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Earlier this summer we had to endure the misbegotten Summer Camp which was yet another attempt by Diane Keaton, joined by Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard, to mix comedy and later-in-life drama in an older female bonding flick. Keaton had great success in the first film that announced this subgenre, 2018’s Book Club, which smartly matched four veteran actresses including Jane Fonda that led to a more mixed-results sequel set in Italy. Fonda also found real success in the subgenre with the entertaining 80 For Brady with Sally Field, Rita Moreno and Lily Tomlin along for the ride. Thus it seemed natural that other beloved female stars of a certain age would also want to jump on board in this game attempt to reverse Hollywood’s youth obsession and provide a little something-something for aging boomers everywhere.

The Fabulous Four is the latest to try out the formula, and at least...

The trailer for “The Fabulous Four,” starring Bette Midler, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Megan Mullally and Susan Sarandon has dropped, wedding bells galore.

Per the film’s logline, “‘The Fabulous Four’ is an uproarious comedy about a group of life-long friends who travel to Key West, Fla., to be bridesmaids in the surprise wedding of their best college girlfriend Marilyn (Midler). Over the course of one outrageous trip, sisterhoods are rekindled, the past resurfaces and there are enough sparks, raunch and romance to change all their lives in unexpected ways.”

The trailer sees Marilyn remarrying just two months after her husband died, Lou (Sarandon) coming out of her cat-lady shell and Kitty (Ralph) questioning Lou about a kegel ball Marilyn gave her. The four gear up for Marilyn’s wedding, although not without some bumps in the road, like Marilyn getting dethroned on TikTok by Lou.

The film comes from Southpaw Entertainment and Hantz Motion Pictures,...

Bleecker Street has acquired “The Fabulous Four,” a feel-good comedy featuring Susan Sarandon, Bette Midler and Megan Mullally.

Sissy Spacek has also newly joined the cast as the final member of the titular fearsome foursome.

The film, directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse (“The Dressmaker”) from a script she co-wrote with Jenna Milly and Ann Marie Allison, is going into production in early 2023 in Australia. Bleecker Street is planning a nationwide theatrical release, though the exact timing is yet to be determined.

“The Fabulous Four” will follow three life-long friends who travel to Key West, Fla., to be bridesmaids in a surprise wedding of their college girlfriend Marilyn (Midler). Once there, sisterhoods are rekindled, the past rises up again in all its glory, and there’s enough sparks, drinks and romance to change all their lives in ways they never expected.

Richard Barton Lewis of Southpaw Entertainment will produce “The Fabulous Four...

A comedy for older audiences is entering the Cannes market as Sierra/Affinity announced on Wednesday that it will launch international sales next week for “The Fabulous Four,” which will be directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse (“The Dressmaker”) and stars Susan Sarandon, Bette Midler and “Will and Grace” Emmy winner Megan Mullally.

Sarandon and Mullally will play two lifelong friends who are invited by an old college mate, played by Midler, to be bridesmaids at her wedding in Key West. Filming is currently scheduled to begin in Key West in September with Richard Barton Lewis producing through Southpaw Entertainment with Gabrielle Jerou-Tabak as executive producer.

Sarandon, who won an Oscar for her famous performance in “Thelma & Louise,” is also slated to play the DC Comics villain Victoria Kord in next year’s “Blue Beetle,” as first reported by TheWrap’s Umberto Gonzalez. Midler, an Oscar nominee for “The First Wives Club,...

Exclusive: Oscar winner Susan Sarandon (Thelma & Louise), Oscar nominee Bette Midler (The First Wives Club) and Emmy winner Megan Mullally (Will And Grace) are attached to star in The Fabulous Four from director Jocelyn Moorhouse (The Dressmaker).

The feel-good comedy will follow two life-long friends who travel to Key West to be bridesmaids in a surprise wedding of their college girlfriend Marilyn (Midler). When there, sisterhoods are rekindled, the past rises up, and sparks, drinks and romance fly.

The plan is to start pre-production in July and begin filming in September in Atlanta, Georgia and Key West, Florida.

Sierra/Affinity is launching international sales next week in Cannes and the project will likely have strong appeal for those in need of humour and diversion and looking to tap into the mature audience quadrant. CAA Media Finance and UTA Independent Film Group are representing the North American distribution rights.

Exclusive: Vertical Entertainment said Monday that it has acquired North American rights to Every Breath You Take, a psychological thriller directed by Vaughn Stein that stars Casey Affleck, Sam Claflin, Michelle Monaghan, Veronica Ferres and India Eisley. The pic will now get a U.S. theatrical release and Premium VOD bow on April 2.

