In this Weeks spell check busting installment: Matthew McConaughey is an Exchange Student; Heffalump writer Spiliotopoulos will write Bekmambetov’s Wanted 2 – will Angelina Jolie be involved? Megan Fox is Crossing over; John Carter of Mars is Chabon and which one of the Watchmen has Morning Glory for Star Trek’s Abram?

1. Matthew McConaughey’s production company J.K. Livin is producing a comedy called Exchange Student. According to The Hollywood Reporter:

“The story revolves around two exchange students, one who ships out from the U.S. and one who comes in, who experience new environments in very different ways: One has the time of his life, the other goes off the rails. The tenor of the project is described as a family comedy with wry overtones a la Wes Anderson.”

Mike Vukadinovich will write a script from the idea that originated with “Bongos” McConaughey, who may also take a role in the film.

The Sahara star will next be seen in Ghosts of Girlfriends Past opposite Jennifer Garner.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

2. Evan Spiliotopoulos will write the sequel to last years surprise smash Wanted.
The writer who previously wrote Pooh’s Heffalump Movie will take over writing duties from Michael Brandt and Derek Haas and Chris Morgan.

The Timur Bekmambetov directed film was based on a comic by Mark Millar and J.G. Jones.

The main question is will Angelina Jolie be written into the script or will it focus on James McAvoy’s blossoming hitman career?

I’d expect every effort be made to have Jolie return – but they might just have another actress star opposite McAvoy.

Megan Fox anyone?

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

3. Speaking of Megan Fox, the actress will take the lead role in The Crossing.

“(In the film) a couple returning from a Mexican vacation is carjacked and the husband kidnapped. The wife (Fox) must smuggle heroin across the border in order to spring him.”

No director is yet attached to the Screen Gems production, but several directors have met with the producers. If one is hired soon then the film might start shooting by July.

Megan Fox has a busy year ahead with Passion Plays with Mickey Rourke; Josh Brolin’s Jonah Hex and Fathom all on the way.

She’ll next be seen in low budget art house drama Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

Source: Hollywood Reporter

4. Screenwriter and Novelist Michael Chabon is doing a rewrite on John Carter of Mars for Disney.
Chabon said:

“I’ve been hired to do some revisions to an already strong script by Andrew Stanton and Mark Andrews. I wrote my original screenplay The Martian Agent back in 1995 because I wished I could do (Edgar Rice) Burroughs’s Barsoom. So this is pretty much a dream come true for me.”

Andrew Stanton is slated to direct the film which could be released in 2012.

Source: Sugarbombs.com

5. Watchmen star Patrick Wilson has joined the cast of Morning Glory. Wilson will join the stellar line-up of Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton, Rachel McAdams and Jeff Goldblum in the J.J Abrams produced comedy.

Morning Glory is the story of two warring television anchors (Ford and Keaton) who host a morning television show. McAdams is the producer brought in to try and sooth them and boost ratings. Wilson will play her romantic interest.

The Roger Michell directed comedy will start shooting in New York next month.

Abrams’ Star Trek opens on May 8th.

Source: Variety

That’s it for now. See you at the movies!

• Keaton & Goldblum Have ‘Glory’ For J.J Abrams
• Gambit & Silver Fox Join ‘John Carter of Mars’
• John Carter of Mars Adds Three
• Thomas Haden Church Joins John Carter of Mars?
• John Carter of Mars Cast Grows Stronger
• Willem Dafoe To Play Another Green Dude In ‘John Carter of Mars’

Now that he has Star Trek in the can and ready for release, J.J. Abrams is rounding up the cast for his next flick. Okay, so he’s not directing (only producing) but the man has become a brand of his own much like Judd Apatow – must be something about having the initials J.A.

Morning Glory is a newsroom comedy that is set to star Harrison Ford and Rachael McAdams. The film now has two new cast members to round out the cast and they’re A-list talent.

Diane Keaton and Jeff Goldblum have now signed on to the Roger Michell directed comedy. According to Variety:

“(The film) centers on an aspiring news producer (McAdams) who tries to save a failing morning show by getting control of its feuding anchors. Ford and Keaton will play the dueling on-air personalities. Goldblum will portray McAdams’ boss.”

Now while this is not normal Screen Rant fare, it is a pretty exciting feature with a concept that is reminiscent of a 1930’s screwball comedy (a genre that I love) and the fact that Anne Hall is starring in a film with Indiana Jones and The Fly. Throw J.J into the mix and this could be a date movie for all readers of Screen Rant, not that everyone would go as a group together – but you get my drift.

Ford just doesn’t do enough comedy and this seems to be similar to his Oscar winning Working Girl. Goldblum is always worth a look and as for Keaton – there isn’t an actress out there who can play middle-age neurosis quite like her. Director Roger Michell is a director with an interesting and varied body of work that includes the popular Notting Hill and the criminally overlooked Changing Lanes and Enduring Love.

The film which was written by The Devil Wears Prada writer Aline Brosh McKenna will start shooting in New York next month.

Source: Variety

• Mid-Week Movie News Wrap Up – April 17, 2009
• Shia LaBeouf Says Indiana Jones 5 Is ‘Gearing Up’
• Hall & Hamm Go To “Town” With Ben Affleck
• Indiana Jones 5 To Hit Screens By 2011?
• Will Sean Connery Return For Indy 5?
• Mid-Week Movie News Wrap Up – Sept. 17, 2009

One week to Christmas and to take your mind off all the shopping that you haven’t done is the Mid Week Movie News Wrap Up.

