Tim Burton Won't Direct Angelina Jolie in Maleficent, and 5 Other Stories You'll Be Talking About Today

timburton-300.jpgAlso in this Tuesday edition of The Broadsheet: Get ready for two versions of Arabian Knights (sort of)... Gasper Noe and Bret Easton Ellis could team up... Jean-Claude Van Damme gets sued... and more ahead.

· Despite starting this recent run of Hollywood fairy tale adaptations with the $1 billion grossing Alice in Wonderland, it seems that Tim Burton has had his fill of children's stories. For now. The director has left Maleficent, "a live-action take on Sleeping Beauty" that will be told from the evil queen's point of view. Angelina Jolie is attached to star in the titular role -- which would have marked her first pairing with Burton -- and Disney plans to hire another director in the near future. Reportedly on the list: David Yates, who honed his craft behind the camera for the last three Harry Potter films. [THR]

· Universal is close to purchasing the Kyle Ward-scripted Arabian Knights for producer Brian Grazer. The proposed film apparently has nothing to do with the Liam Hemsworth-led Arabian Nights that FilmDistrict recently acquired. Should be no problem for audiences to keep these straight. "The 'K' in ours is silent!" "It's Nights like nighttime!" [Variety]

· Here's a possible marriage made in the perverse: Gasper Noe (Irreversible, Enter the Void) is reportedly "mulling" over the idea of directing Golden Suicides, an original script from Bret Easton Ellis. Hide your kids, hide your wife, etc. [ScreenDaily]

· 85-year-old Jerry Lewis will host his final Muscular Dystrophy Association telethon over Labor Day weekend. "As a labor of love, I've hosted the annual Telethon since 1966 and I'll be making my final appearance on the show this year by performing my signature song, 'You'll Never Walk Alone," Lewis said in a statement. The telethon airs on Sept. 4. [Huffington Post]

· The Muscles from Brussels doesn't love Total Flex. Jean-Claude Van Damme is being sued by Thane International after the allegedly walking away from an agreement with the company to promote the Total Flex home gym on an informerical. Van Damme also slagged the company on his reality show Jean-Claude Van Damme: Behind Closed Doors. [Wrap]

· Television: where movie actors go to find good roles. Sigourney Weaver is the latest, having been added to the HBO pilot Spring/Fall. The fashion-centric show co-stars Tea Leoni and Hope Davis. [Deadline]



Comments

  • Andrew says:

    I'll be so glad when this recent trend ends. The one of ransacking public domain works out of fear of doing anything risky or different.
    "Playing it safe" is going to work out real well when 8 out of the 9 versions of Peter Pan, Arabian Knights, Brothers Grimm, etc, etc, all tank hardcore at the BO.

  • The Winchester says:

    I have to stop skimming that first paragraph, because I got super excited for a Gaspar Noe movie starring Jean Claude Van Damme.
    Which, you have to admit, would be pretty damn awesome.