Every Breath You Take centers on a psychiatrist (Affleck) whose career is thrown into jeopardy when his patient takes her own life. When he invites his patient’s surviving brother (Claflin) into his home to meet his wife (Monaghan) and daughter (Eisley), his family life is suddenly torn apart.

The deal marks a reunion of sorts for Vertical, Stein and producer Richard Barton Lewis of Southpaw Entertainment. Vertical last year acquired the Stein-directed and Lewis-produced Inheritance, the thriller that starred Lily Collins and Simon Pegg.

“With its genuinely gripping plot that unfolds masterfully as each twist is revealed,...

In a somewhat odd pairing, Oscar winners Angelina Jolie and Christoph Waltz are in talks to star in the music-driven drama Every Note Played for STXfilms, the studio announced Friday. The film is based on the acclaimed book of the same name by Still Alice author Lisa Genova. Monet Clayton and David Mandell optioned the novel and adapted the screenplay, and Clayton will produce with Richard Barton Lewis and Gabrielle Jerou via Lewis' Southpaw Entertainment banner. Michael Sucsy (Grey Gardens) will direct Every Note Played, which follows a world-renowned concert pianist and composer (Waltz) on the verge of …...

Michael Sucsy is set to direct.

STXfilms has acquired worldwide rights to the film adaptation of Lisa Genova’s novel Every Note Played.

Angelina Jolie and Christoph Waltz are in talks to star in the project, which will be directed by Michael Sucsy.

Monet Clayton, Richard Barton Lewis, and Gabrielle Jerou are set to produce via Richard Barton Lewis’s Southpaw Entertainment banner.

The story follows a world-renowned concert pianist and composer on the verge of creating his magnum opus. When he receives a life-changing diagnosis, his estranged ex-wife takes up the cross of caring for him, and he is...

Angelina Jolie and Christoph Waltz are in talks to star in “Every Note Played,” a music drama for which STXfilms has just acquired worldwide rights.

Michael Sucsy is attached to direct the film that’s based on the most recent book by “Still Alice” author Lisa Genova. And the book was optioned and adapted into a screenplay by Monet Clayton and David Mandell, whose script landed at #1 on the Black List.

“Every Note Played” follows a world-renowned concert pianist and composer on the verge of creating his magnum opus. When he receives a life-changing diagnosis, his estranged ex-wife takes up the cross of caring for him, and he is forced to balance reconciling his failed relationships with redefining his pursuit of greatness.

Monet Clayton, Richard Barton Lewis and Gabrielle Jerou will all produce “Every Note Played” via Richard Barton Lewis’s Southpaw Entertainment production banner.

Jolie most recently starred in...

Angelina Jolie and Christoph Waltz are circling the lead roles in Every Note Played, a drama based on Still Alice author Lisa Genova’s latest novel.

The story follows a world-renowned concert pianist and composer on the verge of creating his magnum opus. When he receives a life-changing diagnosis, his estranged ex-wife takes up the cross of caring for him, and he is forced to balance reconciling his failed relationships with redefining his pursuit of greatness.

Michael Sucsy is set to direct, with Monet Clayton, Richard Barton Lewis, and Gabrielle Jerou producing via Richard Barton Lewis’s Southpaw Entertainment. STXfilms has taken world rights to the project.

UTA and ICM represented the financing and deal.

Our sister publication Variety was first with the news.

Angelina Jolie and Christoph Waltz are in talks to star in “Every Note Played,” an adaptation of Lisa Genova’s contemporary romance novel. STX Films has acquired global rights to the movie.

Jolie will play Karina, the ex-wife of an accomplished concert pianist named Richard (portrayed by Waltz). He has suffered many losses, including the estrangement of his daughter, when he gets diagnosed with Als in his hands. As the disease worsens and Richard can no longer play the piano or live on his own, Karina reluctantly steps in to be his caregiver.

Michael Sucsy, whose resume includes “13 Reasons Why” and “The Vow” starring Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum, is set to direct. Monet Clayton is producing “Every Note Played,” along with Richard Barton Lewis and Gabrielle Jerou-Tabak of Southpaw Entertainment. Clayton also adapted the screenplay with David Mandell.

“We’re thrilled to be bringing this exceptional filmmaking team together for this emotional,...

Exclusive: Vertical Entertainment and DirecTV have acquired North American rights to Inheritance, the thriller starring Lily Collins and Simon Pegg. The news comes ahead of the film’s premiere at next month’s Tribeca Film Festival. Under terms of the deal, the Vaughn Stein-directed film will bow on DirecTV in April, a month before its May 22 theatrical release via Vertical.

The plot scripted by Matthew Kennedy revolves around a patriarch of a wealthy and powerful family who suddenly passes away, leaving his wife and daughter with a shocking secret inheritance that threatens to unravel and destroy their lives. Connie Nielsen, Chace Crawford and Marque Richardson also star.

