Emmerich’s Apocalypse Kills Cusack: John Cusack has signed on to topline Roland Emmerich’s apocalyptic thriller 2012 for Columbia Pictures. Chiwetel Ejiofor is in talks to join as well. The big-budget epic refers to the end days of human civilization as foretold by the ancient Mayan calendar. Story kicks off with a global cataclysm, which brings an end to the world as we know it, and chronicles the heroic struggle of the survivors. [Reported by Tatiana Siegel for Variety]
George Michael Bluth Wrote a Movie?: Steve Buscemi, Ray Liotta, Jean Smart and M. Emmet Walsh have joined Michael Cera in “Youth in Revolt,” the Miguel Arteta-directed comedy for Dimension Films. Pic is based on the C.D. Payne novel, which was adapted by Gustin Nash, Arteta and Cera. Cera plays teenager Nick Twisp, who meets the girl of his dreams on a family vacation and destroys the trip trying to be with her. [Reported by Michael Fleming for Variety]
Tatum’s Dear John: Lasse Hallstrom is set to direct Channing Tatum in “Dear John,” a Nicholas Sparks book adaptation that starts production in September for Screen Gems and Relativity Media. Tatum stars as a soldier who, while home on leave, falls for a conservative college student. [Reported by Michael Fleming for Variety]
Woo Continuing On: John Woo is set to direct 1949 as soon as he finishes with Red Cliff. 1949 is a $40 million romancer based on true events at the end of WWII and the final years of the Chinese Civil War. Screenplay is by Lust, Caution and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon scripter Wang Hui-ling. Filming will begin in December in China and Taiwan with theatrical release skedded for December 2009. [Reported by Patrick Frater for Variety]
Prince Caspian is Dorian Gray: Ben Barnes is currently starring as Prince Caspian in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian and he is now set to star as Dorian Gray in the film adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray.” Oliver Parker is directing the film of which they describe as a visceral, dark horror story and says the themes of stardom are as relevant as ever. Filming is expected to get underway at the end of July this year. [Reported by Stuart Kemp for The Hollywood Reporter]
Is it the shoes?: Spike Lee is set to shoot a feature-length documentary about Michael Jordan with hopes to bring it to the Cannes Film Festival next year. The NBA is financing the doc with Lee’s 40 Acres & a Mule Filmworks. The doc will include extensive unseen footage shot by NBA cameras during the final two years in Jordan’s career, the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons. [Reported by Nick Vivarelli for Variety]
