Ben Stiller is set to direct “Spread Goodness,” a dramatic film with comedic overtones that featured on 2008’s Black List. The film is about a Chicago banker who gets swindled in a Nigerian Internet scam and was written by Mark Friedman (“Home of the Brave”). More importantly though, production on ‘Goodness’ is dependent on that of Stiller’s other directorial project “The Trial Of The Chicago 7,” the Aaron Sorkin scripted drama that once had Steven Spielberg at the helm. [Variety]
Hot off the box-office heat (we’ll never understand that one) of “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” Hugh Jackman has signed onto star in “Ghostopolis,” a comic book property about a man who works for a Supernatural Immigration Task Force. Jackman’s lead has the job of sending ghosts who have escaped into our world back to Ghostopolis – but when a living boy is accidentally is sent to the other side, he must team with a female ghost/former flame to bring him back. Jackman? The supernatural? Please don’t bring back the Jackman from “Van Helsing.” [THR]
Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut in “New York, I Love You” won’t be totally ditched after all with plans for it to be used as promotional material (wait, being on the DVD wasn’t enough?). The short, revealed to be about an obsessive-compulsive man who only finds peace when he reaches Coney Island and buys a hot dog, was “not a bad piece at all” according to one insider. PR clean up job? You decide. [EW]
Dwayne Johnson (aka when will it be possible to drop The Rock from my name?) looks set to join McG’s “20,000 Leagues Under The Sea.” It is not known what role he will play but it is assumed he will play Captain Nemo, the role previously linked to Will Smith. Fair swap? [Moviehole]
“Toy Story” and “Cheaper By The Dozen” scribes Alec Sokolow and Joel Cohen (no, not that one) have sold their original screenplay “Q.” In what is a rare deal for writers, the two have also negotiated a piece of back-end profits as well as merchandising and ancillary revenue. [THR]
First Run Features has acquired Sundance contender “Crude,” a environmental based documentary currently in a legal battle between oil giant Chevron and rain forest dwellers in Ecuador. As a doc, it must be doing something right if it’s getting taken to the court for its content. [Variety]
Co-creator of the “Underworld” franchise, Kevin Grevioux, will make his directorial debut with an adaptation of the comic book property “Pale Horseman,” as a supernatural thriller that revolves around a gang of hitmen who are forced to work together to uncover who killed their mentor. [Variety]
Philippe Martinez’s post-apocalyptic project “Tribes Of October” has added Ray Stevenson, Jamie King, Stephen Moyer as well as Robert Duvall and James Caan to its cast. The film will be set in a future where New York is surrounded by nothing but desert, is plagued by heat storms, and has had all post-1960 technology voided of functionality. Stevenson will play a detective goes after a Mafia don (Caan) who is going after the remnants of the NYPD, led by Duvall. The detective is simultaneously searching for the love of his life (King) while Moyer will play a cynical and street-smart detective. [THR]
Vinnie Jones is set to star in a spy-action-drama from Howard Chaykin. The film is one of the first from a newly developed company Elevate Entertainment and is gunning to be U.K.-Canada co-production. [THR]