Grumpy Old Man: Al Pacino has purchased the rights to Philip Roth’s latest novel The Humbling. Pacino will star in the book’s adaptation, which will be directed by Barry Levinson. Buck Henry (The Graduate) is set to write the script, about an aging actor who’s rejuvenated when he falls for a younger woman. The battle to star as Pacino’s romantic interest starts now. [Arts Beat/NYT]
Wallyworld, Here He Comes: Mel Gibson is a very busy man. Just a day after news of his Viking pic with Leonardo DiCaprio surfaced, Gibson has assembled his team from Apocalytpo to produce How I Spent My Summer Vacation, a film that he both wrote and will star in. Gibson’s handing the directing duties over to Adrian Grunberg, who was first a.d. on Apocalypto. Summer Vacation will start shooting next March in San Diego and Veracruz, Mexico. It’s only described as an action drama, and though there don’t seem to be plans to visit the Jersey Shore for his summer vacation, we’re hoping Gibson will reconsider. [Variety]
If You Vanderbuild It, They Will Watch: Oscar winner Julian Fellowes (Gosford Park) is set to write a period piece for Showtime about the Vanderbilt family. The Vanderbilts will follow the Vanderbilt shipping empire starting with Cornelius Vanderbilt, once the richest man in the world. Joel Silver is also developing a Vanderbilt project for HBO as the two cable networks race to restore mutton chops to their rightful prominence. [Variety]
Miracle Whip: Jennifer Morrison (who still doesn’t know why she left House), Matthew Modine and Elizabeth Franz have joined the cast of Broadway’s The Miracle Worker. They join Abigail Breslin and Alison Pill in the story of a teacher who shows Hellen Keller how to communicate. Morrison and Modine will play Keller’s parents and Franz will play Keller’s aunt. We’re going to stay away from the Hellen Keller jokes. [Variety]
Blood Suckers: Ashley Edward Miller and Zack Stentz, the writers behind Thor, will write Damn Nation for Paramount. Yet another vampire flick, Damn Nation is an adaptation of a comic by Andrew Cosby. The story revolves around the survivors of an attack by “inhuman nocturnal predators†who are the last people left in the U.S. It sounds promising, especially if there’s no vampire romance. [THR]