While he’s done some other lower key pictures, the ones director John Carney is best known for involve song, and he’s sticking to his strength. The “Once” helmer will get behind the camera for “Sing Street,” with none other than Bono and The Edge to write some original songs for the picture. The ’80s set story sounds not unlike Carney’s forthcoming “Can A Song Save Your Life?” but with a younger bent, centering on “a 14-year-old Dubliner dealing with the stress of his parent’s marriage, a drop-out brother and bullies at a new school. The youngster forms a band then heads off to London with his aspiring model girlfriend in search of fame and fortune.” Man, I wish I had an aspiring model girlfriend at 14… Production will begin this summer, and “Can A Song Save Your Life?” will open in limited release on July 4th. [ScreenDaily]
After trying his hand with TV on “Locke & Key,” which ultimately didn’t go forward at Fox, Mark Romanek is headed to ABC to helm the pilot for “The Visitors.” Based on Rad Bradbury‘s short story “Zero Hero,” the story “chronicles the race against the clock to defeat an unseen alien enemy out to destroy the world using our most precious resource against us.” [Deadline]
Lastly, that female “Expendables” thing “ExpendaBelles” (#faceplalm) now has a director, with Robert Luketic (“Paranoia,” “21,” “The Ugly Truth“) signing up for the job. The story here kicks off when “America’s Navy SEALs are wiped out trying to penetrate the island lair of a deadly despot who has captured one of the world’s top nuclear scientists, it becomes clear that there is no such thing as the right man for the job and that this is a mission so impossible that only women can handle it. The only way in: some of the world’s deadliest female operatives must pose as high-class call-girls shipped in by private plane to satisfy a dictator—and instead save the scientist and the day.” So basically, an excuse to get women to wear next to nothing and then kick some ass. If you’re going to be shameless, might as well be upfront about it.
And while Meryl Streep, Cameron Diaz and Milla Jovovich were all rumored at one point, no one is officially signed on, and we’ll see who they get, especially with a rival picture in the works that has apparently tapped Gina Carano and Katee Sackhoff. [Deadline]
