FILM/TV NEWS: Sophia Bush leaves "One Tree Hill"?, "Skins" Film, Sebastian Stan in "Captain America," and more

FILM NEWS
• Looks like Oliver Stone will soon take a break from making political and social statements (Wall Street, W., World Trade Center, etc.) to take on the adaptation of John D. MacDonald's detective thriller The Deep Blue Goodbye. The film, renamed Travis McGee, follows a private detective who lives on a houseboat. They describe him as a beach bum, so I'm picturing something like Fletch, except not funny. Since Leonardo DiCaprio is producing, he was naturally linked to star, but I think after Shutter Island, he should avoid typecasting. And since Stone just finished working with Shia Labeouf on the Wall Street sequel, one would assume he's in the running too. Of course, if he's not even offered the role, the press will assume Stone didn't enjoy working with him. Either way, depending on the age range they're going for, I'd recommend anyone from Tom Cruise in Collateral-mode, sans gray hair, (or Gerard Butler/Mark Wahlberg) to an unshaven Chris Pine (Star Trek).

• Speaking of DiCaprio, director Clint Eastwood and screenwriter Dustin Lance Black (Milk) have tapped him to star in the J. Edgar Hoover biopic. The film will tell the story of how he founded the FBI in 1935 until his death in 1972. "It's expected to be a warts-and-all look at the man from his success efforts in the gangland wars of the 30's, his paranoid concern about 'subversives,' his links with the Mafia and Freemasons, rumors of him being a deeply repressed gay man, and the often dirty and illegal methods he sanctioned to bring down people and organizations he considered threats." Looks like the 3-time-nominated actor is going for that Oscar gold.

• OMG! OMG! OMG! I've never been excited for the potential of a TV-to-film adaptation before (except when it comes to Buffy). I love "Arrested Development," but I don't need to see it as a film. HOWEVER, the possibility that there's going to be a "Skins" film, using characters from both sets of casts, is awesome! They even want Nicholas Hoult (Tony) to star. Oh the possibilities. The only thing that bums me out is that Joseph Dempsie (Chris) won't be in it. :( …unless they have flashbacks or dreams of him.

• When you think about all of the "dumb blondes" in Hollywood who could successfully pull-off a remake of Goldie Hawn's 1980's comedy Private Benjamin, do you think of Anna Faris (The House Bunny)? Well if you really think about it, "dumb blonde" has become her cash-cow schtick. In the original, a woman joins the army after her husband dies on their wedding night. I doubt they'll start off so glum, but I look forward to comparing Faris's performance to Goldie's.

• I'm not really a fan of Frankenstein adaptations, but since Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted and Night Watch/Day Watch) is the one reimagining the classic tale, I'll at least give the trailer a shot. In screenwriter David Auburn's (Proof and The Lake House) Casebook of Victor Frankenstein, a British medical student reanimates the body of an acquaintance. Horrified by what awakens, he abandons it and the monster takes revenge on his loved ones. And since it all takes place in the 1800s, the writer has included the famous romantic poets Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley, and even the original author Mary Shelley. I hope it's aesthetically more Sherlock Holmes and less League of Extraordinary Gentleman. But knowing Bekmambetov, it'll probably be like nothing we've ever seen before.

• Fret not "Gossip Girl" fans. Sebastian Stan's brief return to the teen series this week may have seemed like his last one (possibly because he officially broke up with Leighton Meester), but that's not the last you'll be seeing of him professionally. The 26-year-old, habitually-overlooked actor has spent most of his post-The-Covenant career playing supporting roles in indies (The Education of Charlie Banks and Spread), commercial films (Hot Tub Time Machine), and TV shows (NBC's short-lived and criminally-cancelled "Kings" and "Gossip Girl"). He's long overdue for a breakout role…and he may have just gotten one. Earlier this year he tried for the starring role in The First Avenger: Captain America. That role, as everyone already knows, went to Fantastic Four star Chris Evans. But the producers seemed to have been impressed enough with Stan to cast him as Bucky Barnes, the sidekick. The character later becomes the Soviet assassin Winter Soldier and eventually replaces the Captain when he dies. Sounds like yet another supporting role, except this time it has potential for stardom.

• There's an action comedy in the works about a police department that hires improv actors to help out on low-level stings. I don't know why, but that sounds like it could go hilariously wrong.

TV NEWS

• Sorry "One Tree Hill" fans, but it is my pleasure to announce that there's a chance that my homegirl Sophia Bush (Brooke) might soon breakaway from that unbearably annoying television series. She's signed on for the ABC family comedy pilot "Southern Discomfort." The new series is about two parents (Don Johnson from "Miami Vice" and Mary Steenburgen from "Joan of Arcadia") whose kids move back in with them. Bush will play their daughter, a recent Harvard grad who I guess is having trouble finding a job, so she returns to her Texas hometown and falls back into her old habits with her high school boyfriend. Yes, I know, that's not exactly a step up, from lead actor to supporting role, but at least I don't have to hear her whine about Julian or Alex or anyone else in that wretched universe again. Of course, Bush isn't officially free yet, not until The CW announces whether "One Tree Hill" is getting renewed. But rarely do actors sign on for another series unless they know they won't be having a job soon.

• Michael Rosenbaum ("Smallville") hasn't retired from TV just yet. He just needed a break from being bald for 7 years, and perhaps from playing the villain, since his next project has him cast as the hero...technically. In Syfy's live-action comedy "Saved by Zeroes" two former actors from a science fiction show hit rock bottom. The actor/producer told The Hollywood Reporter that he sees the series as Galaxy Quest meets HBO's "Eastbound & Down." Here's hoping it's just as funny.

• For you "Chuck" fans who are going to miss Brandon Routh once his arc on the series is finished, you'll be happy to know that he's just been added to the new TBS series "In Security." It follows two sisters (Constance Zimmer from "Entourage" and Kat Foster from "Til Death") who run a private security business protecting the elite. Can you say "love triangle"?

TRAILER: "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" Teaser

Twilight lovers don't need a trailer to get amped for the next film in the saga. But for you non-book readers and non-Robert Pattinson lovers, you might be curious as to what it has to offer.

First up, there's a new director. Why is that important? David Slade is known for two things: the horror comic adaptation 30 Days of Night, which features a more vicious breed of vampire, and the indie thriller Hard Candy, which has a whole different level of creepiness. You can already tell by the trailer that the film is going to be a lot less glossy and color-rich, and a lot more cryptic and heart-thumping.

This time the plot revolves around two threats to Bella's well-being. Not only does she have to fend off Victoria, who is still out to get her, but she also has to avoid the wrath of the Volturi, who demand for her to be turned into a vampire as previously promised. Victoria is building a young army of savage vamps, so the werewolves and the vamps have to train together in order to prepare for battle. Expect a lot of Jacob vs. Edward moments, plenty of Jacob begging Bella to change her mind, a throwdown of maximum proportions, and, best of all, a kiss between Bella and Jacob.

