Some Tuesday OTHER odds-n-ends

EDITOR'S NOTE: AND A SMATTERING OF OTHER STUFF FOR YOUR TUESDAY READING PLEASURE -----

FIRST UP, EVEN FACELESS CORPORATIONS HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR FROM TIME TO TIME. GO TO THIS LINK AND WATCH THE ADS TBS PRODUCED FOR LAST WEEKEND'S LOTR MARATHON ----

LORD OF THE RINGS FUNNIES
http://tbs.com/stories/story/0,,70708,00.html

AND....THIS JUST IN:

Oscar moves back to February
For its 79th Annual Academy Awards, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is moving back to the last Sunday in February, a spot the Oscar show occupied in 2004 and 2005 before moving back a week -- to the first Sunday in March -- this year in order to avoid going head-to-head against NBC's broadcast of the closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics.

Next year, the awards will be held on Feb. 25, EDITOR'S NOTE: BOOK THE DATE. PARTY AT MY HOUSE! Academy president Sid Ganis said Monday. The live ABC broadcast will again originate from the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland.

The slightly earlier date means that the entire nominations and balloting process will take place at a somewhat accelerated schedule when compared to the 78th Academy Awards. EDITOR'S NOTE: EEK. I'M ALREADY SO FAR BEHIND ON MOVIE-GOING!!! ARRRGGGGH!

Oscar… Check Mate?
The Academy announced its dates for 2007 this morning and as disappointed as I am that they haven’t moved the awards themselves a week or two earlier on the February calendar, that’s not where the action is.

The jaw-dropper, for Oscar drumbeaters, is the January 13 poll closing for nominations and the corresponding January 23 nominations announcement.

Not only does the move to a week earlier than nominations have closed in the past create an intensified effort for Oscar consultants getting their films seen in time, but it effectively cordons off all but one Sunday/Monday weekend in which competing awards shows can position themselves to appear to be influencers.

The first weekend after the New Year’s weekend - which would this year be the very fast-in-coming January 7 or 8 - has become the BFCA’s Critics’ Choice Awards stomping ground in recent years, which would once again put them before Oscar noms close.

But after that is when it gets interesting. The Golden Globes pretty has to choose between January 14 and 21for its show. One is the day after Oscar polling closes. The other is just two days before Oscar nominations. For all intents and purposes, this boxes the Globes into increased obscurity. The more remote possibility of a move to January 28 (the Super Bowl is on Feb 4) doesn’t help much either.

Last season, as the HFPA completely missed Crash and dissed Best Picture nominees Munich and Capote (ending up matching only 2 Oscar Best Picture nominees with 10 shots to get them), the buzz around the power of The Globes went radio silent once the Oscar nominations put them in their place.

And The Academy couldn’t be happier than to see another year of the same. EDITOR'S NOTE: CAN'T WE ALL JUST PLAY NICE TOGETHER? (SILLY ME....)

Spielberg, Zhang get in Games BEIJING --
Steven Spielberg is set to join forces with Chinese director Zhang Yimou to direct the opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, the event's organizing committee said Sunday.

Spielberg said in Beijing that the goal of the opening ceremony's creative team was to "give the world a taste of peace, friendship and understanding."

A spokesman for Spielberg in Los Angeles said Monday that the director was honored to be invited to advise on the Olympic ceremonies. "He considers it a great honor -- and of course it is," the spokesman said, adding that the arrangements had been "in the works for quite some time

A SMIDGE OF TV NEWS:

Urban, Walsh set to topline CBS projects

Karl Urban has been tapped to star in CBS' miniseries "Comanche Moon," with Ryan Merriman, Elizabeth Banks, Graham Greene and Wes Studi also cast in the project from Oscar-winning writers Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana.

Meanwhile, Amanda Walsh has landed the female lead in the CBS comedy pilot "The Big Bang Theory."

Based on McMurtry's novel, "Comanche Moon," a prequel to "Lonesome Dove," follows Gus McCrae (Steve Zahn) and Woodrow Call (Urban) through their years as Texas Rangers as they create legends for themselves fighting the Comanche to open West Texas for settlement. In CBS' 1989 adaptation of "Lonesome Dove," McCrae and Call were played by Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones, respectively.

A SMIDGE OF MOVIE NEWS:

Crowe Gives TENDERNESS a Shot
GreeneStreet Films has set Russell Crowe to star in TENDERNESS. John Polson will direct.

The thriller centers on a violent teenager whose life intertwines with a 16-year-old runaway who can't resist his charm. Crowe will play a cop who sets out to unravel the teen's complex past.

Paramount Assigns Zellweger to the CASE
Paramount Pictures has signed Renee Zellweger to star in CASE 39.

The horror thriller centers on an idealistic social worker who saves an abused 10-year-old girl from her parents only to discover that things are not as they appear.

Ray Wright wrote the script. Kevin Misher will produce. Filming is set to begin in Vancouver on July 31st.

Winslet Will Search Forth for Her GNOMEO
Miramax Films and Elton John's Rocket Pictures have set Kate Winslet to voice Juliet in GNOMEO AND JULIET. The CG-animated feature was originally set up at Disney but was recently dropped.

The story is a twist on Shakespeare's classic that's set in the world of tacky garden gnomes. The project is described as having a Monty Python sensibility to it with its hip, edgy tone. The script was originally written by Rob Sprackling and John Smith. Kevin Cecil and Andy Riley have done a rewrite.

Elton John and Tim Rice will provide the film's soundtrack. EDITOR'S NOTE: SO THE SONGS WILL SOUND JUST LIKE ALL THEIR OTHER SONGS? (OR MAYBE, FOR A CHANGE OF PACE, THEY CAN SOUND LIKE ALL OF PHIL COLLINS' SONGS!)

Baker Bloodworth will produce.

