There's pop culture stuff out there. And sites that want to tell you about them. And we want to do it quickly so you can get on with your lives. You're welcome.
Okay, if I wasn't jazzed about the prospect of Nine, I am now that we've seen this first cast shot. The cast consists of Daniel Day-Lewis, Nicole Kidman, and Penelope Cruz, as we mentioned before. But as you can see there, we've got Marion Cotillard (La Vie en Rose), Judi Dench, Sophia Loren, Kate Hudson and Fergie from The Black-Eyed Peas.
The Beaver is a script about a guy who goes through life "with a beaver puppet on his hand, treating it as something close to a human creature with human feelings." Steve Carell is apparently attached to play the guy in question. Source: Hollywood Reporter.
Simon Jones, the voice of Arthur Dent on radio, has joined the cast of Blithe Spirit as Dr. Bradman. It hits the Shubert Theater in February. Source: Variety.
Because some people just want to read a single post with all their pop culture snippets in it, instead of following an entire website about it. Essentially: this is pop culture news for people with lives. Enjoy.
The Beatles' Apple Corps have signed a deal with MTV and Harmonix to bring about some form of Rock Band game that will feature the Beatles' music. This will hit next year and comes with the full blessing of Paul, Ringo, along with Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison. Giles Martin, who co-produced Love--the Beatles/Cirque du Soleil pairing--is going to be music producer on this. The press release I read doesn't have the official title of the game, although they'd be nuts not to call it Rock Band: The Beatles Edition or something. I will give a dollar to the first team who can do "Revolution 9" on the hardest level and give me photographic evidence of that fact.
Because there's no sense in reading whole essays about how happy X is to work with Y on project Z. Pop culture news boiled down to a fine powder for you. You're welcome.
Spartacus again. Yes, but this time it's a thirteen-episode series for Starz. Sam Raimi is one of the producers and production starts next year to air in the summer. It's going to be shot using virtual sets. "This is not going to be at all like the 1960s Kirk Douglas film," Starz exec Stephan Shelanski said. "We didn't want your typical sword-and-sandals. It's going to be fun, fast-moving, full of action and interesting characters and have a little more depth to it than the 1960s film." That's an excellent way to get people on your side: accuse a classic piece of cinema of being shallow but hey, you're going to rock it like it should have been rocked. Uh-huh. Brilliant. Source: Hollywood Reporter.
You Life fans take note: William Atherton (aka Walter Peck aka Professor Jerry Hathaway) has signed up for an arc. Source: Variety.
Chris Columbus is in talks to helm Ripley's Believe It Or Not. Dean Cain will not be reprising his role as--wait, never mind, this is something different. Tim Burton was previously attached to direct when the film almost happened in 2007. Jim Carrey is attached to star as Ripley himself. No script yet--that happens after Columbus signs officially. Paramount wants a 2011 release date. Source: Variety.
The rights to game Army of Two have been snagged by Universal for production next year and Peter Berg will direct. Scott Z. Burns (Bourne Ultimatum co-writer) is scribing. Also of interest is the news that The Sims is at Fox and Mass Effect has been optioned by Avi Arad. Source: Variety.
Case 219 will star and be executive produced by woefully underutilized Harold Perrineau. It's about "the aftermath of a high school shooting from the perspective of three misfit teens." Source: Hollywood Reporter.