Ingenious Media, Southpaw Entertainment, Highland Film Group and White Comet Films produced the film. Richard Barton Lewis, David M. Wulf and Arianne Fraser produced, with Rich Goldberg, Peter Jarowey, Santosh Govindaraju, Gabrielle Jerou-Tabak, Joseph Lanius, Daniel Negret, Delphine Perrier, Dan Reardon and Simon Williams executive producers.

Stx Entertainment has released the second trailer for their upcoming sci-fi adventure The Space Between Us. The movie stars Gary Oldman, Asa Butterfield, Carla Gugino, Britt Robertson. And it will be in theaters this December just in time for the holidays.

This story of a boy (Asa Butterfield) born on Mars' first colony has an added element of timeliness with this week's real life Mars news! SpaceX Founder Elon Musk just delivered a keynote address on Tuesday at the International Astronautical Congress. As it turns out, he plans to colonize Mars!&#160Which is a subject explored with great depth in The Space Between Us.

Peter Chelsom directs The Space Between Us. He is an actor turned filmmaker who made his directorial debut with the 1991 comedy Hear My Song starring Ned Beatty. He went onto direct Sharon Stone in the 1998 comedic drama The Mighty, before finding true big screen success with...

Last year, sci-fi fans took an unforgettable journey to Mars with the critically-acclaimed blockbuster The Martian, which followed the plight of an astronaut (Matt Damon) stuck on the Red Planet as he tries to find a way back to Earth. This year, Stx Entertainment will return to Mars for another inspiring, but much different tale in The Space Between Us, arriving in theaters August 19. Today we have the first trailer courtesy of Youtube and the poster for this drama, that could be one of this summer's sleeper hits.

In this interplanetary adventure, a space shuttle embarks on the first mission to colonize Mars, only to discover after takeoff that one of the astronauts is pregnant. Shortly after landing, she dies from complications while giving birth to the first human born on the red planet - never revealing who the father is. Thus begins the extraordinary life of Gardner Elliot (Asa Butterfield) - an inquisitive,...

Plus: Freestyle sets Mother Teresa drama The Letters release date; Kathy Bates joins Bad Santa 2; Momentum picks up word rights to Milton’s Secret; Stx Entertainment wraps The Space Between Us… and more.

The 18th Costume Designers Guild Awards on February 23, 2016 will honour Quentin Tarantino with the Distinguished Collaborator Award and veteran costume designer Ellen Mirojnick with the Career Achievement Award

Mirojnick’s credits include Chaplin, Cocktail, Wall Street, Fatal Attraction, Basic Instinct and Behind The Candelabra

Freestyle Releasing will distribute Mother Teresa drama The Letters starring Juliet Stevenson on December 4 in more than 1,000 theatres. Max von Sydow and Rutger Hauer also star and William Riead directed the life story of the late nun.

Kathy Bates has joined Bad Santa 2 for Miramax and Broad Green and will play Sonny Soke, the “foulmouthed, tough-as-nails mom” to Billy Bob Thornton’s lead. Miramax and Broad Green Pictures co-finance and co-produce the sequel, while Broad Green...

Newcomer Trey Tucker has landed a key role in The Space Between Us, Stx’s intergalactic love story starring Asa Butterfield and Gary Oldman. Peter Chelsom is directing the feature that is being produced by Richard Lewis. The story is set in motion when, during a mission to colonize Mars led by a billionaire entrepreneur, a female astronaut is found to be pregnant. After she dies during childbirth, her son is raised in secrecy on Mars. Sixteen years later, the teen (Butterfield) begins an online romance with a Colorado girl (Britt Robertson). He hatches a plan to meet the girl, win

read more...

An intergalactic love story originally set up at now-bankrupt Relativity under the title "Out of This World" has now migrated to Stx Entertainment, a fast-growing, deep-pocketed film and TV studio launched last year by Robert Simonds. Relativity, which has had a hell of a week, had not fully greenlit the project when Stx began bidding in mid-July. But the film had a script from Allan Loeb and a director, Peter Chelsom ("Hector and the Search for Happiness"), who's staying onboard. Based on a story written by Richard Lewis, Stewart Schill and Loeb, the film is now untitled and is set to star Gary Oldman, Asa Butterfield, Carla Gugino and Britt Robertson. Here's the synopsis: Read More: Troubled Western "Jane Got a Gun" Rescued as Relativity Files for Bankruptcy In this modern love story about two galaxy-crossed teens from different worlds, Gardner Elliot, the first human born on Mars, is secretly...

Gary Oldman ("Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"), Carla Gugino ("San Andreas") and Britt Robertson ("Tomorrowland") are set to join Asa Butterfield in the untitled intergalactic love story project originally titled "Out of This World" and setup at Relativity. It is now moving forward at Stx Entertainment.

