the early-evening news

Whenever There Is Trouble, G.I. Clooney Is There

Photos: WireImage, Courtesy of Marvel Productions

George Clooney in G.I. Joe? IESB reports that George Clooney, looking for a blockbuster on the heels of Michael Clayton’s underperformance, might star in a live-action G.I. Joe movie. We understand the desire to be in a hit, but does it have to be such a stupid one? Hell, why not just put him back in the benippled Batsuit? [IESB]

Jack Bauer, Pitchman: So that’s how Jack Bauer stays up for 24 hours at a time … he drinks Calorie Mate Japanese energy drink! [YouTube via VSL]

Teamsters Support Potential Strike: The powerful union would throw its not-inconsiderable weight behind any Hollywood writers strike. Or at least it would for twenty minutes, until its contract-mandated break. [Variety]

Samantha Who-ray! Vulture-approved new sitcom Samantha Who? gets a full season order from ABC, a day after posting its best ratings of the fall. [Variety]

Fox Remaking Spaced, and It Could Suck: Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg’s classic Britcom Spaced is being remade by Fox and executive producer McG; sadly, Wright notes that no one from Fox has bothered to talk to him about it at all. [AICN, Variety]

Pitchfork Agrees With Us That Jack Johnson Is Awesome: In its review of the soundtrack to I’m Not There, Pitchfork writes, “It’s a crazy, mixed-up world, though, when Jack Johnson’s medley of ‘Mama, You’ve Been on My Mind/A Fraction of Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie’ has more smarts and soul than Sufjan Stevens’ ‘Ring Them Bells.’†We told you he was good with soundtracks! [Pitchfork]