Fresh off the success of the psychological sci-fi film “Moon” — at least critically, the film hasn’t been released in North America yet — director Duncan Jones is set to take helm of “Escape From The Deep,” a film based on the Alex Kershaw non-fiction book that centers the story of USS Tang, a WWII navy submarine which malfunctioned and sank to the bottom of the Pacific. The story will follow several survivors who battled to stay alive and swim 180 feet to the surface.
So much for that British “Bladerunner” project he was so amped about doing next. [Screen Daily]
Halle Berry is in talks to star in Paul Verhoeven’s “The Surrogate,” a thriller that follows a couple who find out their woman who is carrying their surrogate child is insane. Just when Verhoeven had reclaimed his career back (with the excellent WWII thriller, “Black Book” in 2006) he goes back to Hollywood with Berry, who is like box-office poison these days, not to mention godawful in everything she does (return the Oscar already?) This looks like bad news from every angle. [Variety]
Aidan Quinn, Penelope Ann Miller, John Mahoney, Anthony Edwards, Rebecca De Mornay and Kevin Weisman are set to join an adaptation of Wendelin Van Draanen’s “Flipped.” The book revolves around the romantic developments of two neighbors from childhood, played by Quinn and Miller. Rob Reiner is attached to direct. Nora Ephron was once involved and had written a version of the script, but she now no longer has anything to do with this project. [THR]
Universal Pictures have agreed a deal for a live-action musical film with an untitled Mattel toy property. The toy property is described as “a fresh twist to monster lore” with the film adaptation set to reunite a musical production partnership from “Hairspray.” God help us all. [Variety]
Barry Sonnenfeld and Ben David Grabinski is set to bring a reimagining of the Tom Swift novels to the silver screen with “Swift.” The new vision will feature Swift as one-half of a father-son team who are among the greatest inventors of all time. [Variety]