Anthony Hopkins to Overact in a Classical Mode

Hopkins Is Learing: Sometimes it takes news a while to travel across the pond, and last week the Guardian confirmed that Anthony Hopkins will play the title role in a movie version of King Lear. Gwyneth Paltrow, Naomi Watts, and Keira Knightley are set to play his three daughters. Only in England could director Joshua Michael Stern land this gig after previously directing comedy shorts including Queer Eye for the Homeless Guy and Jewz N The Hood. [Guardian]

Call to Arms: Legendary Pictures is developing a 300 follow-up for Warner Bros., with Frank Miller writing and Zack Snyder basically committed to direct after he signs off on Miller’s script. Will it be a sequel? A spinoff? Will it be called 301? Answer: Who cares. Actors, start your crunches. [Variety]

Four Whip It Good: Marcia Gay Harden, Kristen Wiig, Juliette Lewis, and Zoe Bell have joined Drew Barrymore’s roller-derby extravaganza, Whip It. Although excited now, they might be less so when they start the two-week skating boot camp à la Saving Private Ryan. [HR]

WB, Fox Up in Smoke: Warner Bros. has acquired Billy Smoke, a forthcoming comic from Oni Press, about a hit man who survives a botched job only to find a new calling: ridding the world of all assassins. Matthew Fox is in negotiations to star, although a sticking point on his deal might be paragraph seven: “No one on-set is allowed to mention Speed Racer, ever.� [HR]

McGowan Wants Red Revenge: Robert Rodriguez is producing a remake of 1985’s absurdly ridiculous Red Sonja for his Grindhouse muse, Rose McGowan, to star in. Of course with Rodriguez-style filmmaking, ridiculous premises often yield awesome execution, so take a look at the old preview and start praying that newbie director Douglas Aarniokoski will get the joke. [Variety]