The story is set during a mission to colonize Mars led by a billionaire entrepreneur. A female astronaut is found to be pregnant and dies during childbirth, so her son is raised in secrecy on Mars.

Sixteen years later, the teen (Butterfield) begins an online romance with a Colorado girl (Robertson). He hatches a plan to meet the girl and find the enigmatic billionaire in hopes of uncovering information about his mother and birth.

Peter Chelsom is directing and Richard Lewis is producing.

Source: Heat Vision...

Ender's Game star Asa Butterfield has signed on to star in the sci-fi adventure Out of This World for Relativity Media. Relativity Studios is behind the project, which has Peter Chelsom (Hector and the Search for Happiness) set to direct. The story begins with a billionaire entrepreneur's mission to colonize Mars, which results in a female astronaut becoming pregnant on the planet.

The astronaut died during childbirth, but her infant son was raised in secrecy on Mars. 16 years later, after returning to Earth, the teenage boy (Asa Butterfield) enlists the help of a mission specialist and connects with a young woman he has been communicating with. They both set off on a road trip across America to find the father he never knew.

Allan Loeb (21, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, The Dilemma) wrote the original screenplay, with Peter Chelsom and Tinker Lindsay (Hector and the Search for Happiness) providing the most recent revisions.

Currently making the transition from child actor to teen actor – presumably with the hopes of becoming a fully-realised adult actor – Asa Butterfield has another project to assist on his career path. Per THR, the Hugo star has now bagged the lead role in Relativity’s sci-fi effort, Out Of This World.

The rising star will be directed by Peter Chelsom (Hector and the Search for Happiness), who himself will be working from revisions he and Tinker Linsday made to Allan Loeb’s (Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps) original script. As the film is in the early stages, Butterfield is the only cast member confirmed. He will be playing a young teen who discovers that the opportunity to know his real father may still be in his grasp.

Check out the plot summary below:

The story is set in motion when, during a mission to colonize Mars led by a billionaire entrepreneur,...

Peter Chelsom, whose next movie is the soul-searching comedic drama Hector and the Search for Happiness starring Simon Pegg, is in negotiations to direct Relativity Media's upcoming sci-fi adventure Out of this World.

Out of this World follows a young boy named Gardner, who grows up on Mars, raised by a group of scientists. As a teen, he retuns to Earth, where he travels across the United States with a female friend hoping to seek out his biological father.

If a deal comes together, Peter Chelsom will direct from a script provided by Allan Loeb, who's most recent work includes San Andreas starring Dwayne Johnson.

Ryan Kavanaugh, Richard Barton Lewis and Allan Loeb will serve as producers. Peter Chelsom is also known for directing Hannah Montana: The Movie and Shall We Dance?.

No production or casting details have been revealed.

Exclusive: Salma Hayek is joining Pierce Brosnan and Jessica Alba in How To Make Love Like An Englishman, the sexually charged romantic comedy that Tom Vaughan will direct. In the Matthew Newman-scripted indie comedy, Brosnan plays a Cambridge University prof who finds a woman who is his ideal match (Hayek), forcing him to reevaluate his life of hedonistic excess. This comes after he impregnates her grad student stepsister (Alba). The film’s produced by Richard B. Lewis, Beau St. Clair and Kevin Frakes and is a co-production between Palmstar Media Capital, Southpaw Entertainment, Irish Dreamtime and Envision. Brosnan will be exec producer with Raj Brinder Singh, Lisa Wilson, Myles Nestel and Remington Chase. The film is being funded by Merced Media Partners and Palmstar, with CAA handling U.S. distribution and The Solution Entertainment Group handling offshore sales. Hayek is repped by CAA and Management 360.

Vancouver-based studio to fully finance and produce two features on Southpaw’s slate.

Bron Studios has signed a deal with Southpaw Entertainment to fully finance and produce two features on Southpaw’s slate.

The Vancouver-based studio will produce comedy Sports Chick and thriller The Architect for the Santa Monica-based Southpaw.

Sports Chick was written by Gil Fortis, Kristen Gore, Jason Reitman and Richard B. Lewis and is set in the world of professional and college football, while The Architect was written by J. Craig Styles and centres on an ambitious young architect who becomes an unwitting pawn in an international conspiracy.

Richard B. Lewis and Aaron L. Gilbert will produce with Southpaw’s head of production Gabrielle Jerou and Bron’s production executive Margot Hand co-producing.

Creative Artists Agency brokered the deal on behalf of Southpaw and will represent the film’s domestic distribution rights.

Southpaw is in pre-production on Tom Vaughan’s How To Make Love Like An Englishman, starring...

