James Frey Writing Fiction Again

Bright Shiny Rebirth for Frey?: Jonathan Burnham at Harper spends a rumored million bucks on disgraced pseudo-memoirist James Frey’s next book, Bright Shiny Morning, which Frey is presenting as an unambiguous work of fiction. We don’t trust that guy. We bet it’s all true! [WSJ]

Gervais is Just This Side of Truth: Come to think of it, Frey will probably get a kick out of This Side of Truth, co-directed by and starring Ricky Gervais. Truth imagines a world in which no one has ever lied, until Gervais’s failing actor tells the first fib ever and becomes the world’s greatest storyteller. [Variety]

Murphy to Dali with Pacino: Sunshine’s Cillian Murphy joins Al Pacino in Dali and I: A Surrealistic Portrait, which follows the later period of decline in Salvador Dali’s career. When asked how he will prepare to play a great talent whose work is falling off while his behavior is becoming more flamboyant, Pacino replied, “That’s why I’m a THESPIAN, mothafuckah! YEAH!� [HR]

No Red Cliff-hanger: John Woo’s 80 million-dollar, four-hour Chinese language epic Red Cliff looks set to wrap on schedule, despite enormous production difficulties. This is good news for studio execs eagerly awaiting Woo’s return to Hollywood, one of whom noted off the record that “all these Nicolas Cage movies aren’t gonna direct themselves.� [HR]

Desperately Seeking Opening Night: The new London musical Desperately Seeking Susan delays the start of previews until October 16, citing technical problems. Chief among these technical problems: trying to convince any sentient creature to care about a musical of Desperately Seeking Susan. [Playbill]