the industry

Is Paul Greengrass Going on ‘Trial’ in Steven Spielberg’s Place?

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And Paul Makes Seven?: Remember The Trial of the Chicago 7, Aaron Sorkin’s story about the ‘68 DNC riots that Steven Spielberg ditched so he could direct Lincoln? We’d heard it was floating around town in search of a new director, but it may be that it’s moving forward with none other than Paul Greengrass at the helm. Don’t worry, he’ll be sure to spice things up by shooting the courtroom scenes shaky and handheld, with two cuts a second. [Film School Rejects]

Hoffman Get Your Gun: Philip Seymour Hoffman will direct Riflemind, a play opening September 18 in London’s West End. Andrew Upton — a.k.a. Cate Blanchett’s husband — wrote the story of a rock band reuniting twenty years after their breakup, and The Mummy’s John Hannah is set to star. In the Hoffman races, we’re betting he premieres this puppy well before Synecdoche, New York stumbles its way into theaters. [HR]

Columbus Sets Sail: Chris Columbus will direct a feature based on Thurston Clarke’s The Last Campaign: Robert F. Kennedy and the 82 Days That Inspired America, for Reliance Big Entertainment (part of the Indian powerhouse that’s in talks to fund the new DreamWorks). Story will focus on Kennedy’s idealistic campaign, including his breathtaking impromptu speech about Dr. Martin Luther King’s assassination (we dare you not to cry), but Columbus declined to include RFK’s breathtaking impromptu speech about putting on aftershave. [Variety]

MGM Goes to the Dogs: MGM plonked down a cool million for Ken Kaufman and David Agosto’s Wardogs, an action-comedy pitch with Get Smart’s Peter Segal attached to direct. It’s “in the vein of Ocean’s Eleven,†according to the producers, but the story is tippy-top secret, so we’re going to make something up and pretend that, um, it’s about a bunch of old ex-soldiers who have to go rescue one of their buddies when he gets in over his head, and also they get turned into dogs, maybe by a laser or magical birthday wish? [HR]

Tusker Rides Again: Imagi International, the animation studio behind last year’s TMNT, has stepped in to rescue DreamWorks’ Tusker from its uncertain fate in turnaround-land. For some reason DreamWorks didn’t want to green-light the story of “a young elephant’s journey of discovery, heroism, and redemption,†written by Silence of the Lambs’ Ted Tally. The elephant is expected to put the lotion in the basket. [Variety]