Dakota Fanning returns as a representative for the Volturi, Bryce Dallas Howard takes over for Rachel Lefevre as Victoria, and newcomer Xavier Samuel plays Victoria's most trusted minion Riley.

I didn't realize the film was coming out so soon (this summer, woa!), but so far I'm unimpressed with the trailer. Maybe if they incorporate some training and battle scenes, and tease the Bella-Jacob kiss, I think I might be more amped for it.


Release Date: June 30

TRAILER: "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" Adaptation

Jeff Kinney's bestselling kids' book Diary of a Wimpy Kid has been adapted into a hilarious family film that won't bore parents to tears. I haven't read the book, but the film seems to portray middle school exactly as I remember it: a bizarre mixture of age groups that make it seem like toddlers are going to school with giants, popularity segregation, big brotherly hazing (even though I'm a girl), and a definite feeling that it is indeed an "intellectual wasteland," where the funniest thing the boys could come up with was imitating the Budweiser frogs. Zachary Gordon (The Brothers Bloom) stars, alongside Rachael Harris (The Hangover), Steve Zahn, and Chloe Moretz (Kick-Ass).


Release Date: March 19th

BUZZ: Pattinson & Thurman in Bel Ami, Flowers for Algernon Adaptation, "Grey's Anatomy" spinoff, and more

FILM NEWS
• In Bel Ami, Robert Pattinson will play "a young journalist who rose from poverty to become one of the most successful men in Paris via the ruthless and calculating bedding of the city's most glamorous and influential women." I'm not sure why more cougars aren't lining up to play one of Pattinson's conquests in, but Uma Thurman, who hasn't had a hit since 2004's Kill Bill sequel, made the smart move to revive her dwindling career by signing on. I wonder if the ladies of Hollywood don't consider Pattinson worthy of their presence or if the film is so low budget, it can't afford them. Hopefully, after they've seen the trailer for his upcoming indie Remember Me, set for March 2010, they'll have a little more faith in him. It actually looks really well-acted.

• Okay, so maybe it was obvious to everyone else that Will Smith has been gunning for an Oscar for a while now, but I think it's official now that he's signed on to star and produce Daniel Keyes' classic novel Flowers for Algernon. I was forced to read that incredibly depressing book in high school, and I can tell you that it's going to tug on your heart strings. "The story centers on a mentally disabled man who is the first to undergo a surgery that is said to raise intelligence. While the operation is successful, and his IQ raises from 68 to 185, the side effects include social setbacks where he feels ostracized from society." Super super super depressing. I wish someone would give Will an Oscar already so he can get back to saving the world.

• I love when unique stories are adapted onto the big screen. Lauren McLaughlin's young-adult book series Cycler just got optioned. Her novels tell the story of "Jill, a suburban teenager who for four days each month turns into Jack, complete with male anatomy and 17-year-old-boy fantasies. Jill has maintained her life of ordinary teenage worries, such as going to the prom and dealing with a crush, but that changes when Jack, tired of being locked in his room, begins to escape, causing damage to her social life." I can already picture Ellen Page in this role. She looks very androgynous.

• Joe Wright ("Atonement," "Pride and Prejudice") might direct Hanna, an action adventure thriller about "a 14-year-old Eastern European girl who has been raised by her father to be a cold-blooded killing machine. She connects with a French family, forms a friendship with their daughter and goes through the pangs of adolescence. When the girl is dragged back to her father's world and discovers that she was bred as a killing machine in a CIA prison camp, she must fight her way to a free life." Who should play her? Hmmm, maybe Dakota Fanning. She's substantially terrifying for all five minutes she's in New Moon.

TV NEWS
• Colin Hanks has been bravely attempting to make it in this business without any help from his Hollywood dad. Unfortunately, he's yet to achieve maximum stardom through film, despite the company he keeps, which include John Malkovich (The Great Buck Howard), Jack Black (King Kong), Meg Ryan and Antonio Banderas (My Mom's New Boyfriend). Lately, he's been dipping his foot back into TV. Having had his first taste of success in '99 with the WB's "Roswell," it's familiar ground for him. Ocassionally, he's made appearances on CBS's soon to be cancelled "Numb3rs," and last year he had a brief character arc as Peggy's religious conscience on "Mad Men." Now he's heading back to TV with a FOX cop series called "Jack and Dan." The Dan in question will be played by Bradley Whitford ("Studio 60" and "The West Wing"). The series "centers on Jack, an ambitious, by-the-book detective whose habit of undermining himself has resulted in a dead-end position at the LAPD. He's partnered with Dan, a drunken, lecherous cop who hangs onto his job only because of a heroic act years before." It could have weight. It all depends on their chemistry.

• If you want even more "Grey's Anatomy," you'll be happy to know that starting in January there will be webisodes featuring several of the cast members. So far Gloria Garayua, the hispanic intern, and Brandon Scott, the black intern, are on board. Leave it to Shonda to make more opportunities for the minorities of the series. It'll be subtitled "On Call," because it will take place in their favorite hangout bar.

• Yay!!!! NBC just ordered three more episodes of the action-packed medical drama "Trauma" after it received a boost in ratings. This is why I'm a firm believer that all shows should get at least a full season to prove themselves. Some people just need the holidays to catch up on their DVR. Duh!

FILM: Children's Book Adaptations: Berenstain Bears, Yogi Bear, and Guardians of Childhood

Where the Wild Things Are's mild success may have opened the floodgates for unorthodox children's books to be adapted. Next up is William Joyce's The Guardians of Childhood, a story about a group of iconic figures (Santa Claus, Jack Frost, the Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, and Sandman), who join together to stop the Boogeyman from engulfing the world into darkness. The film is set for Christmas 2010.

Two more familiar children's characters are being adapted Garfield-style, where live action will be mixed with animation. The more familiar children's book, The Berenstain Bears, will focus on contemporary topics that are relevant to both children and parents. That sounds really ambitious. And the cartoon series Yogi Bear will be voiced by Justin Timberlake, Anna Faris, and Dan Aykroyd.

TV RECAP: CW's "Vampire Diaries" - Season 1 - Episode 1

I actually saw this new series the night it premiered, but I wanted to wait till the initial effect had worn off before I commented. After careful contemplation (lol), I've decided that I like it. Four days and 1 VMA scandal later, it's still stuck in my mind. Allow me to elaborate on why I think it has the potential to keep viewers interested:

1. It's not a full-blown adaptation. Thank god! I know that a lot of people are big fans of L.J. Smith's novel version, but I personally couldn't get through it. It has nothing to do with the writing. It was actually way more bearable than Twilight. The problem was the lead character, Elena. Instead of the awkward loner-type that Twilight-lovers are accustomed to, or the girly-yet-badass character that Buffy-lovers worship, or the overly curious and caring type that True Blood-lovers tune in for every week, readers are subjected to a popular girl whose sole agenda is to bag Stefan, the hottest guy in school, who just so happens to be a vampire, before her frenemy Caroline does. She sounded like a bitch. Why would I give a crap about her? And, since Elena is believed to be a doppelganger of Stefan's true love from the 1800s, the vampire who selfishly sired both him and his brother Damon for some sick-and-twisted eternal love triangle, she continued to lose cool points as the book progressed. Unfortunately, I stopped reading once Damon revealed himself to his brother, which was basically the end of the first episode. They did a great job of summing up everything you need to know to understand the history of these three people who seem to have intertwined fates.

