Dream Reteam: Johnny Depp is reteaming with Pirates director Gore Verbinski in Rango, an animated feature for Paramount, based on an idea by Verbinski and a script by The Aviator’s John Logan. Story follows a household pet (voiced by Depp) that — yawn — “goes on an adventure to discover its true self.†Verbinski wants to use “cutting-edge†techniques that will let them “capture and translate every aspect of Johnny’s performance.†Have fun navigating the uncanny valley, fellas. [Variety]
By the Hammer of Caruso: Disturbia and Eagle Eye director DJ Caruso has told our boys at IESB that he’s “had some talks with Marvel†about helming their big-screen adaptation of Thor. Having not seen a script, he’s obviously got some unanswered questions, like do you “bring Thor into the modern world†or do you “go back to Asgard and get the history� Do you “cast Shia LaBeouf as Thor†or “put Shia in makeup and let him play every character� [IESB]
Verhoeverotica: Director Paul Verhoeven is bringin’ sexy back, as he finds himself in talks to direct an untitled thriller by Wendy Miller for Relativity Media. Story centers on a young intern who gets trapped in an affair with the boss’ wife, which doesn’t sound so bad until you realize the wife erased your memory on Mars and the boss is one of those bugs from Starship Troopers. (Verhoeven, we’ll slip you twenty bucks if you can make this happen.) [Variety]
The Future Looks Legendary: Matt Cirulnick and David Manpearl have sold an “untitled futuristic movie†to Legendary pictures, a story set in a world where humans have lost a war to an enemy race and one man leads an uprising to save mankind. It’s kind of like Stargate meets Independence Day meets The Ten Commandments meets Commando meets Red Dawn meets War of the Worlds meets, uhhhhh … To Wong Fu, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar? [HR]
Naughton’s the Master: Two-time Tony winner James Naughton (Chicago) will star in the Irish Repertory Theater’s production of Henrik Ibsen’s The Master Builder, adapted by Tony winner–Irish guy Frank McGuinness. According to a presumably Irish spokesperson, the play focuses on an architect who promises a little girl that in ten years he’d “build her a kingdom,†and now — [sound of gun cocking] — she’s come to collect. [Playbill]