· Adam Sandler and Kevin James will bravely mine the previously unexplored comic territory of domestic partner insurance benefits in
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, about two heterosexual firefighters who pretend to be a gay couple Although with a script by Alexander Payne and James Taylor, there's hope it will be more than a processsion of "look at how uncomfortable it is when two straight dudes have to pretend to kiss!" jokes. Bonus callback section: Sandler will take on the project after he wraps 9/11 Reign O'er Me with noted director Mike Binger. [Variety]
· Ethan Hawke Presents An Ethan Hawke Film Starring Ethan Hawke: Taking the concept of vanity project to an exciting new level, Ethan Hawke will direct Mark Webber, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Michelle Williams, Laura Linney, and himself in The Hottest State, the film adaptation of his own novel. We don't even want to think about the casting couch self-abuse he had to endure to land himself a role in the picture. [THR]
· Fox's decline in film division revenue can't stop COO Peter Chernin, who's clearly never tried to sit through Fantastic Four, from "feeling really good about the movie biz." [Variety]
· Rob Corddry lands the lead role in the Fox comedy pilot Becoming Glen; coupled with brother Nathan's recent casting in Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, we may all have to confront the sad reality of a Corddry-less The Daily Show this Fall. [THR]
· The red-hot Terrence Howard seems to be content with taking over Samuel L. Jackson's career, as he's in final negotiations to star in Coach Carter-y feeling Lionsgate drama P.D.R., based on true story of an inner city swim coach. [Variety]

· More The CW fallout: Fox is still trying to figure out what to do with their nine UPN stations in top markets, while other affiliates lash out with public defiance: "The strength of KQCA is not solely dependent on the WB Network programming for success. We will develop a new strategy for the station, which will include new programming, new content and a new station identity." Right on! Fuck you, Gilmore Girls! [Variety]
· Sony reports a 17.5% quarterly profit (mainly on the strength of video games and fancy TVs), looks hopefully to a 2006 in which its movie operation isn't a gigantic disaster. [THR]
· Warner Bros will remake the 1944 thriller Gaslight with Pride and Prejudice director Joe Wright, but with a modern twist: The studio hopes to lure Jennifer Aniston to play a jilted woman slowly being driven insane by her ex-husband and his new girlfriend's incredibly public displays of affection. [Variety]
· Fox's American Idol continues its completely mundane obliteration of everything in its path. [THR]
· Still more Sundance deals: Lionsgate buys thriller Right At Your Door for $2 million, IFC shells out $1 mil for the documentary Wordplay. [Variety]

Last great indie studio holdout (and, full disclosure, one-time Defamer associate editor employer) Lions Gate Entertainment has revealed a bold new logo reimagining, replacing the somewhat baffling (and scary!) "LGF with green smoke and thunder" motif currently preceding their releases. The new logo, pictured above, melds the studio name into one streamlined word. The press release explains that this was no random smushing, but rather a representation of everything the company stands for:

· ABC climbs quickly back in bed with recently ousted Commander in Chief creator/showrunner Rod Lurie, who will get to write and direct the second installment of his planned "Improbable Office-Holders" trilogy with Triumph, the story of an 18 year old mayor. Should the pilot get a series order, ABC and the strong-willed Lurie plan on parting bitterly after the third episode, in which the manchild mayor loses his virginity to an entire brothelful of prostitutes. [Variety]
· Jessica Simpson is in negotiations to star with Dane Cook in Lions Gate's Employee of the Month. Simpson's father/manager is getting a producing credit, and a healthy bonus awaits if he can maintain the illusion that his daughter's marriage is still intact while simultaneously feeding rumors of an affair with her co-star to US Weekly. [THR]
· Ashton Kutcher's Katalyst sets up the reincarnation pilot For Pete's Sake at NBC. Producing partner Jason Goldberg notes Kutcher's personal stamp on the project: in their world, celebrities automatically get into heaven. Indeed, no one could possibly doubt Kutcher's involvement now that he's turning the afterlife into the Spider Club. [Variety]
· Not even NBC's potent Poseidon Adventure triumvirate of Adam Baldwin, Rutger Hauer, and Steve Guttenberg could get within spitting distance of the ABC Sunday night Nielsen wrecking ball, making the Guttenberg/Patrick Dempsey Police Academy/Loverboy face-off somewhat anticlimactic. [THR]
· CBS will pit underemployed, fading celebrities against each other in classic gameshows for an American version of British hit Gameshow Marathon. The public will certainly clamor to watch a third season Survivor loser and Brad Garrett match wits in a heated Card Sharks contest. [Variety]