2. The characters aren't boring (unlike on "Melrose Place"). Since Elena (Nina Dobrev from "Degrassi: The Next Generation") is supposed to be the object of not two, but three guys' obsessions, she has to be off-the-charts awesome. And, I'd say, she passes for interesting. For starters, her parents died in a car accident that she survived. That's pretty peculiar. (I always pray that these vampire-loving girls have some sort of dormant superpower.) She watches over her younger brother Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen, yes, that McQueen), who has a drug addiction and a seemingly unhealthy attachment to her ex-boyfriend Matt's (Zach Roerig from "Friday Night Lights") slutty sister Vicki (Kayla Ewell from "The Bold and the Beautiful"). All in all, I'm glad she isn't as vapid as her original persona dictated.

Elena's guys:

Stefan (Paul Wesley from ABC Family's miniseries "Fallen") doesn't brood (as much as most vampires). He behaves like a pretty normal teenager: flirting with girls, going to parties, and disrespecting obnoxious teachers who insensitively suggest that a student should "get over" their parents dying since it's been four months. (Asshole!) But he does have those signature deep, dark eyes, and keeps randomly appearing at her side. Honestly though, if he weren't hot, she would've maced him by now. lol


Damon (Ian Somerhalder from "Lost") is as psycho as you'd think he'd be. See, from what I read, it seems he was somewhat neglected as a child. His father favored Stefan, so he's always resented him for that. Then when he met Elena's doppelganger Katherine, he decided he'd steal her away from Stefan. He thought she was an extraordinary creature and that they were destined to be together, because they had the same dark nature, despite the fact that he was human. He was also interested in the power that comes along with living eternally and shedding the weaknesses of humanity. (He has some serious daddy issues.) So when the time came for Katherine to choose between them, she chose both, hoping they could live in harmony. It was like he wasn't enough to please her. Hating herself for coming between them, she committed suicide, and Damon vowed to make Stefan pay for it. So his basic agenda is to take Elena away from him and win "Katherine's heart" once and for all. Oh and he seems pretty eager to kill a whole lot of people in the process. Since he hasn't abstained from feeding off humans like Stefan did, he has way more powers. So far it seems he can create this hazy, disorienting fog and turn into a crow, and he's very strong and very fast. So fast that he took Stefan's ring off his finger without him noticing it. Why does that matter? That ring is the only thing that keeps them alive in sunlight.


Matt. Poor, poor Matt. lol He's been dating Elena for the longest—so long that it's as though no other girl at school exists, which sucks since Elena's bff Bonnie (Katerina Graham) is very sweet to him. Matt is your quintessential boy-next-door with the budding high school sports career. He's cute, caring, and protective. What's not to like? Well, apparently everything, since Elena pretty much said she only dated him because it seemed like the logical step once they became friends. While normally I would agree with that, she made it seem completely illogical. Passion is what should drive a relationship, not tolerance. Some would say that's why Twilight's Bella should be with Edward and not Jacob. If Matt had heard that statement, I'm sure he would've shattered into a million pieces. He seems extremely sensitive. So sensitive, in fact, that instead of shunning Stefan from their inner circle, he introduced himself and addressed his jealousy solely to Elena when he privately confronted her about pretending she didn't want a relationship. Wow! That's really mature. If this were "The O.C." or "90210," someone would've gotten punched in the face. Then again, it was just the first episode, and I'm sure he can't be patient forever. There are too many hormones running through him like a freight train.

Elena's friends:
• Caroline (Candice Accola) is the resident bitch. She's no Naomi ("90210") or even Blair ("Gossip Girl"), because she has this air about her that would suggest she's totally innocent. Maybe it's the blonde hair or maybe it's the fact that her ever-increasing jealousy of Elena—in a totally Marsha-Marsha-Marsha fashion—is understandable when, not one but, three of the hottest guys in town are after her. But from the last scene she was in, it would seem that she'll regret wishing for attention when Damon takes an interest in her. However, I think she'd jump at the chance to become a vamp, since she's so hellbent on being eternally adored.

• Bonnie is actually one of the most interesting characters, because in the book she kept having psychic premonitions, but she wasn't aware that she was having them. It's like we're watching her come into her powers.

• Tyler (Michael Trevino from "90210") is the resident "bad boy," who uses and abuses girls. In the pilot, he tried to rape Vicki in the woods, despite the fact that they'd been having consensual sex all summer. Apparently, drunk Tyler is even more of a douche than sober Tyler. After Jeremy comes to her rescue, she walks off into the woods to get away from them both. Vicki took pity on and advantage of Jeremy after his parents died. Scoring drugs from him in exchange for sex, and now he's addicted to both so he can numb the pain. If it wasn't for Tyler, Damon couldn't have attacked Vicki in the woods and she wouldn't have told her brother that a vampire bit her. That could stir up some trouble. Or, if Stefan's lucky, they'll just chalk it up to the drugs and alcohol in her system. Fingers crossed.

3. Production doesn't look like it was worth $5 (unlike Twilight). Vamping-out is always crucial to a vampire series's credibility. "True Blood" got railroaded for having teeth protrude with a sound effect that was akin to clicking a retractable pen. But the fans forgave the series, since it made up for it by being too funny and too suspenseful to hate. I actually like the way they vamp-out in this series. The veins around Stefan's eyes pulsate and his pupils seem to get darker. Creepy and awesome.

4. The tone wasn't over-the-top. A lot of fantasy shows run the risk of being kitschy, but since this was created by the writers and producers behind Scream and "Dawson's Creek," it had the perfect mixture of real drama and the supernatural.

While I do seem to love it so far, I still have a few concerns:

1. Why did they add the human "nephew" character Zach (Chris William Martin), who watches over Stefan's house? In the book, it was some old lady. I don't think either are necessary. I guess I'm just afraid Damon's going to kill him. lol

2. I think it's lame that they'd change her middle-aged Aunt Jenna to a young college student who has no time to actually watch over her. They probably lowered her age so that she can later get paired off with one of the other characters. Hopefully, not Stefan's nephew, or even worse Damon.

3. I really like that Damon is so blase about how much pain he's about to inflict on Stefan. It makes me like him a lot...almost as much as I love Chuck ("Gossip Girl"). I was especially amused by how he mocked Stefan's failed attempt to attack him with a sound effect that sounded like a cat getting run over. Beyond funny. So, next week when he goes all uber psycho on him, tempting him like he's working for the devil, I'm afraid he might turn me off. I like relaxed and vindictive Damon. I don't want him to become a caricature of a bad guy, all huffy-and-puffy like he's trying to blow someone's house down.

