Fighting On: Mark Wahlberg boxing drama The Fighter, originally co-starring Matt Damon, then briefly Brad Pitt, and to be directed by Darren Aronofsky, has found a pair of not-too-shabby replacement parts: David O. Russell is onboard for just about his millionth announced project this month, with Christian Bale right behind him. Wahlberg plays “Irish†Mickey Ward, an average boxer helped to glory by his ex-boxer half-brother, Dickey Eklund, a flameout ex-con who redeems himself through the training process. And throughout all the rigmarole, the movie has wisely stayed away from one thing: gerunds. [Variety]
Demetri on Deck: Demetri Martin has joined Steven Soderbergh’s Moneyball; he’ll play Harvard grad and stats whiz Paul De Podesta, who created the Earned Run Value system utilized by Oakland A’s manager Billy Beane (Brad Pitt.) Former players David Justice, Scott Hatteberg, Daryl Strawberry, and Lenny Dykstra will all appear as well. No offense to Demetri Martin, but right now De Podesta’s probably thinking, “Beane gets Brad Pitt and I get some schmo from basic cable?!†[Variety]
Dan Brown to Finally Make Some Money: In news that will surprise no one, Columbia Pictures is already moving forward with an adaptation of Da Vinci Code sequel The Last Symbol … even though the book was just announced yesterday. First run for Symbol will be 5 million copies, but Random House is expecting much more: Angels & Demons has sold 39 million copies and The Da Vinci Code has sold 81 million. Now, just imagine how many books Brown could’ve sold if he just would’ve started a Tumblr! [Variety]
Scammed: Zack Snyder’s (apparently still happening) Sucker Punch, about a girl in a fifties mental institution who escapes to an alternate reality, has added two more cast members: Jamie Chung, who replaces Emma Stone as a Southern girl with a big heart, and Jena Malone, who replaces Evan Rachel Wood as Abbie Cornish’s character’s sister. Malone’s kind of getting crushed by Kristen Stewart in the the sullen, pale, sensitive-white-girl department, huh? [HR]
Messing’s Back at NBC: NBC has beat out ABC for Debra Messing’s untitled new comedy, which stars Messing as a laid-off CEO as hapless at being a stay-at-home mom as her husband is at being a breadwinner. Her former home sweetened the deal for the show with a script commitment and an episodic guarantee. And, yes, people are fighting over Debra Messing shows. [HR]
Dan Brown to Finally Make Some Money: In news that will surprise no one, Columbia Pictures is already moving forward with an adaptation of Da Vinci Code sequel The Last Symbol … even though the book was just announced yesterday. First run for Symbol will be 5 million copies, but Random House is expecting much more: Angels & Demons has sold 39 million copies and The Da Vinci Code has sold 81 million. Now, just imagine how many books Brown could’ve sold if he just would’ve started a Tumblr! [Variety]