As pleasantly surprised as I was by last summer's musical remake of Hairspray, I can't say that the prospect of sequel potential ever once came to mind. Thankfully, that's why we have Hollywood bean counters and the like, who see the success of that film, Mamma Mia! and High School Musical (including a fair amount of CD and DVD sales for each) as reason enough to have John Waters -- who wrote the 1988 original -- whip up a treatment for a Hairspray sequel.

According to Variety, returning for the project is director Adam Shankman and ... um, no one else at the moment. There isn't a writer attached, nor are any of the original stars lined up to return, although I have little reason to think that most of the young cast wouldn't be down for another one (just what is Nikki Blonsky up to now, anyway?).

Warner Bros. hopes to have Hairspray 2 (Hairspray-ier?) in theaters by July of 2010.

Okay, Will Ferrell has nothing to do with the following production news, but when I think male cheerleaders, I think 'Spartans' -- so sue me. While Ferrell is hardly the most dignified symbol of male cheerleaders everywhere, it's not like a Disney dance comedy is going to do much to raise their profile either. Variety reports that Adam Shankman (the musical producer extraordinaire and part-time judge on So You Think You Can Dance) has signed with Disney to produce the male cheerleader comedy, Matadors.

The pitch was written by Mike Bender (Not Another Teen Movie) and is based on the true story of the all-male dance group that performs at home games for The Chicago Bulls. Never heard of them? Don't feel bad, neither had I. But then again, my cheerleader knowledge is limited to what I've learned from watching Bring it On.

Former Laker Girl Anne Fletcher has already signed to direct; Fletcher also worked with Shankman as a choreographer on the dance flick Step-Up back in 2006. According to Variety, the film will primarily be a comedy, but it "will feature extensive dance numbers, drawing on Fletcher's experience as a choreographer." Matadors has not started casting yet, but Fletcher told The Hollywood Reporter, "It's an array of guys, with all sorts of shapes and sizes. We'll be able to have fun with the casting." Well, what do you know? Maybe there's a part for Ferrell in Matadors after all.

Who would you like to see shaking their pom poms for Shankman and company? Sound off below ...

Well, the cat is out of the bag -- all is not well over at Warner Bros. Hopefully the rocky state of affairs at WB isn't going to cause problems for their latest purchase. Variety reports that the studio has picked up Due Date, a pregnancy comedy by Alan Freedland and Alan Cohen.

The story centers on a first-time father and burgeoning workaholic whose wife goes into labor while he is stuck hundreds of miles away in a snowstorm. The only way he can make it to the birth in time is by hitching a ride with a college student. So I can only assume that Due Date will be another one of those movies about a young man lamenting his lost youth in the face of fatherhood. I'm thinking the film will be something along the lines of She's Having a Baby, but with a dash of road movie humor thrown in for good measure.

Cohen and Freedland are two of the writer-producers of the Fox animated show, King of the Hill, and were also behind the Robert Evans cartoon, Kid Notorious. The two recently sold a comedy script to Disney with with Adam Shankman (Hairspray) lined up to direct. These two might want to stay tight with the 'Mouse', because things are starting to look a little shaky over at WB.

With a name like "Fear Phil," I can't help but imagine a comedic horror movie with a larger-than-life, bobble-headed Dr. Phil running around, spreading doctorly advice through an almost disembodied, booming voice, and killing those who don't follow his suggestions. (Or maybe he only kills those that do, so there's always more people for his talk show...) But this isn't about Oprah-loved doctors -- it's about those pesky, preying insurance salesmen.

Variety reports that Jack Angelo and Sam Brown's new comedy pitch Fear Phil has been picked up by Disney for Adam Shankman and Jennifer Gibgot to produce. The film, which cost Disney high six against low seven figures, focuses on "an insurance salesman who makes a living preying on other people's fears, only to wake up and find that his own worst fears are coming true." Oh, the bite of poetic justice, or tide-turning karma.