Next week Damon introduces himself to Elena and tells her a little too much about Stefan, while Stefan figures out a way to keep Vicki quiet...without sucking the life out of her.

BUZZ: District 9 at #1, Downey Jr. as Lestat, and more

• After rave reviews, it's no wonder that District 9 came in at #1 with $37 mil. But, of course, we'll only know of its true success after the second week, once non-critic word gets around. The Time Traveler's Wife managed to debut at #3 with a flimsy $19 mil. It irritated me to no end every time it previewed before a film I went to go see, but I thought girls would lap it up. Unfortunately, not even critics were impressed. Has Rachel McAdams lost her appeal? Regardless, I'm sure after moviegoers see her in Sherlock Holmes, people will remember why they fell in love with her. Speaking of lowered profiles, Jeremy Piven's star is seriously dimming. His comedy The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard died hard with a $5 mil open at #6. Alas, nothing tanked bigger than Vanessa Hudgens' Bandslam, which debuted at #12 with $2 mil, and it wasn't even a limited release. Ouch! Oddly enough, the critics thought the writing was rather refreshing. Nonetheless, that was Hudgens' first forray into non-High School Musical territory. Hopefully, this won't affect the open of her next lead role in the teen fantasy romance Beastly. A real indie, Ashton Kutcher's Spread, opened in less than a hundred theaters (and with much less critic approval), grossing $117,000. Meanwhile, G.I. Joe managed to hang in at #2 with $99 mil, and Julie & Julia slid down to #4 with a decent $43 mil. The horror thriller A Perfect Getaway, however, freefell out of the top 10, retiring with less than $12 mil.

• Apparently, vampires are so hot right now, even Robert Downey Jr. is getting in on the genre. There are rumors floating around that the Anne Rice series is about to get rebooted, and Downey Jr. is in the running for Lestat. If Tom Cruise ever needed a bigger sign that he was becoming increasingly irrelevant, he's about to get one. It's been fifteen years since the first movie in Rice's Vampire Chronicles was made, and seven since Stuart Townsend debuted as Lestat in The Queen of the Damned. There's no word on whether the series will be rebooted completely or if they'll continue the saga with the third book, The Tale of the Body Thief. But if Downey Jr. signs on to restart the franchise, he'll have three iconic characters that he'll be contractually obligated to preform for the next five to ten years: Iron Man, Sherlock Holmes, and Lestat, which leaves no room for indies or dramatic roles that don't involve fantasy. Heck, he won't even have time to just make us laugh like he did in Tropic Thunder, or better yet Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. I'm not too keen on that. Two is enough.

• Eric Bana is reportedly uninterested in reprising his role in Star Trek or Hulk, because he's more interested in doing a Mad Max remake. However, I think reusing him as a villain in the Star Trek sequel would be a bad idea. He was good, but having an unknown, mysterious villain is way more enticing than revisiting the same vendetta. Besides, it's not like he's as ominous and intimidating as say....Darth Vader. (I'm kidding. I know that's Star Wars.)

• Uhh, apparently Bradley Cooper isn't the only one benefitting from the super stardom status of The Hangover. Ed Helms was just tapped for a film that sounds awfully similar to NBC's "Chuck." In the action comedy Central Intelligence, an accountant is "thrown into the world of international espionage after reconnecting with an old friend through Facebook." We'll see if he can carry a film on his own or if it'll be a major flop. I think it's too soon for him to go out on his own, but I applaud him for having the balls to.

• USA is greenlighting yet another spy series called "Covert Affairs" that'll star Christopher Gorham ("Ugly Betty") and Piper Perabo (Coyote Ugly). It's about a multilingual CIA trainee (Perabo) who joins the agency and is still reeling over a mysterious ex-boyfriend who appears to be of particular interest to her bosses. Gorham will play a blind CIA military agent who'll help her navigate her new job.

• What would you do if you could start over? In Allison Winn Scotch's novel, Time of My Life, a woman is given the opportunity to redo her life. She wakes up seven years in the past without her husband and baby girl. Will she choose to do it all over again or forgo the white-picket-fence future? Hmm, sounds like a job for Reese Witherspoon.

TRAILERS: "I Hope They Have Beer in Hell" & Timberlake's "The Open Road"

I Hope They Have Beer in Hell
Plot: Tucker decides to take an impromptu trip to celebrate his friend's bachelor party. He drags his friend into a lie with his fiancée, gets him into trouble and then abandons him in order to pursue a carnal interest. Tucker is disinvited to the wedding, and in order to get back in, Tucker has to find a way to balance his narcissism with the demands of friendship.
Pre-View Opinion: I'm not expecting a lot from a movie with this title, especially since I didn't read the book.
Post-View Opinion: I really had high hopes for Matt Czuchry. He wasn't exactly the ideal romantic lead on "Gilmore Girls," but he definitely had a certain charm. He then became a little less appealing when he tried to steal Lyla away from Riggins on "Friday Night Lights." But now he's portraying a womanizing troublemaker in this adaptation of Tucker Max's scandalous novel. This isn't exactly where I thought his career would end up. The only thing that saves him is the promising law drama he has this fall season on CBS, "The Good Wife," where he plays a competitive up-and-comer. The worst part of this trailer is that he's teamed up with Jesse Bradford, who's been flying under the radar ever since 2002's Swimfan, and Geoff Stults, whose biggest credit to date is ABC's canceled drama "October Road." Of course, we've seen this summer with Hangover that a barely noteworthy cast doesn't automatically tank a film. But while this film has a very similar plot with slightly different characters, and even has the potential of playing to a slightly younger crowd, it doesn't really scream "hilarious moments streamed together." And to be honest, while Bradford is his reliably sour self, Czuchry just doesn't fly as a prick.
Release Date: September 25


The Open Road
Plot: Carlton, the son of the baseball legend Kyle Garrett (Jeff Bridges), goes on a road trip with his female best friend (Kate Mara from We Are Marshalls and Shooter) to bring his estranged father to his mom before she goes into heart surgery.
Pre-View Opinion: Justin Timberlake in yet another movie? Hmm. I think at this point singers have figured out that they can make more money if they transition to film. But Timberlake has shown a certain knack for comedy, and he'll continue to showcase that talent this fall when he makes sporadic guest appearances on "SNL," so this is clearly not just a payday for him. However, despite the fact that he's starred in five films, I've only seen one: Alpha Dog. He wasn't half-bad, but his performance wasn't good enough for me to flock to theaters to see Southland Tales, Black Snake Moan, Shrek the Third, or The Love Guru. (Especially not the Love Guru.) So I reserve the right to not have high hopes for this film.
Post-View Opinion: I dunno. Bridges was on-point as usual, and he had good chemistry with Timberlake, but since I'm accustomed to the musical spoof master who gives you 110%, this mellow and frustrated version that's only giving me 30% of the funny is kind of lackluster. I guess if you really want to watch a father-and-son movie, it'll appeal to you just fine.
Release Date: August 28

FILM: Cage Villain for Green Hornet?, Galifianakis & Downey Jr., Bardem Bails on Labeouf, and more

• Nicholas Cage might play the gangster villain in Seth Rogen's Green Hornet, while Cameron Diaz is rumored to be cast as a reporter slash love interest. I think if Seth wants anyone to take his film seriously, he's going to have to pick someone a little more terrifying than a balding, over-the-hill, action star on the verge of Steven Seagal status. They're also in search of someone to play the sidekick role of Kato. Would it be racist to suggest John Cho? I mean, he did kick some ass in Star Trek.

