Gosling in talks for 'Farragut North'

As recently reported, George Clooney has been developing the political drama, Farragut North, for quite some time now in hopes of having the film lensing by next year.  Well now it looks like Hollywood's "chin" has found his male lead for the flick he will direct.  TOLDYA! is reporting Clooney has been negotiating with Ryan Gosling to play the role of the young communications director who works for the fast rising presidential candidate during the 2004 elections  During the course of the campaign, the young man is exposed to the backstabbing and corruption associated with politics.  Here's more:

EXCLUSIVE: George Clooney is close to finding his star for Farragut North. I'm told he's negotiating with Ryan Gosling to play the lead role of a young communications director who works for a fast rising presidential candidate. During the course of the campaign, the idealistic young man falls prey to the backstabbing and other dirty trickery of more seasoned rivals.

Gosling is in line to play a role once eyed by Leonardo DiCaprio when the Beau Willimon play was optioned by Warner Bros two years ago. Clooney  already was eyeing it as a directing vehicle back then. Willimon worked for Howard Dean's 2004 presidential run, and his own experiences informed the play.  Right now, Clooney and his Smokehouse Productions banner partner Grant Heslov are running point on the project. They aren't saying where the money is coming from or who'll distribute, but they are confident they will begin production in March.

Gosling is expected to be a factor in the Best Actor race, by merit of his performance opposite Michelle Williams in Blue Valentine, the drama that will be distributed by The Weinstein Company.

Status of 'Batman 3'

Some good news and not-so-good news to bring you regarding what's happening behind the scenes with Batman 3, per Batman-On-Film.

Starting off with the good news (cause that's always better to hear first, right?), it seems the film will be announced sometime before the end of the year or early 2011.  Can't say that's a bad thing considering the film is still many months away from filming, as well as its release date being close to two years away.

Now for the bad news.  3D.  Yes, the letter/number combination I have gotten so sick of hearing since Avatar came out.  It seems Warner Bros. is keen on doing the film in 3D and want Chris Nolan to shoot it that way.  Problem is, we all now Nolan and Co. aren't big fans of 3D and would rather shoot it in the less gimicky, but more qualitative IMAX.  I fully hope Nolan (with all his pull at Burbank anyway) is able to win out and put the quality of the picture before $ signs, because that's basically what Warner Bros. wants to do.  I guess they forgot Nolan's past two films have grossed around $1.8 billion worldwide.  Idiots.

David O. Russell may direct 'Under Cover' with Jim Carrey

24 Frames is reporting David O. Russell (currently putting the finishing touches on the Oscar probable The Fighter) is said to be taking meetings to possibly direct the upcoming Jim Carrey comedy, Under Cover.  The flick, in which Carrey is attached to star, tells the story of a man who wins back his family by performing classic rock's greatest hits with a cover band.

While the story states Russell is merely taking meetings and under consideration for the film, I think the pairing of the director and Carrey would make for an interesting pic to say the least.  Carrey is obviously a comedic genius as he's proven over the past two decades, and Russell, while branching off recently with the boxing-drama The Fighter, has shown with his previous films (Three Kings, I Heart Huckabees) that he has a unique style when it comes to dramatic comedy.  Hope this one works out.  

Phoenix to join DiCaprio in 'Hoover'?

 

While it's been more than two years since he last acted (unless you count that mockumentary I'm Still Here), Joaquin Phoenix is reportedly up for a vital role in Clint Eastwood's upcoming biographical-drama, Hoover, based on the life of famous FBI head, J. Edgar Hoover.

Vulture reports Phoenix is Eastwood's top choice for the role of Clyde Tolson, Hoover's esteemed protege and suspected lover during their tenure in the FBI.  It's said while the deal for DiCaprio is not complete (DiCaprio obviously to play Hoover), it's believed once the actor signs on the dotted line, Phoenix will be next to join.  Here's more on the story:

With a script by Milk screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, Hoover explores the two men’s complicated relationship; neither man ever admitted to being gay, and Hoover was known for hunting down and intimidating those who dared questioned his sexual preference while he was alive. But Hoover’s actions in death seem to suggest they were more than simply pals in life: When Hoover died, Tolson was not only the beneficiary of Hoover’s life-insurance policy, he also inherited Hoover's estate and moved into his house. At Hoover’s funeral, he accepted the U.S. flag draped over Hoover's coffin, and today, Tolson's grave is a few yards from Hoover's in the Congressional Cemetery.

Insiders tell us that Eastwood’s casting agent, Fiona Ware (who cast Hereafter), is already scheduled to fly into Burbank from London in early October to begin the casting process. One has to wonder if her imminent arrival might be the reason for Casey Affleck’s sudden and out-of-the-blue decision to “come clean” about the fictional nature of the Phoenix documentary I’m Still Here — fear that portraying him as a drug-addled crazy with a tenuous grip on reality might jeopardize Phoenix’s chances at such a fantastic and potentially Oscar-worthy role.

Maybe this will end up scoring both DiCaprio and Phoenix their first Oscars?  Only time will tell.

'Fast Five' Synopsis

Universal Pictures has released the official synopsis for the fifth installment in the 'Fast and Furious' franchise, Fast Five.  The film, starring Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Tyrese Gibson, Sung Kang, Gal Gadot, Tego Calderon, Elsa Pataky, Joaquim de Almeida and Dwayne Johnson , opens in theaters everywhere June 10th, 2011. 

