Ben and Matt are wiseguys yet again. Plagues could beat zombies in a fight. Elvis liked drugs so much he wanted to arrest them. Huh? Sherlock and Watson always and forever. Milla Jovovich has a thought, Chachi is a dad, NBC unsurprises, and Eddie Murphy won’t wear his dancing shoes for you!
Today’s Hollywood news wants you to be a team player.
Reunited And It Feels So Good: The dynamic duo of Affleck and Damon are all set to hit cinema once again in a new biopic about gangster, Whitey Bulger. Well, that’s just awesome. We’re all curious to see what these two can produce now that they’re more solid in their careers — yet have experienced a few bombs. I bet it humbles a guy when people don’t respond to you while you wear a red superhero suit, or to something no one saw or liked about some sort of Bagger Vance, magic, golf thing. So a Boston crime drama? A possible win for the “two kids who done good,” right? Affleck will direct, co-star, and produce with Damon, who’ll play Bulger, under their Pearl Street Films company. Casey Affleck will also make an appearance in a supporting role, which is a great thing since we were worried about him after Joaquin Phoenix ate his soul and made him do street performance art. So Good Will Hunting: The Gangster Days then? Probably not. It’ll be more like A lot of Long A Vowel Sounds and Scowling while Ben and Casey trade Wet Willies in each other’s ears. Fun things! [Deadline]
Ben Affleck to Take A Stand: In more Voyage of the Mimi news — oh sorry, for those of you unaware — that’s Ben Affleck news. He’s been tapped to adapt and direct The Stand, Stephen King’s huge apocalyptic novel about a virus outbreak that leads to the veritable end of man. So much work happening for the new found director. We’ve seen how he can handle tales about crime and investigation in his native Boston with skill, so it’ll be interesting to see how he’ll handle a sprawling epic written by Stephen King. Daunting to say the least, but still a vote of confidence for the actor turned director. We wish him luck. Maybe this is another reason to consult with buddy Matt Damon who’s fresh off of the movie, Contagion which, er, yeah, is about the exact same thing. Hollywood! We see what you’re doing there! You’re trying to make plagues the next zombie apocalypse! Sneaky. [Deadline]
He Ain’t Nothin But A Hound Dog? Eric Bana, who I often confuse with Christian Bale, Billy Crudup, and Jim Caviezel, will star as Elvis in an indie film about the 1970 meeting between The King and Richard Nixon. I’d say this was probably one of the strangest things to happen, ever. I can’t even fathom what these two had to discuss. Peanut butter sandwiches and tax evasion? Apparently they spent much of that time discussing whether or not Elvis could become a Federal Agent — one who would fight the war against drugs! That’s some serious irony or drug-filled delusion right there. Just what?! Anyway, Eric Bana will take his interchangeable face, stick on some sideburns, stuff himself into a jumpsuit, and prepare to make his plea to Richard Nixon, played by Danny Huston, as to why he’d make a good officer of drugs, and not you know, a user of drugs. Let’s hope they can get through this with a straight face. Wesley from The Princess Bride, (Cary Elwes) will direct. Oh, indie movies… The things you’ll do for a little Academy love.[Deadline]
No Sh** Sherlock!: Well, I suppose we shouldn’t really be surprised that Warner Bros. has set up a writer for the third installment of the Sherlock Holmes franchise before the second has even hit theaters. We shouldn’t, right? It’s not like it really matters if the second one sucks. RDJ could dress up as a very unattractive woman in the sequel while he and Jude Law skulk around London making perfunctory jokes and jibber-jabbering nearly exactly the same way as in the first movie, without there seeming to be much difference between the two. So, a third installment into “RDJ Does That Wonky Accent and Gets Into Absurd Hijinks Evermore” isn’t really a deterrent, eh? Ok. Suppose not. Also the writer, Drew Pearce, is also currently writing Iron Man 3, so he’s pretty much attached to RDJ’s hip. Hopefully he won’t get confused and have Sherlock blast some Victorian criminal with a nuclear weapon made by Stark Industries. Perhaps we won’t notice. [Deadline]
There’s A Movie About Musketeers Out Now?: Milla Jovovich, Resident Evil Zombie Hunter, is apparently upset Three Musketeers 3D didn’t do well at the box office. Really, Milla? You didn’t roll your eyes when you read the script? I certainly rolled mine when that Three Musketeers Meets the Fifth Element movie trailer dragged its overdone carcass across my television screen. Jovovich apparently took to Twitter to show her displeasure. (Also, she uses textspeak, because she’s 13)
“3 musketeers” opens in the US 2night! Do you think ppl know abt the movie? Ask your friends! Do they know it’s a fun family film?
I think “summit” hve swept “3 Musketeers”, a grt family adventure film, under the rug in the US. Shame on them. SHAME ON YOU “SUMMIT”.
She also believes Summit is “resting on their laurels” because of the Twilight franchise and “making no effort” for her film. Well, maybe. Milla, I’ll ask you. Did you just have bedboard-breaking sparkle sex that resulted in a miracle, vampire twinkle fetus? AND are millions of enraptured teenyboppers waiting for the day of your spawn’s ethereal birth? No, then well, you’ve lost the argument. Start making real movies and not adventure things with video game motifs. That’s your real problem. [Deadline]
Television News
Chachi/Charles To TV Once Again: Scott Baio, everyone’s former heartthrob turned reality show sad sack, will star in a Nick At Nite pilot called Daddy’s Home about an actor who after 10 years of starring as America’s favorite TV dad becomes a stay-at-home father to honor the deal he made with his soap-star wife so she can return to the limelight. So this doesn’t sound so bad! It’s firmly in Baio’s wheelhouse since his previous onscreen efforts including Charles in Charge and more recently, Scott Baio Is 45 and Single, Scott Baio Is 46 and Pregnant, and Confessions Of A Teen Idol, basically revolved around Baio as a parental figure to some degree. So this may not be a bad gig for him. This is Nick At Nite’s first foray into original scripted television, following in the footsteps of TV Land whose shows Hot In Cleveland, and Happily Divorced, have proved to be audience draws for former 80’s stars. We wish Baio luck in this endeavor. Could be a great thing…just you know, stay away from Buddy Lembeck (Willie Aames), still not sure what’s going on with that guy. [Deadline]
NBC to Get Wise: Movies aren’t the only things getting rebooted nowadays. Television wants in. It’s been announced that NBC will reboot Wiseguy, your mother’s favorite television show starring that hot guy, Ken Wahl, who was sorta like the grown up Richard Grieco of his day. The show was about a disgraced former cop who, while serving time in prison, cuts a deal to work undercover for time off his sentence. I don’t have high hopes. NBC’s 80’s show reboot track record has been more than a bit spotty. Remember Knight Rider and The Bionic Woman, and the failed Wonder Woman attempt? Why not just try some cool miniseries or something if you want to revisit the past? You guys haven’t really proven that you can handle the whole reboot thing. I give this idea 1 light bulb out of 5. [Deadline]
Eddie Murphy Won’t ‘Party All The Time’ During the Oscars: Murphy appeared on David Letterman last night and talk turned to his hosting duties at the Oscars next year. After Letterman asked him “Why?” with regard to doing the Oscars at all, which Eddie got a bit of a chuckle about, he said one thing he wouldn’t be doing is a big song and dance number, which he demonstrated with SONG! HA! Well, now that we know singing and dancing is out, which is a bummer, because… really, wouldn’t you love to hear Eddie launch into some hilarious, yet cutting, performance about Hollywood? Aren’t you now curious about what he will do? Personally, I’m hoping he finds a way to work his full leather outfit from Raw into the broadcast. [Deadline]