• I thought Denzel Washington dropped out of Tony Scott's runaway train drama Unstoppable because it was too similar to his recent box office bomb Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, but it turns out "the project hit a speed bump when the studio insisted the budget be cut back to $90 million, with Washington to cut $4 million from his salary." But after more negotiations, which basically means they caved and gave him his salary, he agreed to play the role of a veteran engineer who jumps into a locomotive with a young conductor (Star Trek's Chris Pine) to stop an unmanned runaway train loaded with toxic cargo. So then it seems repetition really isn't a problem for him.

• I guess Javier Bardem isn't going to go toe-to-toe with Shia Labeouf in Oliver Stone's Wall Street sequel. Because of scheduling conflicts, he dropped out. I hope that's not code for "the plot sucks." At first, I thought it was weird for Bardem to play a hedge fund manager, but now I can't picture anyone better for the role—anyone more terrifying as a villain. However, Josh Brolin is now attached. Hmm, we'll see how that works out.

• Pirates of the Caribbean will start a new trilogy with the fourth film in the saga. Johnny Depp is on board for as many as they want to do, but Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom have opted out of the saga. I can't wait to see what they come up with, because I was under the impression that they were going to find a way to free Will from the ship that brings the dead to hell. That would've been awesome, but I guess not. The other plot they could pursue is Jack's search for the Fountain of Youth, which was marked on the map they showed at the end of the last film. Oooh, if he finds it, he can stay young enough to encounter the grown-up child of Will and Elizabeth, which could have been easily conceived on the night of their impromptu, mid-brawl wedding. That would be pretty cool...especially if it was a girl. If Amy Adams or Ginnifer Goodwin (He's Just Not That Into You) did it, they could be like a lady turned pirate, just like their mom. They could even go younger with Emma Roberts (Nancy Drew). Just don't go tooo sexy like with Megan Fox. There's no way Keira could pop her out. lol They could even make it that Elizabeth had fraternal twins, so that there could be a male Turner, played by the likes of Ben Barnes (Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian) or Christopher Egan ("Kings"). The possibilites are endless.

• Zach Galifianakis is riding his Hangover-high. He scored a co-starring role in the road trip comedy Due Date. Robert Downey Jr. will take a break from explosions and combat to play "an expectant father who finds himself on a road trip with a mismatched partner, as he races to get there before the birth of the child." Wild and disturbing things are sure to happen with Zach around.

• Jenna Dewan has been cast in the the comic adaptation Magdalena, the story of the descendant of Mary Magdalene, a protector of the Catholic Church. Finally, Dewan gets a job post-Step Up. For a second there I thought she resigned herself to being Mrs. Channing Tatum.

• I think Josh Gad (The Rocker) is really funny. In fact, I think he was the funniest character on Kelsey Grammer's short-lived comedy "Back to You." However, I don't quite understand how he can play Jake Gyllenhaal's little brother in the drama Love and Other Drugs. I just...don't see the resemblance.

• Check out this insanely awesome plot: In Vivian Schilling's thriller novel Sacred Prey, "a loan shark kills a man he believes duped him, only to wake up and find himself in the body of that man three days before the murder. He then must undertake a furious effort to prevent the murder he committed." Woa! When it's adapted, it'll be under a new title, so keep a look out.

FILM: Meet the New Characters of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

There are some new and more prominent faces in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and I thought this list would be a nice precursor to the film for all you Pott-heads:

22-year-old Jessie Cave will play Lavender Brown, Ron's new love interest, and Hermione's competition.

22-year-old Freddie Stroma will play Cormac McLaggen, an obnoxious member of the Slug Club, Professor Slughorn's elite club, who competes against Ron for the position of Keeper and later takes Hermione to the Christmas party, so she can make Ron jealous.


17-year-old Anna Shaffer will play Romilda Vane, the girl who crushes on Harry so hard she spikes chocolates with a love potion to seduce him, but ends up seducing Ron instead, which ultimately leads to his near-death experience.


Alfie Enoch will reprise his role as Dean Thomas and become a thorn in Harry's side as Ginny starts to date him.

18-year-old Scarlett Byrne will play Pansy Parkinson, Malfoy's devoted love interest.


19-year-old Georgina Leonidas will play Katie Bell, who is almost killed by Malfoy as he performs the Dark Lord's orders.


10-year-old Hero Fiennes-Tiffin, Ralph Fiennes' (Lord Voldemort) nephew, will play young Tom Riddle...very convincingly. lol

TRAILER: Martin Scorsese's "Shutter Island"

As usual with a Martin Scorsese + Leonardo DiCaprio collaboration, we're thrust into a period piece filled with suspense and intrigue. In this mystery thriller set in 1954, DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo play U.S. Marshalls investigating a missing mental patient (Emily Mortimer from Lars and the Real Girl) on Shutter Island. But once they infiltrate the estate, they start to uncover the secrets of the hospital. I think the fact that Ben Kingsley runs the hospital is cause for suspicion alone. Michelle Williams (Brokeback Mountain) plays DiCpario deceased wife and Jackie Earle Haley (The Watchmen) plays a wild patient. Dennis Lehane, who wrote the novel the film is based on, also wrote Gone Baby Gone and Mystic River. The trailer is soooooo creepy.

TRAILER: The Time Traveler's Wife

Bruce Joel Rubin (Ghost) adapted Audrey Niffenegger's novel, who sure does have a knack for bringing people to tears. The book is about the love between a librarian (Eric Bana from Star Trek) who travels involuntarily through time due to a genetic disorder, and an artist (Rachel McAdams from The Notebook) who spends her entire life waiting for him to appear to her. He only travels to points in time where she exists, whether she is ten years old or forty. My favorite part of the trailer is when she says that ever since the first time he introduces himself to her, she's been waiting for him to appear. While he does spend every moment with her, it's not in sequential order. So when she needs him, like at their wedding and the day their child is born, it's hard for him to guarantee he'll be there. Heartbreaking.

FILM REVIEW: Away We Go

Last year, I saw Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist with no expectations. I figured it was just another teen movie that I'd find remotely amusing. I left the theater with a feeling of inspiration--inspired to love, to take a chance, to go out into the night and spend countless hours really getting to know someone and bonding over a common passion.