Pierce Brosnan, Jessica Alba and Kristin Scott Thomas have signed on to star in the indie romantic comedy "How to Make Love to an Englishman" at Irish Dreamtime.

Brosnan stars as a Cambridge University professor who meets his match in Scott Thomas’s character. He is forced to re-evaluate his life of excess after he gets her graduate student stepsister (Alba) pregnant.

Tom Vaughan ("What Happens in Vegas") helms from a script by Matthew Newman. Richard B. Lewis, Beau St. Clair and Grant Cramer are producing, and shooting begins in early September.

Source: Variety...

Southpaw Entertainment’s Richard B. Lewis, Irish Dreamtime’s Beau St. Clair and Envision Entertainment’s Grant Cramer announced today that they’ve joined forces to produce the sexually charged and sophisticated romantic comedy How To Make Love Like An Englishman. To be directed by Tom Vaughan (What Happens In Vegas, Starter For Ten), the film stars Pierce Brosnan (The Thomas Crown Affair), Jessica Alba (Sin City) and Oscar nominee Kristin Scott Thomas (The English Patient), and was written by Brit Matthew Newman.

In the film Pierce Brosnan stars as a Cambridge University professor who meets his match in Kristin Scott Thomas, and is forced to re-evaluate his life of hedonistic excess after he manages to get Jessica Alba, her graduate student stepsister, pregnant.

Set for an early September shoot, the film is being fully financed by Envision and Merced Media Partners, and will be Executive Produced by Stepan Martirosyan and Remington Chase of Envision,...

Here's more of today's casting news: Dominic Cooper (Captain America: The First Avenger) is in negotiations to join Luke Evans in Dracula, the Universal picture directed by Gary Shore. Alicia Vikander (Anna Karenina) is in talks for The Man from U.N.C.L.E., the Guy Ritchie-directed adaptation of the TV series that stars Tom Cruise and Armie Hammer. Pierce Brosnan (The Thomas Crown Affair), Jessica Alba (Sin City) and Kristin Scott Thomas (The English Patient) will star in How to Make Love Like an Englishman for director Tom Vaughan. Hit the jump for more on each casting announcement. Variety reports that Cooper is in negotiations to join Dracula. Evans stars in the title role and Sarah Gadon (A Dangerous Method) also stars. The story, a blend of history and myth, tells the origins of Prince Vlad, a young patriarch who makes the ultimate sacrifice in order to...

Pierce Brosnan, Jessica Alba and Kristin Scott Thomas will star in the Tom Vaughan-helmed sexually charged romantic comedy How To Make Love Like An Englishman, the Matthew Newman-scripted film that is backed by Southpaw Entertainment’s Richard B. Lewis, Irish Dreamtime’s Beau St. Clair and Envision Entertainment’s Grant Cramer. Solution Entertainment will sell the film in Cannes. Brosnan plays a Cambridge University professor who is forced to reexamine his hedonistic lifestyle after meeting a great gal (Thomas). Things get complicated when he impregnates her grad student stepsister (Alba). Pic will shoot in September, financed by Envision and Merced Media Partners, and will be Executive Produced by Stepan Martirosyan and Remington Chase of Envision, Raj Brinder Singh and Kevin Scott Frakes of Merced Media Partners, Lisa Wilson and Myles Nestel of The Solution, and Jon Amiel. CAA represents the U.S. distribution rights.

Southpaw Entertainment’s Richard B. Lewis, Irish Dreamtime’s Beau St. Clair and Envision Entertainment’s Grant Cramer announced today that they’ve joined forces to produce the sophisticated romantic comedy How To Make Love Like An Englishman. To be directed by Tom Vaughan (What Happens In Vegas, Starter For Ten), the film stars Pierce Brosnan (The Thomas Crown Affair), Jessica Alba (Sin City) and Oscar nominee Kristin Scott Thomas (The English Patient), and was written by Brit Matthew Newman.

The Solution Entertainment Group’s Lisa Wilson has come on board to handle international rights for the picture and will introduce the film to buyers at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival. In the film Pierce Brosnan stars as a Cambridge University professor who meets his match in Kristin Scott Thomas, and is forced to re-evaluate his life of hedonistic excess after he manages to get Jessica Alba, her graduate student stepsister,...

Jessica Alba, Pierce Brosnan and Kristin Scott are set to headline the romantic comedy How to Make Love Like an Englishman , Southpaw Entertainment.s Richard B. Lewis, Irish Dreamtime.s Beau St. Clair and Envision Entertainment.s Grant Cramer announced today. The film was written by Matthew Newman and will be directed by Tom Vaughan. The Solution Entertainment Group.s Lisa Wilson has come on board to handle international rights for the picture and will introduce the film to buyers at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival. In the film, Pierce Brosnan stars as a Cambridge University professor who meets his match in Kristin Scott Thomas, and is forced to re-evaluate his life of hedonistic excess after he manages to get Jessica Alba, her graduate student stepsister, pregnant. .'How...

