Viggo Mortensen and Renée Zellweger Head West

Zellweger, Mortensen in Western: Renée Zellweger and Viggo Mortensen will topline Appaloosa, a New Line Western Ed Harris will direct from the screenplay he wrote with Robert Knott. Based on Robert Parker’s novel, movie follows pair of friends hired to protect a town from an unscrupulous rancher. Zellweger will play a widow who disrupts their plans. Dozens of horses yet to be cast. [Variety]

Ensemble Into Into You: Jennifer Connelly, Kevin Connolly, Bradley Cooper, Justin Long, and Ginnifer Goodwin are reportedly about to join Drew Barrymore in He’s Just Not That Into You, based on Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo’s book, which was itself based on a phrase. Producers describe the ensemble film as the “Traffic of comedy�; we look forward to the scene where Ginnifer Goodwin descends into a hellish underworld of dating in search of her next fix. [HR]

Allen Joins Six Wives: Tim Allen will star in indie comedy The Six Wives of Henry Lefay as a missing, presumed-dead salesman whose six current and former wives fight over his fortune. Elisha Cuthbert plays his daughter; Paz Vega, Andie MacDowell, Kelli Garner, and S. Epatha Merkerson play, presumably, 66.67 percent of the title. [Variety]

Berg Produces Cop Drama for FX: FX green-lights pilot for untitled police drama set in the world of the Russian Mafia. Peter Berg produces; Sheldon Turner (X-Men: Magneto) wrote the script. In hopes of improving on The Shield’s formula of outlandish corruption, each episode of new show will feature the hero punching a nun. [Variety]

Rapp’s Latest at Flea: Bingo With the Indians, new play by Adam Rapp, will premiere at the Flea Theater in October. Play follows a downtown theater company as it visits a small New England town. We can only hope that prejudices will be exposed and dark secrets uncovered. [Variety]

Van Halen Tour On?: So says Billboard, claiming that Van Halen, fronted by David Lee Roth, will announce a 50-date tour next week. Hairspray futures rise 54 points in overnight trading. [Billboard]