Thanks to Avatar: Channing Tatum is attached to Ion, a “sci-fi romantic epic†that has Ridley and Tony Scott attached to produce. The plot revolves around a man who “travels to different Earths and dimensions in order to find his reincarnated lover.†The project didn’t get picked up when it was bandied about last year, but has seen renewed interest thanks to its similarity to Avatar. A number of studios are now clamoring to pick up the original spec script from Will Dunn, with Fox the current front-runner, making Dunn perhaps the only person to love James Cameron as much as James Cameron does. [Heat Vision/HR]
Doubled: Eminem and Jay-Z have added two more shows to their “Home and Home†tour — one in Detroit (Septermber 2) and one in New York (September 13). Two more opportunities to see how Em’s rhymes stack up. [Billboard]
Mulroney Shoots, Scores: Dermot Mulroney will helm a biopic on Liberian soccer star turned politician George Weah. Mulroney spent over a year courting Weah, who eventually ran for president of Liberia, for his life rights. “It’s a real doozy of a story,†Mulroney said. “It’s got politics, war, love, and soccer.†Please, no vuvuzelas. [HR]
More Help: Jessica Chastain, who plays Brad Pitt’s wife in Terrence Malick’s upcoming Tree of Life, has joined the cast of The Help, the DreamWorks adaptation of Kathryn Stockett’s best seller. Chastain will be playing Celia Foote, an insecure Southern woman who tries unsuccessfully to fit in with the high-society women. You might want to try dropping Brad’s name, Jess. [HR]
In the Hood: Lukas Haas (Inception) has joined the cast of Red Riding Hood. Haas will play the village priest in the Catherine Hardwicke–directed flick, which already stars Amanda Seyfried, Shiloh Fernandez, Julie Christie, and Gary Oldman. Coming off of Inception, a fairy-tale movie is probably the perfect chaser. [Variety]
Kramer’s Boy: Wayne Kramer (Crossing Over) will direct the crime thriller Pretty Boy Floyd, based on the notorious gangster and bank robber, from a script by Kevin Bernhardt (The Immortals). The story is ultimately a romance, though: “At the heart of Pretty Boy Floyd is a great love story about an outlaw on the run who can’t stay away from the woman he loves, no matter how destructive the relationship is for both of them — which ultimately leads to his demise,†Kramer said, proving even evil robbers get mushy when it comes to matters of the heart. [Risky Business/HR]