Harrison Ford and Zac Efron are in advanced negotiations to join Rob Reiner's psychological thriller "You Belong to Me" at Foresight Unlimited.

The story follows the brother of a suicide who develops a close relationship with his late sister’s psychiatrist and inveigles his way into the doctor’s life.

Mark Damon, Richard Lewis and Alan Greisman will produce. Shooting kicks off on March 18th in Connecticut.

Source: Screen Daily...

Harrison Ford and Zac Efron are in negotiations to star in the psychological thriller You Belong to Me, which Rob Reiner will direct. Ford would play a psychiatrist struggling with the recent suicide of a patient. He bonds with the patient's brother (Efron), but learns to regret that bond when the young man begins seducing the psychiatrist's wife and daughter. Producers Richard Lewis, Alan Greisman, and Mark Damon are currently presenting You Belong to Me to buyers at the American Film Market. According to The Wrap, the filmmakers are planning for a March 2013 start date. I am definitely intrigued, in part because Reiner has not directed something of this ilk since 1990's Misery. Reiner previously explained the appeal, "They are hard to make well, but this one has a deep psychological bent to it and a big twist in the end that I didn’t see coming." No one among Ford,...

Harrison Ford and Zac Efron are in negotiations to topline the thriller "You Belong To Me," for director Rob Reiner, a person familiar with the project told TheWrap. Richard Lewis, Alan Greisman and Mark Damon are producing the film, which is aiming for a March 2013 start date. The film is being presented to buyers at this week's American Film Market in Santa Monica by Foresight Unlimited. Ford would play a psychiatrist who has a difficult time after one of his female patients commits suicide. He ends up bonding with her brother...

Actresses Emma Roberts and AnnaSophia Robb have signed on for the drama Anything But Ordinary for Alloy Entertainment and Southpaw Entertainment.

The story centers on a teenage diving phenom who suffers a horrific accident at the Olympic trials and slips into a coma for five years. When she finally wakes up, the young woman becomes a synesthe, someone who processes words and numbers through color, depth, and sound.

Sanaa Hamri (Just Wright) is directing Anything But Ordinary from a script by Charlie Craig. The project is being developed simultaneously as a movie and a book, with first-time author Lara Avary penning the tome for Hyperion.

Richard Barton Lewis is producing Anything But Ordinary for Southpaw Entertainment, with Alloy Entertainment's Leslie Morgenstein executive producing. No production schedule was given for Anything But Ordinary.

Jerry Lewis, who turns 85 today, is the subject of a feature-length original documentary, which is currently in production for a premiere on Encore in late summer. The documentary, from director/producer Gregg Barson, will focus on the influence that Lewis has had on the entertainment industry and his relevance today via interviews with Jerry Seinfeld, Alec Baldwin, Billy Crystal, Chevy Chase, Woody Harrelson, Carol Burnett, Richard Lewis, Carl Reiner, Richard Belzer, John Landis, and others. Barson has been filming Lewis for the past three years and has bad access to the comedian's personal archives.

The conversation about the Super Bowl continued through Monday (February 7) as people continued to talk about Christina Aguilera's national anthem performance, Aaron Rodgers' championship belt, the Black Eyed Peas' eye-popping halftime performance and this year's batch of high-profile commercials. The latter group inspired a particularly intense debate online, as no one spot seemed to be the "winner" this year (the way that the Betty White ad for Snickers did during last year's big game).

According to Tivo, the top-rated ad of the night was the reinvention of that same Snickers commercial, this time starring Richard Lewis and Roseanne Barr. Meanwhile, USA Today reported that the two highest-rated commercials both involved dogs (the Bud Light spot with the trained pooches and the Doritos ad with the pup who breaks down the door). And according to a poll hosted by the MTV Newsroom Blog, Eminem's two-minute tribute to Detroit...

Though the game itself was pretty thrilling (the Pittsburgh Steelers really did seem primed to make a heroic comeback until the Green Bay Packers' defense stood up and closed the door in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter), much of the conversation regarding the Super Bowl has been about what it is always about: the high-profile, super-expensive commercials that run during the game. Considering the Super Bowl is always the most-watched thing on television all year (prognosticators were expecting Sunday night's game to be the most-watched event in the history of American television, which means it would have had to have been seen by over 107 million people), the ad time is prime real estate for companies to sell their wares, introduce new products and just remind the universe that they exist.

Of all the awesome ads this year, no one spot has been talked about more than Eminem's appearance...

A young Darth Vader was a hit for Volkswagen, while Chrysler got deep with its ode to Detroit. Former ad executive James Othmer ranks last night's commercials. Plus, watch the 20 best.

