— Jonathan Lethem is a damn fine writer, but one who’s yet to be adapted on the big screen — Edward Norton was circling “Motherless Brooklyn” for ages (circa 1999), and “Maria Full of Grace” helmer Joshua Marston wrote a script for superhero Bildungsroman “Fortress of Solitude,” but neither made it out of development hell.
Now Letham’s early sci-fi novel, “Gun, With Occasional Music,” has been optioned by Gabe and Alan Polsky, producers of Werner Herzog’s “Bad Lieutenant.” The book’s been in development for close to 15 years, with the great Alan J Pakula taking an interest before his death. Maybe the Polsky’s can finally get it right?
— “Twilight” producers Imprint Entertainment are intending to remake 2002’s Korean horror hit “The Phone,” about owners of a cellphone number who are killed off mysteriously. Original director Ahn Byung-ki will helm the re-do, which will shoot in Seoul early next year. Um, haven’t we already had one of these? Wasn’t it shit, and unsuccessful?
— Emily Watson, David Wenham and Hugo Weaving have all joined the cast of British TV director Jim Loach’s feature debut, “Oranges and Sunshine,” which follows the true story of a British social worker in the 1980s who discovered that a number of children in social care had been secretly deported to Australia.
—The long-delayed Antoine Fuqua passion project “Brooklyn’s Finest” has finally debuted a trailer over at Apple. It debuted at Sundance earlier this year, to mixed reviews, and has been passed between a few distributors since. It hits theatres on March 5 next year, and the trailer looks half-decent, if a little generic.