THE HUNT is on for Universal
Universal Pictures has picked up THE HUNT by Lucas Sussman.

The supernatural adventure centers on the world's greatest hunter, who sets out to capture the ultimate beast: the devil himself.

Darren Aronofsky and Eric Watson will produce.

Heigl takes position in 'Knocked Up'

Katherine Heigl is set to star opposite Seth Rogen in Universal Pictures' "Knocked Up," Judd Apatow's follow-up to "The 40-Year-Old Virgin." Apatow, who wrote the script and is directing, produces with Shauna Robertson and Clayton Townsend.

The story centers on the unexpected pregnancy and other consequences of a man's one-night stand. Heigl steps into the role vacated by Anne Hathaway, who left because of creative reasons.EDITOR'S NOTE: AS IN, HATHAWAY IS CARVING A REAL MOVIE CAREER FOR HERSELF AND HAS A CHOICE?

Macy gets his motor running for 'Wild Hogs'

William H. Macy will grease his chain for "Wild Hogs," a comedy for Touchstone Pictures being produced by Tollin/Robbins Prods. Walt Becker is directing.

Macy will join John Travolta, Tim Allen and Martin Lawrence in the movie, which revolves around a group of frustrated middle-age suburban biker wannabes who hit the open road in search of adventure only to encounter a real Hells Angels group. Brad Copeland wrote the script.

Filming is scheduled to start next month in New Mexico

Fehr Signs on for EVIL 3

Constantin Film and Impact Pictures have signed Oded Fehr to reprise his role in RESIDENT EVIL: EXTINCTION. EDITOR'S NOTE: HE IS SO GORGEOUS AND TALENTED; WISH HE COULD DO BETTER THAN THIS. He will join a cast that already includes Milla Jovovich,EDITOR'S NOTE: KATE BECKISALE WASN'T AVAILABLE? (YA SEEN ONE SKINNY NON-ACTRESS, YA SEEN EM ALL!) Mike Epps, Iain Glen and Sienna Guillory.

This third installment in the series revolves around the continuing battle against the evil Umbrella EDITOR'S NOTE: JUST TO PROVE THAT I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY OF THESE MOVIES....THEY HAVE AN EVIL UMBRELLA? (ARE THE GALOSHES AND RAIN COAT BAD, TOO?) by Alice and her allies. Paul W.S. Anderson wrote the script.
Russell Mulcahy will direct.

Filming will begin in Mexico in May

Perry getting 'Numb' with indie Insight

Matthew Perry has signed to star in "Numb," a dark comedy from writer Harris Goldberg, who is making his feature directorial debut on the picture. Paul Schiff is producing along with Insight Films' Kirk Shaw and Mary Aloe.

Perry will play a screenwriter who suffers from acute depersonalization disorder, a condition so alienating and sanguine that it makes the chronically depressed look perky. When he falls for a girl, he puts himself through every single therapy in the book in order to win her love.

Harris developed the project with Schiff, who took it to Insight, an indie production-finance company based in Canada.

Schiff has been a producer on a diverse range of films including "Rushmore," "Mona Lisa Smile" and "Date Movie." He is in post on "The Air I Breathe," an ensembler starring Kevin Bacon, Brendan Fraser, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Andy Garcia.

Canada-born Goldberg, repped by Paradigm, co-wrote and co-produced "Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo." His other credits include "Without a Paddle" and "The Master of Disguise."

Woody Allen's latest cancelled
What could have been the biggest film – not to mention, an excellent opportunity for both to work with one of the masters of the business - of actors Michelle Williams (“Brokeback Mountain”) and David Krumholtz’s (“Serenity”) careers will sadly, never be. The film, set in Paris, and written and directed by Woody Allen, has had the plug pulled on it, says Variety.

The film’s escalating budget is apparently one reason why the project – whose cast was announced only in the past fortnight - has been called off.

Instead, Allen will make a third film in London, something unrelated, and with a new cast. The guy has an average of 20-cast members per movie; surely he can make it up to Williams and Krumholtz by giving them some both parts in the new thing? EDITOR'S NOTE: ONE CAN BUT HOPE, CAUSE I WAS REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING KRUMHOLTZ AS THE ALLEN-STAND-IN-DU-JOUR.

Christian Slater in On the Town remake?
Christian Slater has been winning raves for his role in the musical version of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”, and now seems to be back on the studio radar because of it. Next up, he's got a role in Emilio Estevez's all-star drama "Bobby", and will then star opposite Anthony Hopkins and Gena Rowlands in the recently-announced "Slipstream".

According to Sky News, the “Robin Hood : Prince of Thieves” and “Young Guns II” star is in talks to reassign his newfound esteem in musicals to motion pictures.

Producers are apparently chatting to him about starring in a remake of the 1940’s musical “On the town”, an old Frank Sinatra/Gene Kelly pic, about a trio of sailors on leave in New York.

"I started out in musicals and plan to go back as I miss that side of the biz so much”, he tells.

There’s some talk that Slater may re-team with his “Broken Arrow” co-star John Travolta, for the film. Hugh Jackman may also have expressed interest.

Scratch this one up as rumour for the moment, because there've been “On the Town” remake rumours for a long time.

Lindsay Lohan as Sailor Moon?
According to Moviehotties.com, “Buffy” brainchild Joss Whedon could be in talks with FOX to write and direct a live-action version of the Japanese anime hit “Sailor Moon”. And Lindsay Lohan is rumored to be first choice for the title role.

Allegedely the studio recently snagged the rights to the series - about an ordinary 14 year old junior high school girl who receives a special quest from a talking cat named Luna to fight evil and find someone called the Moon Princess - from the TV troupe that created the show .

In addition, the site says Jennifer Garner would be playing the film’s main villain.

Anyway, that’s the rumour.