Guillermo del Toro is booked with monster movie duty until 2017 and possibly longer. No fucking joke, after the two “The Hobbit” films, the in-demand Mexican director has signed a deal with Universal that will see him develop and direct four features including remakes of “Frankenstein,” “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” and “Slaughterhouse-Five.” A Kurt Vonnegut book in the science fiction field (the latter project) Well, at least he’s not totally pigeonholed, right? On top of those four, Universal also has its heart set on “At the Mountains of Madness,” an an adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft that’s a del Toro’s pet project, plus adaptations of David Moody’s apocalyptic novel “Hater” and “Crimson Peak,” a Gothic romance spec script by del Toro co-written by his “Mimic,” collaborator – del Toro will not direct either of the last two projects however and probably only serve as producer. If you want him to remake Gozzilla or pen the Count Chocula movie you better ask him now. [Variety]
Jodie Foster and Anne Hathaway will guest star on “The Simpson’s.” [EW]
Speaking of Bland Hathaway, her performance in “Rachel Getting Married,” is generating award buzz at the seemingly dull and lackluster Venice Film Festival. [Reuters]
And speaking of Venice, the film festival will start on September 2 next year, a date that will likely conflict with the Toronto International Film Festival that generally kicks off at the beginning of September. All we have to say is that if this year is any indication, the Lido might want to back off or they’re going to have zero A-list films next year. [Hollywood Reporter]
Is Tom Cruise going to voice a villain in ‘Shrek 4’? [Cinemablend]
Nicolas Cage is thinking about another “Ghost Rider” movie. Because he’s a glutton for punishment? Let it go dude. [ComingSoon]
For the nitwits that don’t have eyes and apparently low-brain capacity, the Two-Face/Harvey Dent died at the end of “The Dark Knight.” It’s now “official”? What? If the movie didn’t already tell you this, the leaked script didn’t? If you need Aaron Eckhart to tell you that Harvey Dent died at the end of that movie, you might want to consider quitting attending movies altogether. [CHUD]
Stephanie Meyer, the author of tween emo vampire phenom, “Twilight,” had her new book “Midnight Sun,” leak online last week and now she’s dropping the project entirely she’s so pissed. Cue Nelson, ha ha! [Reuters]
The “Appaloosa” one-sheet poster art is looking pretty twisty and grim. The film stars Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen, Jeremy Irons and Renée Zellweger and is set in the Old West. [InContention/Awards Daily]
Dan Ackroyd just wont let Ghostbusters die. He says two newb screenwriters are very keen to write a third film and he’d love to get Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen interested. [E!Online]
Germany has announced its offerings for possible Foreign Oscar contention. Germany took the award last year with the very excellent, “The Counterfeiters.”[Variety]