It wasn't created by consumers. It wasn't part of a contest. It didn't involve talking critters, anthropomorphic gadgets, over-the-hill celebrities or men getting slammed in the chops by canned goods. And (thankfully) it didn't invite us to "join the conversation" at the end.

Related story on The Daily Beast: The Greatest Football Player That Never Was

Yet somehow "The Force," the brilliantly executed old-school TV spot for the new Volkswagen Passat that aired during last night's Super Bowl, managed to stand out in a sea of gimmicks, sophomoric humor, and creative and strategic mediocrity. Indeed, rather than repeatedly demanding media-saturated consumers to join the conversation, the Vw spot, which featured a young boy in a Darth Vader costume desperate to assert his otherworldly powers,...

From Volkswagen's mini Darth Vader to Joan Rivers as the new GoDaddy Girl, the Green Bay Packers weren't the only winners at the big game. Watch Video of the best ads from the 2011 Super Bowl.

Volkswagen: Young Vader

Related story on The Daily Beast: The 25 Worst Meals for Kids

Is it time to crown 2011's best Super Bowl commercial? Because this one has the force: In this Volkswagen spot, a tiny Darth Vader learns the powers of the dark side-and technology.

Audi: Prison Break

Is there anything better than luxury cars andKenny G? Audi employs the king of smooth jazz to tame inmates at a luxury prison during a prison break. With music as pretty as his ringlets, his music casts a spell on the prisoners, though one lucky inmate escapes with a car.

GoDaddy: New GoDaddy.Com Girl

Betcha didn't see that one coming: GoDaddy's not so subtle advertising...

During last night's Super Bowl, not including local ads and the countless Fox promos for "House," "Glee," "Chicago Code," "American Idol," and the one for "Fringe," I counted 76 national television ads. Twenty-six of those ads were for cars (19) or car-related products (7) like Cars.com and Carfax, easily outdistancing those other products that often dominate Super Bowls: Beer (6), Soda (7), and Snacks (5), although movie trailers (16) accounted for the second highest number of spots.

When the recession began a few years ago, and the car manufacturers all seemed to be on the brink of bankruptcy, I read somewhere that the slump in car sales couldn't last forever because Americans can only go so long without buying cars and that, eventually, we would buy them and the auto sector would return. If Super Bowl commercials are any indication of 2011, a lot of folks are going to be buying new cars this year.

Overall, it...

Super Bowl Xlv is half way done. The game itself is a blow out but the online video game is all about the live voting for the best ads on Hulu. We’ve been usually obsessed with this, as Hulu’s audience is now big enough to be a reasonable proxy for fan nation. With the return of Hulu’s Ad Zone this year, fans are voting live, thumbs up or thumbs down, whether they like the ads. Snickers kind of dialed it in with a slight remake of their 2010 Betty White winner. This time it was Richard Lewis and Rosanne. Related News:Most Popular Super Bowl Ads on Hulu, Fans Vote Live for 2011’s Best Freemium Web Video Model Picking Up Steam: Hulu and Ustream Hulu is Cooler than You Think...

Sure, there's a football game going on at Super Bowl Xlv, but the competition between the companies who bought ads during the broadcast is fierce too.

Fox was charging about $3 million for a 30-second spot, so the companies advertising during the game better hope they get their money's worth. The ones below definitely did -- they're our favorites from this year's crop. 

Audi: Release the Hounds

We love making fun of rich people. Their affection for silly dogs like afghan hounds, the inoffensive sounds of Kenny G., etc. We also like seeing them in jail. So props to Audi for this clever spot about a super bleached white collar jail break that both makes us actually give a car a second look and took a jab at old school Mercedes.

-- Brill Bundy

Pepsi Max: Love Hurts

Look, we're easy. A pie in the face is funny every time. So...

Presenting… Your Super Bowl Commercials of 2011, brought to you by Eminem. He Lost Himself in not one but two major ad campaigns this year. During the first quarter, Claymation Eminem quenched his thirst with a refreshing Brisk iced tea; then just before halftime, super-intense human Eminem delivered a cross between a eulogy and a giant “eff you, pay attention” on behalf of the city of Detroit. And you thought he didn’t do commercials.

Meanwhile, Ozzy Osbourne finally had to find out what a Bieber was, Adrien Brody serenaded some crying/orgasmic women (Stella Artois), Faith Hill’s rack is...

We are just 32 hours away from the kickoff of Super Bowl Xlv, and I’m already preparing for the main event. That’s right, I just spent an hour on Hulu and other websites watching my favorite Super Bowl commercials from years past in order to get psyched for this year’s must-see ads. It will be tough to top last year’s Betty White Snickers ad, or the Justin Timberlake Pepsi bit from a couple of years back, but I’m encouraged by what I’ve already seen, as some companies are understandably trying to get the most of...

