Leonardo DiCaprio to Play Private Eye for Michael Mann

Mann, Leo Shop Period Project: Michael Mann’s next film is being shopped around to major studios and will be a period piece starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Set in thirties Hollywood and co-written with John Logan, the drama would set DiCaprio as a private eye hired by the studios to cover up star imbroglios. Expect some moody atmospherics, plus plenty of juicy, 70-year-old gossip. [Variety]

Clooney Goes to Iran: Good Night, and Good Luck writing pair George Clooney and Grant Heslov will write Escape From Tehran, a dramedy based on Joshuah Berman’s Wired article, for Warner Brothers. Article tells true story of six American hostages rescued from Iran in 1980 by a fake, CIA-backed production company that never really shot a movie. Even the CIA has a vanity shingle! [Variety]

Hartnett Goes Asian: Josh Hartnett signs to star in next film from Scent of Green Papaya director Tran Anh Hung. Hartnett plays an American traveling to the East in search of a mysterious relative. We would not have predicted this director-actor pairing. [Variety]

Kiki & Herb Road Trip!: Justin Bond and Kenny Mellman will bring their much-loved cabaret act Kiki & Herb on the road, with planned stops in D.C., Boston, San Francisco, and seven other cities. The tour expected to shudder to a stop when Kiki is hospitalized in New Mexico for alcohol poisoning. [Variety]

Happy Days Are on Their Way: Musical version of Happy Days will play Goodspeed Musicals in Connecticut this summer in preparation for nationwide tour. Garry Marshall and Paul Williams write. Show will begin with Fonzie jumping the shark on water skis and proceed from there. [Playbill]

Lil Wayne, Timba, Clipse Collabo: New Lil Wayne mixtape, produced by D.J. Benzi, will feature Clipse, Timbaland, Neptunes, Diplo, more. Mixtape, None Higher: We Got the Remix Special Edition, will be available for free download at the end of the month, or of course if you would like to spend money on it, arrangements could be made. [Pitchfork]

Sonic Youth Daydream by the Pool: Epochal Sonic Youth concert, in which band plays Daydream Nation live, comes to McCarren Pool in Brooklyn July 28. Tickets go on sale to the public tomorrow — better get on it. Inspirational comment on the news item: “Fuck, I can’t make it, I’m going to be dead by then.� [Brooklyn Vegan]

HBO Plans Sawx Mini: HBO options Stewart O’Nan and Stephen King’s quickie book about the 2004 Red Sox season, Faithful, to produce as an eight-hour miniseries. That plucky Stephen King — we knew he’d finally get a book optioned someday. [Variety]