Let’s get the trade stuff out of the way.
The notoriously rapid-fire shooter, Steven Spielberg has already completed 32 days of shooting on “Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn,” with stars Jamie Bell and Daniel Craig. Now 18 months of post-production, including new motion-capture technology will be handled by Peter Jackson at his special effects studio Weta in New Zealand. So who’s actually at the creative control helm, Jackson? Wasn’t the first film supposed to be Spielberg’s? [Variety]
Sean Penn is in negotiations with Universal to star in “Cartel,” that follows a man’s journeys to protect his son after his wife is brutally murdered in the gritty world of Mexican cartels. [Variety]
Julia Roberts is going to star in a strange-sounding comedy called “Jesus Henry Christ.” It follows a boy conceived in a petri-dish and raised by a loving, left-wing feminist. At the age of 10, he decides his mother’s love is not enough and begins to follow a trail of Post-It notes stuck around town hoping it will lead him to his biological father. [THR]
David Wain is going to try and pull off a “Role Models” sequel or a spin-0ff. [MTV]
“Green Lantern” the comic book movie character will have an “Iron Man” sense of humor when he hits the big screen. The film is set for a December 17, 2010 release, but no cast has been announced yet. [Coming Soon]
Ryan Phillippe and Malin Ackerman will play war photographers in the indie drama “The Bang Bang Club,” set in apartheid-era South Africa. [Variety]
Brett Ratner insists that his “Conan” film will not be a “homage” or a “remake.” Congratulations? [Splashpage]
Alec Baldwin is going to co-host Turner Classic Movies “Essentials” program. If you’ve ever seen him guest-starring on TCM, you know he’s great and will be a worthy addition while working with the always-great Robert Osborne. [Variety]