Almodóvar’s ‘All About My Mother’ Heads to the Old Vic

Almodóvar to the Stage: Kevin Spacey’s Old Vic Theater will present stage version of Pedro Almodóvar’s All About My Mother, adapted by Samuel Adamson, as part of 2007–2008 season. Other shows include Stephen Fry holiday pantomime, revival of David Mamet’s Speed-the-Plow starring Spacey, and previously announced Sam Mendes–directed productions of Hamlet and The Tempest. [Playbill]

Ethan Coen Plays at Atlantic: Atlantic Theater Company announces upcoming season, including Three Short Plays by filmmaker Ethan Coen, as well as plays by Jez Butterworth, Lucy Thurber, Peter Parnell, and the New York premiere of Conor McPherson’s Port Authority. Coen’s plays to be directed by Atlantic AD Neil Pepe; we hope Roderick Jaynes will get involved somehow. [Playbill]

The Queen Goes to Gaza: Helen Mirren signs to play a Jewish mother whose daughter is shot dead while dating a Palestinian in the Gaza Strip. Untitled film will be written by Prime Suspect screenwriter Frank Deasy and directed by Philip Martin; The Queen’s Andrew Harries will produce. From the Queen of England to a Jewish mother: How many more signposts of smothering maternalism can Helen Mirren turn totally sexy? [Variety]

Minghella, Weinsteins Option Comic Novel: Anthony Minghella and the Weinstein Company option The Silver Linings Playbook, comic novel by Matthew Quick. Book will be published by Sarah Crichton’s imprint at FSG and follows a man released from a mental hospital determined to find the silver linings in life. [Variety]

NBC, Second City Develop Sketch Show: American version of U.K. relationship sketch show Spoons to be developed by NBC; British creator, director Phil Traill, traveled to Chicago, where Second City performers improvised around show’s concepts for three days in exchange for consideration for roles in eventual series. Actors: You can talk them into anything! [Variety]

Battlestar Sets End: Next year’s fourth season of Battlestar Galactica will be last on the Sci Fi Channel. Producers Ronald D. Moore and David Eick say decision was theirs, and that ending of show will be one they have planned. [Variety]

Grisham Tosses Pizza: John Grisham’s short novel about an American quarterback playing football in Italy, Playing for Pizza, will be published by Doubleday in the fall. Idea came to Grisham while researching next legal thriller, and he doggedly pursued it through arduous research of “food, wine, opera, football, Italian culture.� [NYT]

Simon’s Generation Kill Cast: HBO announces cast for Generation Kill, Iraq War mini-series by David Simon and Ed Burns (The Wire). Actors enlisted include James Ransone (Ziggy in The Wire), Lee Tergesen (Oz), and Michael Kelly (The Sopranos). This item is too awesome to make fun of. [HR]