The Central Perk: Emma Watson and Logan Lerman (Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief) are in talks to star in an indie adaptation of the coming-of-age novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower. The book’s author, Stephen Chbosky, will be directing from his own script. The film would mark Watson’s first non–Harry Potter feature-film role; what this movie will lack in magic, Emma, will be made up for in excessively emo songs. [Variety]
America Gets Spitzer: Magnolia Pictures has acquired the U.S. rights to Alex Gibney’s much-discussed untitled Eliot Spitzer documentary, which was unveiled at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival. Think Ashley Dupré is regretting her decision not to “participate” in the documentary yet? [Variety]
Here’s to You …: Phil Alden Robinson, who wrote and directed Field of Dreams, will write the script for J.J. Abrams’s untitled heist project for Paramount. The film is based on a Wired magazine article by Joshua Davis called “The Untold Story of the World’s Biggest Diamond Heist,” which described the true story of a crew that pulled off a large-scale diamond heist of around $100 million in stolen goods in Antwerp, Belgium. We’re going to call this “Ocean’s Eleven meets Confusing Sci-Fi Movie That We Pretend to Understand.” [Heat Vision/HR]
Let Him Love You: Mario will be releasing his fifth album this summer, following last year’s D.N.A. The R&B singer told MTV that the album will likely feature a guest appearance from Chris Brown, as the duo will be recording something “for the ladies.” Yeahhh, not sure how that one’s gonna go over, Mario. [MTV]
Big Role: Jessica Lange will star in a film version of The Big Valley, based on the sixties Western TV series that starred Barbara Stanwyck. Lange will be playing the matriarch of the 1870s ranching family, which is kind of weird because that’s the role Susan Sarandon was supposed to be playing! [Variety]
Not “Over” Yet: Drake has added several dates to his Away From Home tour, which was originally scheduled to wrap up in May. Now the tour will last through July and include additional dates in the U.S., as well as several in Europe and Canada. Perhaps this will give him an edge up in the heated Song of the Summer race. [MTV]
Here’s to You …: Phil Alden Robinson, who wrote and directed Field of Dreams, will write the script for J.J. Abrams’s untitled heist project for Paramount. The film is based on a Wired magazine article by Joshua Davis called “The Untold Story of the World’s Biggest Diamond Heist,” which described the true story of a crew that pulled off a large-scale diamond heist of around $100 million in stolen goods in Antwerp, Belgium. We’re going to call this “Ocean’s Eleven meets Confusing Sci-Fi Movie That We Pretend to Understand.” [Heat Vision/HR]
Big Role: Jessica Lange will star in a film version of The Big Valley, based on the sixties Western TV series that starred Barbara Stanwyck. Lange will be playing the matriarch of the 1870s ranching family, which is kind of weird because that’s the role Susan Sarandon was supposed to be playing! [Variety]
