’s website. Though this doesn’t sounds like anything that will remotely get a large release in the U.S., so take that Aug/sept ’10 with a grain of salt. It’s the felt-puppet animated sequel to “Moomin and Midsummer Madness” which we don’t ever recall hitting theaters either (but it looks damn cute).