BBC - Movies -news article - High Noon

		Kidman’s Guide To Springfield Nicole Kidman is warming up her vocal chords to play Dusty Springfield in a Hollywood biopic. The project reunites the star with Michael Cunningham, the novelist behind The Hours, who is currently at work on an untitled screenplay. Kidman is also producing the film in direct competition with Universal. They’re developing their own Dusty portrait with Kristin Chenoweth who is currently appearing in TV series Pushing Daisies. Madonna had also been planning a film based on the legendary soul siren, but we are yet to be convinced by her British accent. Note to Geri Halliwell: Don’t even think about it.

		Coogan In The Loop Steve Coogan and Tom Hollander are officially In The Loop. James Gandolfini is already on board this political satire hatched by Armando Iannucci who, of course, worked with Coogan on Alan Partridge. This project has been described as a big screen spin on The Thick Of It with series regulars Chris Addison and Peter Capaldi also reporting for duty. The story follows attempts by a US general (Gandolfini) and a British politician (Hollander) to stop the US president and the British PM from launching an ill-advised war. Producer Kevin Loader says, "We hope that In The Loop will make you cry with laughter -- and possibly fear…" Gordon Brown will surely be first in the queue!

		Ninja Stars Rick Yune, previously seen in Die Another Day, has been cast as the villain in Ninja Assassin. British actress Naomie Harris has also joined this martial arts flick being produced by the Wachowski brothers and directed by James McTeigue (V For Vendetta). Korean star Rain is taking centre stage as a man raised on a ‘ninja farm’ who rubs Yune the wrong way when he ‘turns his back on tradition’. Perhaps he opts for the switch to genetically modified ninjas? "I'm not a heavy," explains Yune. "The characters are ninjas, they are assassins, and there's this mix of morality the Wachowskis are exploring." Cue the kicking.

		Gyllenhaal Goes Far Maggie Gyllenhaal is replacing Toni Collette in Sam Mendes’ latest Farlanders. Leading this relationship comedy are John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph as a young couple searching the US for a place to raise a family. Krasinski is best known for his role in The Office: An American Workplace and Rudolph is a regular on sketch show Saturday Night Live. Gyllenhaal will play a bohemian college professor and old pal of Krasinski’s character. Collette is said to have dropped out when delays in production caused a conflict in her schedule. Of course in Hollywood that’s the equivalent of ‘Sorry, I’m washing my hair.’

		Blethyn On The River Franco-Algerian director Rachid Bouchareb (Days Of Glory) has gotten the green light for London River. Brenda Blethyn will be doing her mumsy bit in this partly fictionalised account of the London terror attacks on 7th July, 2005. African actor Sotigui Kouyate will feature alongside Blethyn, both playing distraught parents whose paths cross in the aftermath of the bombings. It turns out that her son and his daughter were living together. Cameras roll from 28th May. The film, budgeted at £1.5m, will use money from France, Germany and the UK. "It's a beautiful, compelling story," says exec producer Bertrand Faivre. "It's wonderful when you find a filmmaker like Rachid who knows how to handle subject matter like this and doesn't need a big budget." No doubt Blethyn is bringing the sandwiches.