Our favorite monotone-sounding curmudgeon, Stephin Merritt of the Magnetic Fields, always has a plethora of music projects on his plate and recent interviews reveal this continues to be the case. The brown-wearing enthusiast is evidently working on a movie musical with his Gothic Archies accordionist/”Lemony Snicket” author Daniel Handler, and a musical adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s “Coraline” which has nothing to do with the animated film project being directed by Henry Selick. [New York Times]
While Andre 3000, is busy doing press for his this weekend’s “Semi-Pro” release, he’ll still find some time to reprise his role on the hit FX drama “The Shield” this summer, as his comic book store owner character hits the campaign trail running for mayor. [SOHH]
The idea of horror writer Stephen King and heartland rocker John Mellencamp together is like chewing nuts and gum at the same time, no? Well, that won’t stop the two from collaborating on a new musical thriller, “Ghost Brothers of Darkland County.” “It is John Mellencamp’s musical style and it’s Stephen King’s gothic style, and I just thought it was too cool to pass up,” said clearly dusted Alliance Theatre artistic director Susan V. Booth. [Playbill]
Everyone loves “Juno” except Canadians apparently. Despite having a Canadian director (Jason Reitman) and two lead Canucks (Ellen Page, Michael Cera) in the picture, the film is being ignored by the Genie Awards – the Great White North’s equivalent of the Oscars. Oh, not cause it wasn’t nominated. The film was deemed ineligible because of its mostly American funding. “It’s a Canadian director, Canadian stars, Canadian cast, Canadian crew, shot in Canada — how are we not eligible for a Genie when David Cronenberg’s film about Russians living in London shot in England with a British crew and British cast is eligible? I’m sorry, but somebody is going to have to explain that to me; I don’t get it,” Reitman said bringing up a pretty valid point despite his incredibly whiny voice. [Reuters]
Oh and speaking of “Juno,” some jackass has written “the sequel” and is selling it on Ebay for $100,001.00. Yet another cheapshot dig at this movie from all the haters. [Ebay]
Modern Scottish composer Craig Armstrong (orchestration for Massive Attack, Madonna, U2) is writing the original score to the new, Marvel revamped “The Incredible Hulk” movie starring Edward Norton, Robert Downey Jr., Liv Tyler, William Hurt and Tim Roth. [Film Music Weekly]
Dario Marianelli, the recent Academy Award-winning composer of “Atonement,” has been hired to compose the score for the 1960s flower-power drama, “Hippie Hippie Shake” starring Sienna Miller and Cillian Murphy.[FMW]
Philip Seymour Hoffman is set to play irreverent, iconic British pirate radio DJ The Count in writer/director Richard Curtis’s “The Boat That Rocked.” [Hollywood Insider]