The Syfy channels, Warehouse 13 is having a Christmas special, and the stars of the show, Saul Rubinek and Eddie McClintock, got together to talk about the episode, filming winter scenes in the summer and yes, acting.

The special has the team getting ready for the holidays when Eddie’s character (Pete) is called away to hunt down a rogue Santa Claus. Meanwhile, Saul’s character (Artie) gets ready to see his father – played by guest star Judd Hirsch – for the first time in 30 years.

The show airs tonight, at 10/9c on Syfy. Check it out!

For the full interview, click the audio link above or download from iTunes.

How are you most like your characters?

Saul Rubinek: It’s an interesting question. When you’re doing a television show or a movie and spend a lot of time going into a movie as you know for a few...

Los Angeles (d-a) - James MacArthur, who played Detective Danno Williams on the original TV hit Hawaii 5-0, has died aged 72, according to the Hollywood Reporter Thursday. MacArthur's catchphrase 'Book-em Danno' is considered one of the most popular lines in Us television history. According to his agent, Richard Lewis, he died of 'natural causes' in Florida. Apart from his landmark role in Hawaii Five-o, MacArthur starred in films such as Battle of the Bulge and Swiss Family Robinson.

Actor James MacArthur, who played "Danno" in the original version of television's "Hawaii Five-0," died Thursday at age 72. The Associated Press reports that MacArthur's agent, Richard Lewis, said the actor died in Florida of "natural causes." MacArthur was prolific in his many roles over 40 years, but it was his television character Detective Danny "Danno" Williams on "Hawaii Five-0," which aired from 1968 to 1980 that most people remember. "Hawaii Five-o," one of the longest running crime shows in TV history with 278 episodes, was shot on location in the Hawaiian islands, a place that MacArthur loved, accordign to a past interview. The series was reimagined by CBS this fall television season with Alex O'Loughlin as...

Watching the Fox Mel Brooks Collection on Blu-ray, two things become readily apparent. One is that Mel Brooks loves movies. He doesn’t just like them, he loves them. Sure, you can hold his adaptation of the Ernst Lubitsch film To Be or Not to Be against him, but can you think of another filmmaker who would make a silent film ever, much less in the mid-70’s? His greatest films are movie-centric satires that show a great affection for old Hollywood and when he strays he tends to fall flat. The second part of the equation that is Mel Brooks is presented after the jump.

And that second part of Mel Brooks is this: he started strong and lost his way. Something of a gag writer, when paired with Gene Wilder the two made their best works - on their own Brooks made films with a lot of gags,...

NEW YORK -- Southpaw Entertainment and 821 Entertainment Group have optioned Dominic Smith's novel "The Beautiful Miscellaneous" to develop into a feature film starring Freddie Highmore.

The coming-of-age tale from Simon & Schuster follows 17-year-old Nathan Nelson (Highmore), who awakens from a coma with an exceptional memory and synesthesia, in which words, shapes or numbers become colors, smells or flavors. His father, a demanding physics professor, sends him to a research institute for savants to find a use for his new gifts.

Southpaw's Richard Barton Lewis and 821's Ben Horton and Eric Geadelmann are exec producing.

The project reunites Southpaw chairman Lewis, 821 president Anastasia Brown and Highmore, who collaborated on Warner Bros.' "August Rush".

Southpaw's upcoming lineup includes Fox's "The Box", with Barry Sonnenfeld attached to direct, and United Artists' "Out of This World". Highmore ("Charlie and the Chocolate Factory") will next be seen in Luc Besson's "Arthur and the Revenge of Maltazard."...

David Duchovny's directorial debut has landed at Lions Gate Films, sources said. The indie outfit is working on a deal to acquire all North American distribution rights to the coming-of-age tale House of D, which recently had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. Produced by Richard Lewis, Jane Rosenthal and Bob Yari, the film stars Duchovny alongside wife Tea Leoni, Robin Williams, Zelda Williams, Anton Yelchin and Erykah Badu. House of D is described as an emotional fable about New York and the power of friendship. It tells the multilayered story of Tommy (Duchovny), a man who is coming to terms with his past and his present and resolving his relationships with the people who helped make him who he is. Much of the story is told through flashbacks with Robin Williams playing a janitor and best friend of the younger Tommy (Yelchin) and Leoni starring as Tommy's mother. Lions Gate will likely release the film this fall, sources said. Lewis' Ovation Entertainment financed and produced the film along with Yari's Bob Yari Prods. Duchovny is onscreen in the Universal Pictures romantic musical comedy Connie and Carla opposite Nia Vardalos and Toni Collette.