1.) Another wrinkle has been thrown into the dilemma surrounding Marc Webb‘s possible return for an Amazing Spider-Man sequel. What was previously known was that Webb is still on the hook for one more film with Fox Searchlight on his (500) Days of Summer deal. Now, Fox is considering giving Webb its blessing to make The Amazing Spider-Man 2, but of course there’s a catch: the move would then lock him into a two-picture deal with Fox Searchlight. With the next Spider-Man movie due out in just 21 months (May 2, 2014), Webb must quickly decide if it’s worth that long-term commitment to one studio to return to one of Hollywood’s biggest franchises. One plus is the sequel is said to dive deeper into the background of Peter Parker’s parents, which was only hinted at in The Amazing Spider-Man. [LA Times]
2.) Ron Howard is attached to direct “Conquest,” a series on the fall of the Aztec Empire, for Showtime. Jose Rivera (The Motorcycle Diaries) is penning the script. Howard has been researching Spanish Conquistador Hernan Cortes, who lead the Spanish conquest in Mexico and brought down Aztec ruler Moctezuma II, for years with plans of making a feature film. He ultimately decided the material was better suited for television, as the story is filled with blood, lust, gold, magic and mythology, which seems to be the formula for a hit on these subscription-based cable channels. Might Showtime have found their version of “Game of Thrones” in this historical drama? [Deadline]
3.) What do you do when you suffer a few big budget box-office flops? You hit the indie scene, work alongside Brendan Gleeson, win some awards and rebuild your reputation. Well, at least that worked for Colin Farrell. Gleeson and Taylor Kitsch (Battleship, John Carter) will star in a $12.7 million (so precise!) remake of the 2003 French-Canadian film The Grand Seduction for director Don McKellar (Last Night). The story centers on a small harbor town that desperately needs the boost of a new factory, but first a local resident (Gleeson) must convince a doctor to take up a permanent residency. The original is listed as a comedy on IMDb, so it’ll be nice to see Kitsch display more of his versatility. [Variety]
4.) Russell Brand will replace Jim Carrey in Fox’s comedy Pierre Pierre, a script that was in such high demand five years ago that the studio had to shell out $1 million to out-bid other studios for its rights. The script has drawn comparisons to Borat and Bruno, so it makes sense that their helmer Larry Charles is attached to direct. Brand will play “an obnoxious French nihilist” who must smuggle the stolen Mona Lisa from Paris to London. And of course, shenanigans ensue. [/Film]
5.) Still riding high off his Oscar nomination for A Better Life, Demian Bichir has signed on to play an FBI agent in The Heat for Bridesmaids director Paul Feig. Sandra Bullock will star as a fellow FBI agent who forms an uneasy partnership with a Boston police officer (Melissa McCarthy) to take down a Russian mobster. [Deadline]
UGLY BONUS ADDED BY BRAD: I just had to add these ugly as sin 3-D glasses which will be available in select theaters this December upon the release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Would you actually wear these? [HobbitFilm]
