Garner Encourages Satanism In Kids!
No, not really – the lovely, sweet and possibly saintly Jennifer Garner has merely signed on to produce and possibly star in Devil In The Junior League. The story is an adaptation of Linda Francis Lee’s novel, about a stuffy Southern socialite whose husband runs off with another woman – and all her money. She turns to a lawyer, who demands that she help his trashy wife get involved in the Junior League in exchange for his help. Not to be confused with another just-announced film, Handsome Devil, a Devil’s Advocate-type tale set in a prep school, set to be produced by MTV Films.
Del Toro’s Orphanage Picked Up For Release
Is there nothing Guillermo Del Toro can’t do? The quite stupidly talented, multilingual carrot top is now using his powers for good, to help other new filmmakers get a leg up into the business. He’s co-producer on The Orphanage from new director J A Bayona, a ghost story which has just been picked up for US distribution. It’s about a single mother and her son who move into the orphanage where she grew up, only for some invisible friends to begin manifesting through her son. Sounds a bit The Devil’s Backbone to us, and if it’s half as good let’s hope for a UK release.
McShane’s Dark Is Rising
Not some sort of innuendo – in fact, he of Lovejoy and lately Deadwood fame has signed on to star as Merriman Lyon in The Dark Is Rising, Walden Media’s adaptation of Susan Cooper’s classic fantasy novel. He’ll be playing the mysterious old man who teaches our hero, Will Stanton, about the mysterious world that lies alongside our own, and Will’s own magical destiny. We can’t possibly confirm or deny rumours that Merriman is basically Merlin. Oh, alright then, he is. But that’s not much of a spoiler – it’s an awesome story and worth looking out for, and if McShane brings a tiny fraction of that Deadwood edge it will be perfect.
Chadha’s Snogging In A Thong
Gurinder Chadha has announced her next film, and it’s set to be a return to her **Bend It Like Beckham **stylings. The snappily-titled Angus, Thongs And Full-Frontal Snogging is based on a bestselling novel by Louise Rennison, the story of a 16 year-old girl and the ups and downs of being a teenager, including all she learns about kissing. Chadha’s adapting the script, along with her fellow Beckham scribe Paul Mayeda Berges. Shooting starts on April 15; expect the title to be changed to something more American-friendly by April 16, unless they decided to go with a US-friendly alternative a la Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s / Sorceror’s Stone, and call it “Aaron, Flip-Flops And Fully-Dressed Making Out” or something.
Lukas Haas Terrorises Basinger
Long-lost star-that-never-was Lukas Haas is finally capitalising on all that Brick buzz with a role in the cast of While She Was Out, opposite Kim Basinger. Shot in real-time, the thriller sees Haas leading a gang of kids (still playing a kid, poor guy) who terrorise Basinger after she witnesses a murder. Backing him up are Stomp The Yard’s Jamie Starr, Veronica Mars’ Leonard Wu and Ocean’s Thirteen’s Luis Chavez, and it’s being directed by producing-turning-director-even-as-we-speak Susan Montford.
Underdog Trailer Online!
Well colour us excited. We’ve just seen Disney’s **Underdog **trailer, and it looks absolutely…well, really dumb, but in a good way. The trailer’s accessible through Disney.com here, but you have to jump through a hoop or two to get there (choose Disney.com, not the international version) and then you’ll need Flash Player 9. Still, it’s worth it for that Jor-El voiceover and flying salute. What a dog. What’s the betting that some Americans kick up a fuss over that tagline though?