This week:

Adam Shankman sails Sinbad; Sam Worthington may be The Phantom; Barry Sonnenfeld reads The How-To Guide for Saving the World and Rachel McAdams has Morning Glory.

1. Adam Shankman is in negotiations to direct a new Sinbad film for Sony Pictures. The film was originally going to star Keanu Reeves and Rob Cohen was set to direct, however the plug was pulled following the cinematic travesty that was Stealth. According to Variety:

“The story centers on Sinbad and his crew, who are marooned off the coast of China and embark on a quest to find the lamp of Aladdin.”

I just can’t see this being any good.

Source: Variety

2. The Phantom Legacy witer Tim Boyle is reportedly hoping that he will be the man that is going to weild the megaphone on the set of the forthcoming superhero film.

Boyle also hopes that Avatar and Terminator Salvation star Sam Worthington will be donning the purple tights for the action-adventure film. The pair originally worked together on a low budget film named Fink.

Nothing is offical yet, and this is speculation but expect an announcement soon naming all key members of cast and crew.

Source:  News.com

3. Men In Black director Barry Sonnenfeld will direct The How-To Guide for Saving the World. Sonnenfeld had this to say about the action-comedy:

“One of the first things I read when I joined the manly William Morris Agency was Ben David Grabinski’s script. I loved the writing, and the concept: what would happen if one afternoon, the secret group that protects Earth from alien invaders was wiped out? Fortunately, they left behind an instruction manual for saving Earth. Unfortunately, a non-action-hero guy not unlike me, in terms of manliness, and a woman who hates him, find the book, and have to save the planet from an impending attack. I had a great experience making Get Shorty with MGM/UA and could not be more excited to be working with them again.”

The phrase been there done that springs to mind.

Source: Comingsoon

4. Rachel McAdams is in negotiations to join Harrison Ford in Morning Glory. The comedy is set in the cut-throat world of morning TV news. The J.J Abrams produced comedy was written by Aline Brosh McKenna the writer behind the musical montage that was The Devil Wears Prada. Roger Michell director of Notting Hill and the outstanding Enduring Love (starring Daniel Craig) will call the shots.

Source: Variety

That’s it for now, see you at the movies!

• Barry Sonnenfeld Adapting ‘Tom Swift’ Novels
• Keaton & Goldblum Have ‘Glory’ For J.J Abrams
• Mid-Week Movie News Wrap Up – April 17, 2009
• Adam Shankman Signs on to Direct ‘Rock of Ages’
• Tom Cruise Jumps Onto Wichita
• Spider-Man 4: McAdams Denies Black Cat Rumor

It’s been well documented here at Screen Rant that Paramount Pictures has been trying to get the Jack Ryan franchise up and running again. Played in the past by Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford and Ben Affleck the studio are currently in a bit of a pickle over who should fill their shoes. Ryan Gosling, James Franco and Aaron Eckhart have all been mentioned, however Harrison Ford believes that he has what it takes to play Jack Ryan once more.

Considering the ass that he kicked in Indiana Jones this past summer – you can’t disagree.

Speaking to MTV Ford said:

“I think it’s a character I could easily play at this point if people were interested in seeing what happens to Jack Ryan as his life progresses,”

Don’t get too excited though – Paramount has no apparent interest in casting Ford, although in Clancy’s books Ryan does move up the promotional ladder and become President of the United States. However, I can’t imagine much ass kicking in that role.

Hold on, didn’t Ford play an ass kicking US President in Air Force One? Maybe there is a bit of room, although that would lead to Ford playing a similar character to one he played previously.

Wait a minute – doesn’t Ford usually play a grumpy, aging professional who ends up in a dangerous position? Maybe there is a bit if leeway for that!

I digress. While Ford may have some superficial interest in the Jack Ryan role, he does have other films in development, so it’s unlikely that he would star in a film that Paramount wants to make pretty sharpish. To explain further, over to Mr Ford:

“I have a comedy that’s been developed by J.J. Abrams and a drama that I developed that talks about the pharmaceutical industry. We haven’t sorted out which is first yet.”

The Abrams film is Morning Glory where Ford would play – you guessed it a grumpy professional – this time a morning television anchorman.

The drama is Crowley – a medical drama where (and I’m just guessing here) Ford will play a brilliant but grumpy medical researcher.

I’m more interested in the comedy – if you haven’t seen Ford in Working Girl, then you’ve missed a great piece of 1980’s cinema.

Now, if Paramount own the Ryan property, and they have a good relationship with Abrams (Star Trek) and Ford (Indiana Jones, previous Ryan films) then they might be able to negotiate a deal!

We all want to see Ford back as Jack Ryan.

Come on Paramount!!! Give us what we want. Please.

Source: MTV

• Indiana Jones 5 To Hit Screens By 2011?
• Keaton & Goldblum Have ‘Glory’ For J.J Abrams
• George Clooney Doesn’t Know Jack – Ryan That Is!
• Chris Pine In Negotiations To Be The Next Jack Ryan
• Shia LaBeouf Says Indiana Jones 5 Is ‘Gearing Up’
• Producer Frank Marshall Talks Indy 5 & Other Projects