This year, I went to see Away We Go with only one goal: revel in two hours of John Krasinski's ("The Office") presence. I left feeling envious of Burt (Krasinski) and Verona's (Maya Rudolph from "SNL") love, which seemed to have no discernible beginning and no forseeable end. They traveled the states searching for a place they could call home, a place to begin their family. What they found wasn't just new surroundings but an array of family settings. There was the hippie lifestyle of communal beds and toddler breastfeeding, the white trash lifestyle of over-criticizing your kids and considering "a day at the dog track" family-time, the mixed household of adopted children as a result of infertility, and the single dad who was abandoned by his wife. Exploring all of their options and evaluating the different lifestyles they could adapt into their own new family leads to an interesting ending.

Verona maintained that she would never marry Burt. She didn't want to have a ceremony that her deceased parents couldn't attend. They agreed to be committed to each other in every other way, and so they would have the modern lifestyle of an unwed, mixed-race family. But after being exposed to:
• an obsessive mother (Maggie Gyllenhaal from The Dark Knight) who refused to use a stroller because "pushing" her child away from her was against her hippie-loving beliefs,
• a negligent mother (Allison Janney from "The West Wing") who finds fault in everything her children do and in what they look like,
• a big-hearted mom (Melanie Lynskey from "Two and a Half Men") who must suffer through countless miscarriages while the undeserving birth children effortlessly,
• and a selfish mother who would abandon her daughter,
the most important aspect of their relationship was a promise--not just to love each other as marriage vows tend to verbalize but--to be the best parents they could be, to not overthink their upbringing and indoctrinate them into rigid beliefs, to not crush their spirits and inflate their insecurities, and to never ever take them for granted. They essentially made their own vows and had an impromptu, unofficial, but undeniably romantic, commitment ceremony. The best love stories are the ones you envy, the ones you aspire to have one day, and director Sam Mendes (American Beauty and Jarhead) succeeded in grounding us in reality, while providing a healthy dose of fantasy and hope.

This is normally the part where I name all of my favorite moments, but if I did, I'd be reciting the entire film. lol Just watch it. It'll have you laughing, crying, and envying in no time.

FILM: Hirsch as Hamlet, Labeouf & Bardem, Olsen & Hudgens, and more

Here are a list of upcoming adaptations, remakes, and sequels:

• Director Robert Luketic (21) has taken over the Barbarella remake in light of the fact that Robert Rodriguez and his leading lady/lover Rose McGowan were practically fired. Now the question is who will play the buxom blonde. My vote is for Scarlett Johansson or Christina Hendricks (Joan on "Mad Men"). But if someone gets Jessica Simpson some more acting lessons, I might consider her for the role.

• Taraji P. Henson, who was nominated for an Oscar for her work in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, has become the new go-to African American female. She's been tapped to play Jaden Smith's mom in The Karate Kid remake, which has been dubbed Kung Fu Kid. A few other projects she has in the works are: the drama Hurricane Season with Forest Whitaker, the comedy Peep World with Sarah Silverman and Rainn Wilson ("The Office"), the Tyler Perry comedy I Can Do Bad All by Myself, the crime drama Once Fallen with Ed Harris (A History of Violence), and the star-studded rom-com Date Night with Tina Fey and Steve Carrell.

• Amanda Bynes just might be getting some interesting material to work with for once. Her next film is the teen comedy Easy A, where she'll actually tread some new territory by playing the Queen B. Emma Stone (The House Bunny and The Rocker) stars as "a high school student who is victimized by a false rumor that she lost her virginity, until she exploits the rumor mill for her own benefit, pitting puritanical students and teachers against their liberal counterparts, and becomes wildly popular." It's supposed to be a modernization of the Scarlett Letter, however, I'm sure if the author had written it like this, students would actually read it. Also starring are Penn Badgley ("Gossip Girl"), Lisa Kudrow, Thomas Haden Church, Stanley Tucci, and Cam Gigandet (Twilight). Fingers crossed that Badgely plays the douche and Gigandet plays the sweet guy in the spirit of Bynes's image remodeling.

• In another contemporary adaptation, Emile Hirsch is set to play a modern day Hamlet. I was never assigned (or inclined) to read that classic, but apparently it's about "a young man burdened with the decision of whether to take revenge on his father's killer (his own uncle)." Woa! It'll be interesting to see what Hirsch does with the role, but even more interesting to see if director Catherine Hardwicke can redeem herself and return to her Thirteen days of reverence, which were tainted by the below par results of Twilight. Hopefully, screenwriter Ron Nyswaner's (Philadelphia) involvement will elevate its credibility.

• When I first heard that they were remaking 1983's Valley Girl, a teen comedy about a punk who goes to the prom with a popular girl, the first thing I thought of was: dream casting? Think about it. It's an opportunity to combine two actors who wouldn't normally star in the same movie together. Let's see? They have to be relatively similar in age, so...if they cast older I'd say the grossly underrated Martin Starr (Adventureland) and Brittany Snow (Finding Amanda and John Tucker Must Die). But if they were shooting for seemingly age-appropriate, I'd say Ashley Tisdale or Hayden Panettierre and...*gasp* Rupert Grint (Harry Potter) or Ed Westwick ("Gossip Girl"), or Josh Peck (The Wackness), or...any suggestions?

• If I were Shia Labeouf, I'd be terrified. He's set to star opposite Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men) in the Wall Street sequel. Forget the fact that Michael Douglas is reprising his role as the infamous Gordon Gekko, Labeouf, who plays a young trader engaged to his daughter, has to hold his own against Bardem's looming figure. Bardem will play a hedge fund manager who may have "inspired" Labeouf's mentor to commit suicide. Again, I would be afraid if I were him. The film will take place in the second half of 2008, when the effects of the recession were barely visible, but plainly foreseable. Could be interesting.

• One Olsen has sworn off acting all together, while the other signed on for a film starring Vanessa Hudgens (High School Musical). Hmm, which is the smarter Olsen? Mary-Kate will play a girl who puts a curse on an egomaniac (Alex Pettyfer of Stormbreaker) in the teen remodeling of Beauty and the Beast dubbed Beastly. The curse transforms him into everything he despises. It should be quite the spectacle.

FILM: Fey & Wahlberg; "Eat, Pray, Love" Adapted; "Little Shop of Horrors" Remake, and more

• Leslie Mann is probably (and unfortunately) best known for having roles in her husband, Judd Apatow's testosterone-filled films, but now she's teaming up with Elizabeth Banks for her own buddy film. It's based on the Barbara Davilman and Liz Dubelman novel What Was I Thinking?, a compilation of "worst ex-boyfriend" stories. Banks will play a jilted bride and Mann will play a woman who just can't find the one. Two other female roles of supportive bffs need to be cast. Let's see. Two actresses who are B-list enough not to outshine the leads, but are damn funny? Perhaps, Kristin Wigg (Adventureland), who's subtly hilarious, Maya Rudolph (Away We Go), who's yet to make us laugh outside of "SNL," Sandra Oh ("Grey's Anatomy"), who has a knack for deadpan humor, and Becki Newton ("Ugly Betty"), whose wily personality deserves big screen exposure. Who would you cast?