Vin Diesel and Paul Walker lead a reunion of returning all-stars from every chapter of the explosive franchise built on speed in "Fast Five." In this installment, former cop Brian O'Conner (Walker) partners with ex-con Dom Toretto (Diesel) on the opposite side of the law. Dwayne Johnson joins returning favorites Jordana Brewster, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Tyrese Gibson, Sung Kang, Gal Gadot, Matt Schulze, Tego Calderon and Don Omar for this ultimate high-stakes race.

Since Brian and Mia Toretto (Brewster) broke Dom out of custody, they've blown across many borders to elude authorities. Now backed into a corner in Rio de Janeiro, they must pull one last job in order to gain their freedom. As they assemble their elite team of top racers, the unlikely allies know their only shot of getting out for good means confronting the corrupt businessman who wants them dead. But he's not the only one on their tail.

Hard-nosed federal agent Luke Hobbs (Johnson) never misses his target. When he is assigned to track down Dom and Brian, he and his strike team launch an all-out assault to capture them. But as his men tear through Brazil, Hobbs learns he can't separate the good guys from the bad. Now, he must rely on his instincts to corner his prey... before someone else runs them down first.

'The Fighter' Trailer!

The one film I've been anticipating all year is The Fighter.  Is it because I'm a fan of boxing movies?  Yes.  Is it because Mark Wahlberg trained nearly 3 years for this role?  Yes.  And is it because I'm damn sure Christian Bale is gonna score an Oscar for this?  You. Bet. Your. Ass.  The trailer for the film has just been released and it just makes me even more certain this thing's gonna be a winner, no pun intended.  See for yourself:

Garfield talks more 'Spider-Man'

Andrew Garfield, out promoting both Never Let Me Go and The Social Network, has talked a bit more about his anticipated role of Spider-Man in Sony and Marc Webb's reboot.  In an interview at the Toronto International Film Festival, Garfield talked about his passion for the character growing up and what training he's doing to get in "Spidey" shape:

"His youth, his relatability, his struggle. He was just this skinny boy. He was a skinny boy who felt stronger on the inside than he looked on the outside, and I related to it immediately, and it stayed with me as I grew up.

"Every single generation of the comic, the cartoons and the movies, it all means a great deal to me. It was always something that gave me hope as a skinny little kid whose sense of injustice about the world didn't match his sense of strength about his body. I found it so inspiring and uplifting and reassuring. To be a part of that mythology and that legacy is a true honor."

"We're just talking about where we want to go with it and what kind of body shape it should be. What the skill set should be," Garfield said. "I know I'm going to be doing a lot of flexibility training and a lot of strength training, because I have to swing and stuff. I'm just guessing, but it's all kind of early stages."

"I'm not doing it for any of the peripheral stuff. We could be making a short film, a short Spider-Man film with an unknown director, with no money, and I'd do it just to be able to play as Spider-Man," the actor explained. "That's like a childhood fantasy come to life. It's an adult fantasy, as well. I'm still climbing up the door frames in my house. It's just a bigger space I'm going to be climbing in now, with a bit more money behind it, and the cameras filming it."

Interesting to note, Garfield's Never Let Me Go co-star, Carey Mulligan, also gives her take on what Garfield will bring to the role, comparing his acting style to what Heath Ledger brought to the Joker:

"I think it'll be like what Heath Ledger did with the Joker.  Andrew, he has no other way of working other than doing things with complete truth."

We'll see if she's right come Summer 2012.

'Expendables 2' happening sooner than we think?

Out promoting Ben Affleck's, The Town, producer Basil Iwanyk (The Expendables) had a chance to talk about the buzz of a sequel to this summer's action hit.  The suit had this to say:

"I saw Avi Lerner this morning, who deserves all the credit for it.  He really went on the line for the movie. He told me, 'We're doing a sequel, we're doing it right away.' I haven't talked to Sly at all about what's going to happen in the sequel. It's going to rock and you can just imagine in your head who will be in that cast in addition to the people who are there now. But I'm not sure. There's a lot of excitement and I know that Avi and Sly want to go at it as soon as possible."

I figure due to the success of Stallone's action fest, this baby will start filming by late next year and come out Summer 2012, already packed with plenty of tentpole releases.  Hopefully Sly makes the sequel bigger and better than the first one (although I know he will).

Tim Allen to return to TV?

It's been well over a decade since Tim "The Toolman" Taylor hung up his tool belt and waved goodbye to TV.  But could it be that Mr. Allen is having thoughts about returning to the small screen?  EW reports the comedian is considering coming back to primetime in the Fall of 2011 IF it's the "right project."

“It will be huge,” predicts one manager of Allen’s comeback — if and when it happens. Another source indicated that the actor is taking “a few select meetings” with writer-producers, one of whom may include Greg Daniels (Parks & Recreation, The Office). Is there a chance that Allen could even join the staff of Dunder-Mifflin?

Never been that big a fan of Allen, but I think he would be a great replacement for Carell on The Office.  They need a big name to fill Michael Scott's shoes.  Maybe Tim "The Toolman" is the right fit.  We shall see.

Clint Eastwood's 'Hereafter' Trailer

The story of three people who are touched by death in different ways, Hereafter stars Matt Damon as George, a blue-collar American who has a special connection to the afterlife. On the other side of the world, Marie (Cecile De France), a French journalist, has a near-death experience that shakes her reality. And when Marcus, a London schoolboy, loses the person closest to him, he desperately needs answers. Each on a path in search of the truth, their lives will intersect, forever changed by what they believe might--or must--exist in the hereafter.

I have to say, this film looks exceptional.  Clint Eastwood almost seems to never make a bad film, plus, anything with Matt Damon is worth seeing.  Looking forward to this one as it hits theaters October 22nd.