Movie News Page 1133

Previously worked on "The Best Man," Malcolm D. Lee is now set to direct "The Better Man." Taking the producer seat for Universal Pictures is Scott Stuber, Mary Parent, and Charles Castaldi.

A drama genre, "The Better Man" follows the story of a successful Los Angeles comedian who reluctantly heads back to the South with his wife and son to reunite with his family. There, old rivalries heat up.

The Hollywood Reporter comes up with news mentioned that Neal McDonough has joined the cast of "The Guardian" for Touchstone Pictures and Beacon Pictures. That means the actor joining Ashton Kutcher, Kevin Costner and Sela Ward, all of whom have agreed to star in as well.

Set to direct the film from a screenplay by Ron Brinkerhoff and James Vanderbilt is Andy Davis. An action drama flick, "The Guardian" revolves around the relationship between a rebellious Coast Guard enlistee (Kutcher) and a legendary rescue swimmer (Costner). McDonough will play Skinner, a protege of Costner's character.

"Blood on the Leaves," the adaptation of Jeff Stetson's novel of the same name is on board. In the meantime, actor Jamie Foxx has been tapped to star in for Paramount Pictures.

Stetson is in hand to adapt his own work, while Foxx's production company will produce.

Josh Hartnett, John Malkovich, Ellen Barkin, Alison Lohman and Tom Waits will all sing the "Texas Lullaby" in harmony. The fivesome are about to team up, starring in the upcoming drama genre inspired by Shakespeare's "Hamlet."

Directing a script by Steve Allison is Malcolm Venville. Set in East Texas in the late 1980s, the story of the film began when after the sudden death of Cletus (Willis), his father and his mother's (Barkin) abrupt and unexpected marriage to his uncle Sheriff Tanner Telmah (Malkovich), young Adair Telmah is confused and depressed. And when his father's ghost appears to him, claiming that he's been murdered by Tanner, Adair is baffled to the point of madness by the goal of vengeance set for him by his dead daddy.

Not getting the role of 007 agent in the highly anticipated "Casino Royale," Pierce Brosnan gets another offer. The actor reportedly will star in "The November Man."

Based on the Bill Granger novel "There Are No Spies" in his "November Man" series, "The November Man" is a thriller tells about a coldly effective but suspicious American spy-runner Hanley who inadvertently fouls up a deeply embedded Russian mole's scenario when he warns "sleeping" agent Devereaux ("November") that something has gone amiss in R Section. Rudely forced out of retirement in Lausanne by two hit men, the calm, collected, and utterly cynical Devereaux enlists the aid of former contacts in determining the truth of Hanley's allegation.

20th Century Fox is reported to have acquired the Dario Scardapane spec script "Fed X." Moreover, they also have slated Hollywood actor Hugh Jackman to star in besides producing with his Seed Production partner John Palermo.

An action flick as an outgrowth of the relationship on the "X-Men 3" and the spin-off film "Wolverine," "Fed X" tells the story of a green FBI agent sent to Miami to retrieve a criminal for prosecution. During the return trip, the fed and the thug each learn there's more to the other than expected. Meanwhile, Jackman and Palermo are producing the spin-off with Lauren Shuler Donner and Avi Arad.

The 63rd Annual Golden Globe Awards coming soon. The big event will be held Monday, January 16, 2006, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel with a live telecast airing on NBC at 8 PM (EST). And to make it clear for you, here we have the list of the awards nominees.

Up for Best Motion Picture-Drama category are "Brokeback Mountain," "The Constant Gardener," "Good Night And Good Luck," "A History of Violence," and "Match Point." The nominees for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Drama include Maria Bello, Felicity Huffman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Charlize Theron, and Zhang Ziyi.

Unlike Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst who both have inked deal to star in the highly anticipated "Spider Man 3," Adrian Lester has just agreed to star in. The film reportedly set to hit theaters May 4, 2007.

