Nicole Kidman was supposed to star in Woody Allen’s upcoming untitled comedy that already stars Antonio Banderas, Josh Brolin, Anthony Hopkins, Freida Pinto and, fellow Australian Naomi Watts, but she’s bailed before shooting has even begun. Reasons why weren’t disclosed. Woody has until later in the summer to find a replacement. [Variety]
Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz and Robert Pattinson will star in actress Madeline Stowe’s directorial debut/passion project — a period drama titled, “Unbound Captives,” about a woman (Weisz) whose husband is killed and her two children and kidnapped by a Comanche war party in 1859. She is rescued by a frontiersman who will be played by Jackman. Pattinson will play one of her sons. Stowe wrote the screenplay herself which she was once supposed to star in. Ridley Scott was once attached to direct with Russell Crowe starring and apparently lots of studios like Fox threw large lump sums at her to buy the script years ago, but she turned all offers down because she wanted to direct. Way to hold out. [Variety]
Malcolm Gladwell’s nonfiction bestseller “Blink” was optioned by Leonardo DiCaprio’s production company months ago — how they’ll actually turn that into a film is an entirely different story. However, someone is going to try. Academy Award-winning screenwriter Stephen Gaghan (“Traffic”) will attempt to pen the script and Al Pacino is in talks to star. The popular book is an exploration into making snap judgements. It’s gonna freakin’ suck!@ [RiskyBiz]
Just in time for the Croisette. Lionsgate has released the poster for the Sundance drama “Precious” (formerly known as “Push: Based on the novel by Sapphire”) which also screens in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes this weekend. While it’s vaguely Saul Bass-ish tendencies are nice, we can only presume modern day audiences will flock in zero droves to go see this film based on this poster so expect a more basic, mainstream version to appear closer to the film’s release. Sad, but true, but you know, feel free to prove us wrong. [Cinematical]
The 12th annual Shanghai Film Festival, which runs June 13-21, will have its jury led by “Slumdog Millionaire” filmmaker Danny Boyle. Maybe this is his idea of a break instead of announcing a new project. [Variety]
Though it has yet to screen at Cannes, IFC has already acquired the U.S. rights to “Tales From the Golden Age,” a vignettes film that features a collection of shorts helmed by different Romanian filmmakers all written by Cristian Mungiu, the director behind “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days” which won the Cannes top prize — the Palme d’Or — in 2007. [THR]
Kevin Spacey will star in “Casino Jack,” which is unfortunately not at all like a “Rain Man,” version of “Tropic Thunder’s Simple Jack retard character, and instead is about disgraced Washington power broker Jack Abramoff. Boring. George Hickenlooper — the director screwed by the Weinsteins on “Factory Girl” — will direct. [Variety]