• The first High School Musical was loosely based on Grease, so the fourth one, which won't feature the main actors of the original, will be based on West Side Story. It follows lovebirds from rivals East High and West High. Hmm, I wonder if there'll be knives involved. lol

• Ok so, if I were Tina Fey--overflowing with power and clout--and I got to pick a hunky guy to flirt with me in a movie, I'd totally choose Mark Wahlberg. Great minds think alike! Wahlberg is rumored to be joining Fey and Steve Carrell in what sounds like a romantic action comedy called Date Night, where a married couple fail miserably at trying to have their weekly night-out-on-the-town because of several misunderstandings and odd occurrences. Wahlberg plays a hot security expert who flirts heavily with Fey, and, to add to the hilarity, James Franco plays a petty con man, Kristin Wiig (Adventureland) plays her bff, and Leighton Meester ("Gossip Girl") plays her babysitter. (It's like the producers shook a bag full of Hollywood types and pulled out names randomly. lol)

• If you find Elizabeth Moss as amusing on "Mad Men" as I do, then you might want to catch her in Get Him to the Greek, where she'll play Jonah Hill's repressed doctor girlfriend. The film is about a record company lackey who has to get a rock star, played by British comedian Russell Brand, to a specific location. Rose Byrne ("Damages") will play Brand's ex-girlfriend, a Courtney Love-type rocker.

• Elizabeth Gilbert's food-inspired memoir, Eat, Pray, Love, is being adapted into a film that'll star Julia Roberts. It's about a woman "who seemingly has it all but comes to the realization that life isn't for her. After a painful divorce, she sets out on a journey of self-discovery around the world."

• X-Men: Wolverine won't be the last spinoff of the saga. A film focusing on the younger generation, subtitled First Class, will chronicle the beginnings of the original team, following young Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Beast. I think the most interesting bit of news concerning this spinoff is that they've tapped "Gossip Girl" creator Josh Schwartz to write the script. He's become the go-to for tolerable teen content. I just wonder if they intend on slipping in any mean girls into the high school-set world of mutants. Can't wait to see who they cast! I know they kind of already have a young Cyclops (newcomer Tim Pocock) in Wolverine, but what about Matt Long for First Class, and maybe Odette Yustman (Cloverfield) or Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Live Free or Die Hard) for Jean?

• Megan Fox seems to have a knack for the adrenaline-pumping and eerie roles. She has the horror comedy Jennifer's Body this fall and the action thriller Jonah Hex next summer. Soon she'll start shooting the action adventure Ironclad and the crime thriller The Crossing. I think the latter will be her first non-big-budget, studio-hawked film. It's about a woman who has to smuggle heroin across the border in order to free her kidnapped husband--expect a lot of crying, begging, and then an 11th hour turnaround where she kicks somebody's ass. Hmm, since Michelle Rodriguez won't be in the next Fast & Furious--yes, there's going to be a 5th one--I think they should add Megan. It might seem beneath her, but car porn was practically invented for girls who look like her. Hell, she can talk and walk at the same time, which is more than I can say for most of the girls in that franchise. *cough*Gal Gadot*cough*

• Little Shop of Horrors is the sole reason I visit the dentist maybe once every three years. (No worries, my doc says my teeth are awesome.) But I just can't imagine anyone else striking that fear into my heart besides Steve Martin and Rick Moranis (who's been stuck on voice-over duty for more than 10 years, but will finally return to the big screen when Ghost Busters gets revived in 2012). Unfortunately, some Hollywood douche has decided that not only does he want to retell the story of a mild-mannered florist who discovers a singing, carnivorous plant that feeds on human blood (and flesh), but he plans on taking it in a "different direction." Why don't you just write original content and leave this masterpiece alone? Honestly, I don't think you should be allowed to remake a movie unless all of the main actors are dead or it really sucked. For example, Pirates of the Caribbean? No. Nim's Island? Yes!

• Speaking of funny murder plots, you know how everyone thinks Reese Witherspoon is super sweet and super cute? Well, she's about to mock the hell out of that notion when she stars in the crime comedy Nice. It's about a magazine writer who accidentally kills her boyfriend, then realizes it's easier to kill them than break up with them. Ohhh the amount of women that will flock to the theaters is unimaginable. lol

TV REVIEW: HBO's "The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency"

I wasn't planning on liking this series. Sometimes the roles African Americans are cast in can be a bit cartoonish. But it's damn near impossible not to like the main character of this unorthodox detective series adapted from Alexander McCall Smith's novel. R&B singer Jill Scott (Why Did I Get Married?) plays Precious, the only female detective in Botswana (and possibly Africa). Ever since she was a kid, learning the ways of her people, she's wanted to solve crimes. Once her father passed away and left her his lucrative land and herd, she sold everything, moved to the "city," and opened her own agency.

So no, it's not anything like "CSI" or even "Monk." It's more like a toned-down "Burn Notice," if Michael was a sweet-talking black woman, who found a new lease on life after her ex-husband's abuse caused her to miscarry. She's generous, selfless, and creative with her limited resources. Heck, she's so hellbent on helping others that she doesn't even charge half of her clients. But despite how harmless, innocent and defenseless she may look, she's actually ballsy enough to stand up to one of the most dangerous men in Botswana and seduce a married man to prove he's an adulterer.

Her partner slash secretary, Grace (Anika Noni Rose from Dreamgirls), serves as most of the comic relief. She's abrasive, stiff, proud, insecure, and secretive. She goes home to an unidentified, couch-ridden man, who cares enough to ask her how her day was, but quarrels with her for rejecting payment until the agency actually makes money. There's surely a backstory there that'll be blown wide open later.

The other cast of characters are an encouraging, gay hairdresser; a lovable mechanic, who wants to marry her; a crooked, ambulance-chasing lawyer; and an enterprising child, who's always eager to make an honest buck.

The two-hour premiere seemed fast-paced. But the second episode was slower, which is a good thing, since sometimes it's hard to keep track of all the cases she's working on simultaneously. All in all, though, it's really amusing and interesting to see what types of cases would arise in Botswana as opposed to Miami. While there are the classic clients who seek a P.I. to tail their cheating husbands, there are also missing children taken by voodoo priests who sell their fingers; twin dentists, who botch surgeries because they share one medical license; do-gooders who pretend to lose fingers on the job to use the workman's comp to fund daycares and playgrounds; and men suspected of being kidnapped by cults, but who were actually snatched up by a gator during a routine river baptism. You won't find many of these on "Law & Order," but you will be just as intrigued.