The actor, best known for his portrayal in "Hustle" and "The Day After Tomorrow," said "I'll be going straight from promoting 'Hustle' to filming 'Spider-Man 3'." Further he continued "I haven't even had a script yet. All I know is that I'm playing a research scientist who tries to cure the baddie of whatever badness he's got. I don't even know who the new baddie is!"

Though she's been involved in many movie productions, still she wants to do and give more for her career. Already done many smash hit pictures, actress Demi Moore is giving hand at singing.

Not without reason she does that. But it due to her next film project, the highly anticipated "Bobby." Based on the assassination of Senator Robert F Kennedy, the story of the film centers around 22 people who were at the Ambassador Hotel where he was killed.

Scottish actor Alan Cumming is handling double duty for "Suffering Man's Charity." Not only he is about to star in, but also direct as well. He would in the film join the likes of David Boreanaz, Anne Heche, Carrie Fisher, Henry Thomas, Karen Black and Jane Lynch.

"Suffering Man's Charity" is now in production in Los Angeles. Of horror comedy genre, the film portrays Boreanaz as a struggling writer who is accidentally killed by Cumming one evening. Cumming discovers the writer's novel and ends up taking credit for penning it. When it becomes a success, the writer comes back to haunt him.

Lake Bell, the former "Boston Legal" co-star, is taking "Pride and Glory" into her consideration. The actress is in talks to play the role of Colin Farrell's wife in the upcoming drama flick, directed by Gavin O'Connor.

Among any other cast that have signed on to star in are Ed Norton, Nick Nolte, Samantha Morton and Noah Emmerich. Written by O'Connor and Joe Carnahan, "Pride and Glory" revolves around a three-generation family of officers torn apart by a corruption scandal. Bell will play Megan, who is married to tough cop Jimmy Egan (Farrell). When she discovers her husband's complicity in a police corruption scandal that her brother (Norton) is investigating, she must choose between her husband and her family.

British great singer Robbie Williams has been tapped by producers of the upcoming James Bond movie "Casino Royale" to sing the film's theme song. Meanwhile, veteran singer Tony Christie thinks the song he has written for the film is just perfect for Williams.

"Robbie's voice would suit it down to the ground - plus he's current and hip so it would be absolutely great if he did it," explained Christie. "We tried to make it a typical Bond theme tune with a throbbing dramatic bassline filling the background." Record on the set reportedly due February next year.

Hollywood actor Jude Law reportedly has been cast by director Nancy Meyers to join the top-lining quartet for the Columbia Pictures romantic comedy "Holiday." And so Law will join the already existed stars, including Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet and Jack Black.

A comedy romance flick, "Holiday" tells about an American woman (Diaz) with man troubles who befriends a British villager (Winslet) with similar problems. Law is set to play the love interest of Diaz's character, while Black will play a suitor of Winslet's character.

American Film Institute (AFI) has on Sunday named several qualified movies as its 10 best movies of 2005. Among those judged as the most outstanding motion pictures of the year is drama romance "Brokeback Mountain." Also there are "Syriana," "Munich," and "The 40-Year-Old Virgin."

Besides them all, AFI also named the likes of "Capote," "King Kong," "Crash," "Good Night, and Good Luck," "The Squid and the Whale" and "A History of Violence." The AFI will then honor the creative ensembles behind each of the honorees January 13 at a luncheon at the Four Seasons in Los Angeles.

Taking in $67 million from its ticket sales, the new release adventure fantasy "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" successfully wins the top position on the box office for the period of December 9 -11. With such attainment, the film based on the popular children's books by C.S. Lewis has become the second-biggest debut ever in a weekend in December.

Winning the 2nd position is "Syriana," an oil-and-politics thriller, scoring $12 million. No. 3 is "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" with $10.3 million, one place ahead of "Walk the Line" at 4th with $77 million, surpassing "Yours, Mine and Ours" at 5th with $5.2 million. Meanwhile, "Aeon Flux" only takes in $4.6 million in its second week to debut at 6th, followed by "Just Friends" at 7th with $3.9 million.