Jodie Foster. Image courtesy of Universal Pictures
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Foster Headed to Nim’s Island
Lesbian fave and mother of two Jodie Foster is making a family film. She’s signed on to star opposite Abigail Breslin and Gerard Butler (300) in Nim’s Island, based on the novel by Wendy Orr. Breslin plays a young girl who travels to a tropical island with her scientist father, only to be left alone when he has boat trouble. She begins e-mailing the author of the book she’s reading, and the writer helps her to fend for herself. Eventually, the three of them team up to keep careless tourism companies away from the unspoiled area. Foster’s been working the mom angle lately in films like Flightplan and Panic Room, so it’s no surprise that she’s teamed up with producer Walden Films, the makers of kid-friendly flicks like Bridge to Terabithia and the Narnia movies. Shooting starts this summer.
George Michael’s a Vision on Eli Stone
Gay TV mogul Greg Berlanti’s got a lot on his plate—his ABC drama Brothers & Sisters got picked up for a second season, and he also has two new shows coming along. Romeo already told you about the scintillatingly titled Dirty Sexy Money, but Berlanti’s other new show, Eli Stone, sounds intriguing as well. Jonny Lee Miller (Trainspotting) stars as a man who suddenly discovers that he may be a prophet after he starts having visions. But not just any visions, mind you—George Michael makes his TV debut as the man Miller sees. Not only will the former Wham! frontman provide vexingly vague advice to the hero, but his classic pop songs will also provide all the titles to the series’ episodes when it premieres this fall.
Barbarella Lives Again
Romeo’s a big fan of the campy, sexy 1968 Jane Fonda sci-fi adventure, Barbarella, which features the feminist screen icon as a scantily clad astronaut who saves the universe with her seductive wiles and a generous helping of cleavage. There’s been a lot of talk in recent years about remaking the movie—Drew Barrymore’s name was bandied about to star in several proposed productions—but it looks like it’s finally going to happen, with Grindhouse co-director Robert Rodriguez at the helm. Since Rodriguez is no stranger to take-no-prisoners leading ladies, he should be the perfect choice for this fabulous femme fatale. Barbarella is set to land in theaters throughout the galaxy in 2008.
New Film Offers Look at Warhol’s Lost Love
With movies like Factory Girl and any number of theatrical and PBS documentaries about Andy Warhol, audiences might think they know everything there is to know about the legendary pop artist. But a new documentary that won awards at this year’s Berlin and Tribeca Film Festivals offers a peek at a rarely explored facet of the Factory’s boss. A Walk into the Sea: Danny Williams and the Andy Warhol Factory explores the mysterious disappearance of Williams—Warhol’s boyfriend and a Factory fixture—at the age of 26 in 1966. The doc features interviews with Warhol colleagues like Billy Name, Paul Morrissey, and Brigid Berlin, along with clips from 20 never-before-seen short films that Williams directed under Warhol’s tutelage. Arthouse Films will make this Walk into a happening later this year.
Romeo San Vicente keeps lots of cans of Campbell’s soup on hand so that his earthquake preparedness kit can double as a Pop Art installation. He can be reached at DeepInsideHollywood@qsyndicate.com.