Robert DeNiro to Receive Santa Barbara Honors
Oscar-winner Robert DeNiro will receive the Santa Barbara International Film Festival's 7th annual "Kirk Douglas Award for Excellence in Film" prize at a gala December 8th. DeNiro will receive the honor from Douglas in "recognition of his exceptional career spanning over four and a half decades, leading up to this year's release of Silver Linings Playbook. The annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival takes place January 24 - February 3.
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Lee Daniels Eyes Directing Amy Adams as Janis Joplin
Daniels is in talks to direct Get It While You Can, an Amy Adams starrer in which she will play Janis Joplin. Lee recently finished shooting The Butler and currently has The Paperboy in release. Production on the film about the singer who performed rock classics "Piece of My Heart" and "Me and Bobby McGee" will possibly begin in early 2013, THR reports.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire Producing Two Animal Poaching Pics
Warner Bros. is working on two projects dealing with illegal packing and trafficking in endangered animals. Both are being produced by Tobey Maguire's Material Pictures, DiCaprio's Appian Way and Tom Hardy's Executive Options. Hardy is the would be star in Up In the Air set in Africa in which he'd play a former Special Forces soldier who joins a friend in the bush to fight poachers killing off rhinos and elephants. The second is untitled but would follow the supply and demand for endangered animals that command high prices in China and other countries, Deadline reports.
Maggie Smith Attacks Hollywood's Youth Obsession
Speaking at a press conference to promote Quartet, which is set in a retirement home for opera singers, the 77-year-old star of the Harry Potter films and TV show Downton Abbeyaid she hoped more films for older people would begin to be made to cater for shifting population demographics. She blasted Hollywood for catering only to younger audiences, claiming studios should stop treating audiences "as if they were five years old," The Guardian reports.
Paul Attanasio to Rewrite Scarface Remake at Universal
The writer is set to rewrite from the original by David Ayer. The pic is a contemporary take on the story first told in 1932 and then in 1983 Attanasio's credits include the series House as well as Donnie Brasco and Quiz Show, Deadline reports.