Movie News Page 1107

Has just finished filming his latest film project "The Greatest Game Ever Played," Shia LaBeouf has signed on to star in another new film work. The actor reportedly has agreed to star in the drama thriller "Disturbia".

There in the DreamWorks project, LaBeouf will play a troubled high school senior who is sentenced to house arrest after an outburst of anger at school. While at home, he becomes convinced that his neighbor is a serial killer.

"Failure to Launch," a romantic comedy starring Matthew McConaughey and Sarah Jessica Parker, scores great early on its release days. The movie amazingly takes in $24.6 million in ticket sales, debuting as the top weekend movie in the US box office. "The Shaggy Dog" in the meantime secures the 2nd position with $16 million.

Drama horror thriller "The Hills Have Eyes" is at 3rd, scores $15.5 million in ticket sales. Secures the 4th place is "16 Blocks," which takes in $7.3 million, ahead of "Madea's Family Reunion" at No. 5 which drops from the top slot with $5.8 million. Hangs at No. 6 is drama action "Eight Below" with an estimated ticket sales reaches $5.4 million.

Soon following the success of "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe", a sequel to the megahit family fantasy is now on works. Movie workers are busy preparing for the movie to be released in late 2007.

Speaking on the film project, which title is "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian", it will be based on the third installment of C.S. Lewis' seven-book "Narnia" series. That's according to Disney spokesman Ash Curtis.

Jon Avnet is going to do his best for the upcoming movie "Second World", for which he's been attached to direct. Besides directing, he also will take the producer seat alongside Randall Emmett and George Furla.

From a script written by Scott King, "Second World" is an action thriller which story revolves around a top assassin -- and mother -- who must stop a deadly virus from spreading. But in order to halt the potential pandemic, she must team up with the virus' creator, who also is her target.

Notable rapper Mos Def and Sophie Okonedo are both in final talks to star in the indie drama "Stringbean and Marcus," which was written and will be directed by first-time feature helmer Tanya Hamilton.

Set in 1978, "Stringbean and Marcus" focuses on the broken love affair between two former Black Panther members (Mos Def and Okonedo) and is told through the eyes of an adolescent girl.

John Cusack has stepped his feet on the room "1408". Not in the real meaning but the actor has signed on to star in the big screen adaptation of Stephen King's short story, which Mikael Hafstrom about to direct.

Written by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, the film will be produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura. Of horror thriller genre, "1408" revolves around a man specializing in debunking paranormal occurrences who meets his match when he checks into the notorious room 1408 in the Dolphin Hotel. There, he encounters true terror.

Dimension Films has attached Eli Roth to direct its upcoming film project "Cell" as the studio has acquired rights to the Stephen King's latest novel.

Will produce the film is Mike Fleiss and Chris Briggs, both produced "Hostel" and are readying the sequel with Roth.

Cast of the "Resident Evil: Apocalypse", including Oded Fehr, Mike Epps and Iain Glen, will all reprise their role for Screen Gems' next installment, "Resident Evil: Extinction." As of Fehr he is set to play Carlos Olivera, while Glen stars as Isaacs and Epps plays L.J.

Milla Jovovich also is back, reprising her role as Alice and she's running with a new pack of humans, leading a caravan that's cutting through the Nevada desert on a long trek to Alaska. Hunted by the minions of the perpetually scheming Dr. Isaacs, Alice has zombies hungry for her flesh and lab rats hungry for her blood -- while Alice herself is hungry for only one thing: revenge.

Became a breakout star soon after her performance in last year's "Wedding Crashers," Hollywood actress Isla Fisher has joined the cast of the upcoming drama thriller entitled "The Lookout." Set to direct the film is Scott Frank, who wrote the script as well.

The film revolves around a mentally impaired former athlete who works as a janitor at a bank and gets sucked into a heist. Other cast on board are Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Carla Gugino, and Matthew Goode. Shooting is slated to begin in Winnipeg, Manitoba, at month's end.

What's new for moviegoers is Dan Waters' dark comedy entitled "Sex and Death 101" which Simon Baker will star in.

While Cary Brokaw's Avenue Pictures and Sandbar Pictures are producing, Waters is directing as well. Shooting is slated to begin May later this year in Vancouver.

Jack Black is getting his another film project, for which he would star alongside Nicole Kidman and Jennifer Jason Leigh. It's Noah Baumbach's untitled film for John Lesher's Paramount Classics which Scott Rudin about to produce.

Shooting on the film is scheduled to begin April 2 on Long Island. As of Black, he is slated to portray the husband of a young woman who is visited at her upstate home by her sister and 12-year-old nephew.

There are at least three more actors joining the cast of "Stardust." They among others are Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer and Claire Danes. The trio has signed on to star in the upcoming drama fantasy movie, which is an adaptation of Neil Gaiman's novel.

The story is centered on a young man who promises his beloved that he'll retrieve a fallen star by venturing into the magical realm, where he has to contend with witches, goblins, gnomes, talking animals and evil trees. Other actors already on board are Charlie Cox and Sienna Miller.

Screenwriter Richard Regen has decided to accept the Weinstein Company's Harvey Weinstein's proposal to adapt the Jeff Abbott novel "Panic." The studio also has set Richard Shepard to direct.

"We have a very stylish 1970s-type paranoid action thriller on our hands," Shepard said while adding "It's exactly the type of studio movie I want to be doing aside from my own material: something that's smart and visually inventive."

Matt Johnson has been hired by Spyglass Entertainment to write "Baja 1000" film project. Of action-adventure genre, the movie is set against the backdrop of the annual Baja 1000 off-road race.

As of the story, "Baja 1000" centers on a mechanic from Southern California who heals a rift with his father and simultaneously realizes his dream of racing the Baja 1000.

Has just won an Oscar apparently doesn't make Philip Seymour Hoffman easily feels satisfied, in fact he keeps moving on honing his acting talent more and more. Thus, the actor reportedly has signed on to star in the upcoming comedy drama "The Savages", joining the already on board cast Laura Linney.

The Fox Searchlight film is written by Tamara Jenkins, who will direct as well. The film revolves around a pair of adult siblings (Hoffman, Linney) who are obliged to care for their estranged and ailing elderly father who never took care of them. As they do, they confront the legacy of their upbringing and the realities of familial responsibility.