Scott does an impeccable job for her first lead role, and Rose has a true knack for comedy. But the question, as always, is whether or not this is a one-season wonder or if it has "Dexter"/"Sopranos"-type staying power. The fact is the title doesn't exactly attract the male masses, and the posters--not to mention the, dare I say it, all-black cast--won't exactly attract a majority of middle America. I like it. I wanted to see more after watching three hours straight. But I doubt it'll be able to compete with "Desperate Housewives," where the "cases" are scandalous, drawn-out mysteries for the viewers to solve.

FILM: Camilla Belle as "Mary," Nispel's "Immaculate Conception," & Scorsese's "Silence"

While most people are amazed by the twin productions of mall cop-related comedies (Paul Blart and Observe & Report) and Sherlock Holmes mysteries (Guy Ritchie's and Judd Apatow's), I'm a little more concerned about the sudden popularity of Jesus Christ's mom. What, is it the anniversary of her insemination?

Yesterday, I read that Camilla Belle was tapped to play the lead in Mary, Mother of Christ. I'm not really sure which is worse: dating a Jonas Brother or carrying the burden of pretending to be pure for however long it takes to shoot and promote this film. Well at least religious people will take comfort in knowing that the role of Lucifer will be played by a professional sinner, Tudors' Jonathan Rhys Meyers. However, he'll double-up and sport Gabriel's wings too, which'll be interesting to watch for all us non-zealots.

Speaking of the sinfully inclined, chances are we're they're more likely to see Marcus Nispel's sci-fi-ish Immaculate Conception. He plans to film the story of a girl who thinks her pregnancy is a phenomenon, but is surprised to learn that it was actually a religious experiment conducted by a group who used a rusty old nail (off of Jesus' crucifix) to harvest the DNA on it within her. My only concern is what they plan on doing if it's not the blood of Christ...not that that they could prove otherwise.

Thankfully, Martin Scorsese isn't a trend-follower. But he does know a profitable or amiable climate when he sees one. He's on the verge of casting a religious film that he's been developing for a while called Silence. As usual, he was able to score some big names: Daniel Day-Lewis, Benicio Del Toro, and possibly Gael Garcia Bernal. The film will be an adaptation of Shusaku Endo's novel, which is "set in the 17th century as two Jesuit priests face violence and persecution when they travel to Japan to locate their mentor and to spread the gospel of Christianity." Soooo...no shooting then?

FILM REVIEW: Confessions of a Shopaholic

Girl meets the boy of her dreams, spends most of the movie wooing him or getting wooed, overcomes trust barriers, then lives happily ever after—that’s the rom-com formula. But lately a trend has been brewing where a romantic comedy has a different type of love at the forefront of its plot, while the romantic-type sizzles on the backburner. While Bride Wars proposed a plot about the love between two best friends, Shopaholic unveils a love for fashion.

Devil Wears Prada may have coveted couture and Sex and the City may have worshiped it, but Shopaholic charged it on three overdrawn credit cards and traded a kidney for it. Nothing stands between Rebecca Bloomwood (Isla Fisher from Definitely, Maybe) and a sale—not even a guy. While some feminists may perceive the film’s materialistic theme to be condescending and degrading, it’s actually quite empowering to imagine a world where a girl’s life doesn’t revolve around who she’s going to marry. Rebecca is presented to us with a solid personality. She isn’t defined by the kind of guy she likes or the kind that likes her. Not once in the entire film are we introduced or informed of someone she dated or someone who wants to date her. She isn’t a sex object. She’s a style icon…a fiend actually.

While romance is a factor in her life and an option, her appeal doesn’t come from her cleavage or even (gasp) her tailor-fit clothes. Luke Brandon (Hugh Dancy from The Jane Austen Book Club) falls for her creativity. Eager to escape the superficiality of his wealthy upbringing, he’s immune to her gaudy appearance. And while she isn’t totally blind to how handsome he is, she wasn’t sold on it either. What clinched it for him was his confidence in her and his ability to act as her proverbial ruby red shoes, providing comfort whenever anxiety works through her—from her Louboutin pumps to her Bendel’s scarf. It’s genuine and substantial.

I’ve covered the romantic portion, but it’s important to note that the film also delivers on the comedy. If you liked Isla’s mini-psychotic rampage in Wedding Crashers, picture that for two hours, complete with designer clothes and a whole lot more sexual restraint. Isla’s extremely talented at physical humor and the writers deserve a lot of credit for managing to make Sophie Kinsella's novel content relatable even to the fashionably challenged demure. It was so well put together that even the smallest of parts--whether it was the goofy budget advice video starring Ed Helms (Andy from "The Office"), the quirky-but-sweet staffer role of Julie Hagerty (Just Friends), or even each of her fellow Shopaholics Anonymous pals--never felt too small.

Devout Shopaholic fans might be annoyed by the fact that it’s not exactly a word-for-word replica. After all, it doesn’t even take place in England. But the producers did a good job by casting Isla. The role required someone who could handle a zany moment as well as a heart-felt scene, and Isla's strawberry honey hair screams for you to look at her, while her big brown eyes invite you to love her.

BUZZ: Chuck's Mom Secretly Alive on "Gossip Girl"?, "Cougars" Series Plot, and more

FILM NEWS
• There are rumors that Josh Bazell's novel Beat the Reaper is being picked up with Leonardo DiCaprio for the lead. The novel is about "a New York ER doctor living in the federal witness protection program who's recognized by a mobster from his former life as a hit man." That sounds like Jason Bourne minus the amnesia, which in turn sounds like a crapload of fun.

• Courtney Cox's upcoming comedy, "Cougars," isn't actually as campy (and lame) as it sounds. She'll play "a 40-year-old divorcee who decides to re-enter the dating scene now that her only son has graduated high school." According to EW's Ausiello, "Although Cox's character does have a fling with a young lad in the pilot, the series won't find her bedding a different Robert Buckley clone every week." The story is set in the suburbs of Florida, where a high school football team is dubbed the Cougars, hence the name.

• Apparently Josh Peck (The Wackness) is a music-lover, since his next project, Hearts of Men, is just as music-oriented as his last. "It’s a movie I read a year ago and fell in love with about three cats - one’s a white boy…, one’s a black gang member, one’s a latino. They all witness the latino’s brother’s murder…The thing that draws them together is that they are all in love with Tupac and his music."

• There are rumblings of a remake of the third film in the Korean retribution trilogy, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance.

TV NEWS
• "Ugly Betty": Marc is rumored to be getting a new roommate who is already on the show. Some are speculating that its Christina, since Amanda is already mooching off of Betty.

• "Gossip Girl": Ausiello said "Serena will soon share something in common with Anne Hathaway." So does that mean her next boyfriend will be a future convict? He also said that Chuck's mom might be alive, which probably won't be good for Blair's self-esteem.

• "True Blood": There's no guarantee that Lafayette died, even though he died in the books.

• "Brothers & Sisters": Sex and the City's Jason Lewis will be returning to shake things up in Kevin's wedded bliss.