'Spider-Man' Just Got a Lot Indier
This week the Roundup covered the most indie film ever. "Spider-Man" is like the opposite of that, right? What if we told you that Marc Webb, director of Indie rom-com "(500) Days of Summer," will direct the new Spidey flick?
A Weird But True Tale! Sam Raimi's latest "Spider-Man" imploded due to a crappy script. Now Webb—who made his feature debut with the critically acclaimed "(500)" will try his hands at "Spider-Man" with an all new script and cast. And guess who's name has been thrown around to play Peter Parker? Robert Pattinson! All this thing needs is a Feist cover of the Spider-Man theme-song. [Variety]
•How do you market Leno's return to "The Tonight Show?" Very, very carefully. The main challenge will be dealing with the idea that Leno basically bullied Conan out of his hard-earned place at "The Tonight Show." (Which he did.) But, the Winter Olympics should make everyone forget about this, because of all those hot bodies in spandex... glorious, tight spandex.... What were we just talking about? [Variety]
•Is Tim Burton taking on "Sleeping Beauty" next? "Ain't it Cool" news thinks so. The film will allegedly be called 'Maleficent,' and told from Maleficent's point of view. (The evil witch.) Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" hits theaters March 5th, and is notable mainly for the fact that Johnny Depp looks like Madonna + Elijah Wood in it. [Ain't It Cool]
•NBC has picked up a pilot for "The Strip," which is by "Reno 911" creators (and, more importantly, "The State" members) Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant. The show is about a "former child star (Lennon) who now owns a Hooters-type restaurant in a strip mall on the outskirts of Vegas." Stick with what you know. [THR]
•They're going to make a new adaptation of "Wuthering Heights," and Andrea Arnold ("Fish Tank") will direct. Who's going to play Catherine? Who's going to play Heathcliff? Edgar Linton? Oh God, how are we going to sleep tonight? [Variety]
•Screenwriter Ronald Harwood ("The Pianist") has been tapped to pen the script for DreamWorks' untitled Martin Luther King Jr. film. The film will be about a young slacker who gets the day off at his job as a paralegal. He gets stoned on his couch watching DVDs of "The Wire," and is visited by the spirit of MLK Jr., who shows him a bunch of underprivileged families and teaches him the true meaning of Martin Luther King Jr. day. Or something? [Variety]
•'Paranormal 2' will be directed by the 'Saw VI' director, Kevin Greutert. This is notable because: Did you have any idea they made six "Saw" movies!? That's a lot of torture porn. [THR]