Clever Like a Fox: Vince Vaughn is in final negotiations with Fox to develop and executive-produce a one-camera half-hour comedy pilot about “young men who are just out of college and starting to experience the real world,†to be written by Grounded for Life’s Jim and Steve Armogida. Vaughn will no doubt be drawing from his own experiences in the real world after he graduated from … oh, that’s right — he didn’t go to college. (We live in a meritocracy. Deal with it.) [Variety]
Biggest Momma’s House Ever: Producer David Friendly is in the business of making dreams come true. It isn’t very often that a moneyman admits taking profits are secondary to creating art, so we consider it big news when someone reveals that Big Momma’s House 3 is in script stage and eying a 2009 release. It gives us hope knowing that for every sellout like P.T. Anderson and the Coen brothers, there’s someone in Hollywood willing to take actual risks. Not to mention, we’re totally hoping Friendly breaks his old Rotten Tomatoes record of 5 percent. [IESB]
Reiner Hides in Shadows: Castle Rock has acquired Book of Shadows, an adventure pitch from Zoe Green, for Rob Reiner to direct. Story follows a young man who goes on an epic quest to find a mythical book that can restore peace to the world. It’s all part of Reiner’s epic quest to find a mythical movie that can restore dignity to his career. [HR]
Freaks and Greens: Pineapple Express’ David Gordon Green will direct the horror-thriller Freaks of the Heartland for Overture Films, based on the Dark Horse graphic novel by Steve Niles. Comic, kind of like Village of the Damned, follows a rural midwestern teenager’s attempt to protect his “freak†of a little brother and his “freaky†friends. A cool premise, but unfortunately for movie audiences who like good stories, Greg Ruth’s spectacular artwork was definitely the comic’s highlight. Green’s only hope might be to put M.I.A.’s Paper Planes in the trailer again. [HR]
2929 Heads South of the Border: Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban’s 2929 Productions has optioned Kem Nunn’s Tijuana Straits for stuntman turned writer turned director Ric Roman Waugh to adapt and direct. Novel focuses on a reclusive ex-surfer who helps a female whistleblower in Tijuana when contract killers are hired to silence her. The Road’s Nick Wechsler is producing, so we expect a release date of November 2009 December 2009 February 2010? [Variety]