There's no further word about the project yet, nor word on whether Shankman will just produce the comedy, or direct it as well. In the meantime, Angelo and Brown also have Undateable floating around on the Disney lot -- a film that was picked up just over one year ago. April is definitely their month of magic. Stay tuned to see what they sell next year!

Most Adam Sandler fans are probably more than a little relieved that he has left some of the 'earnest' comedy behind and is now headed back to a sillier state of mind with You Don't Mess with the Zohan. But don't get too comfortable; it looks like there's more family-friendly fare on the horizon. ComingSoon.net recently got the chance to speak with Adam Shankman on the set of his latest flick, Seventeen (starring the 'dreamy' Zac Efron) to talk about his upcoming directing gig with Sandler in Bedtime Stories.

Shankman told Coming Soon that the release date of December 25th is foremost in his mind and that production is going to have to work, "Unbelievably fast, because I'm going till mid-June; it's a long schedule. Then, I have to be out in theaters December 25th. And there's a ton of CG, so I'm excited." Sure, he sounds excited, but why am I suddenly worried that this film is going to be the Jumanji of 2008?

The family comedy was written by Matt Lopez, a relative newcomer who only has a few credits to his name -- one of which is the upcoming remake of Witch Mountain. Stories stars Sandler as a guy whose life is forever changed when the stories that he tells his nephew at bedtime start to become real. Keri Russell (Waitress) also stars, although there is no description of her part. The smart money is that Russell will get the thankless role of 'love interest'. Shooting is set to begin in the next three weeks and keep your fingers crossed that Shankman can keep on schedule.

Variety is reporting that Keri Russell will follow in the footsteps of such beautiful actresses as Drew Barrymore, Winona Ryder, and Jessica Biel. In Disney's Bedtime Stories, Russell will romance Adam Sandler. She'll play "a potential love interest for Sandler's character, a harried real estate developer whose life is suddenly turned upside down when the lavish bedtime stories he tells his niece and nephew become real." Adam Shankman, a director who totally underwhelmed me until Hairspray, will direct. Matt Lopez (the upcoming Witch Mountain) wrote the script.

It might not be the most challenging role Russell could tackle -- women in Sandler comedies historically don't have much to do other than laugh at the star. But I'll be thrilled if appearing in the film bumps Russell into the stardom that has bafflingly eluded her all these years. I was a big Felicity fan, I've enjoyed her in pretty much everything else, and she was just wonderful in this year's Waitress, now on DVD. Her lovely performance in Adrienne Shelly's romantic comedy just might snag her an Academy Award nomination. And here's hoping this gets Sandler comedy back on track. I'm not expecting another Happy Gilmore, but I can't sit through another Click. Get ready for your Bedtime Stories next year at Christmas.

Although it was made forty years before I was born, Topper has remained one of my favorite, beloved movies over the years. A fun-loving and reckless couple, Marion and George Kirby, are killed in a car accident, but left on earth as ghosts. They decide to haunt Cosmo Topper, the stuffy president of the bank they were stockholders at, and loosen him up -- which throws a wrench in his marriage to the equally-stuffy Clara Topper. Now it seems that Sean Young wants to revive the story, but she isn't having much luck.

The Sun reports that she has been trying to get in touch with George Clooney to remake the classic, claiming: "I think our chemistry would match very well, and I'd give him a run for his money." This is just the latest stint in her push to make it back to the A-list, as she told Cinematical at Comic-Con, and I guess if that's your goal, there is no better guy to get in touch with than George. Unfortunately, Clooney isn't biting: "If he would just return my call and give me a shot, that could be really great."

Doubly unfortunately, I guess she hasn't heard that Adam Shankman is already trying to remake the film, although that project dates all the way back to 2003, so who knows if it will ever get off the ground? Honestly though, I'd much rather have the spotlight-yearning Young's plan, than the other, which would star Steve Martin. I love the comedian a lot, but he just doesn't have that Cary Grant vibe, and I'm sure it would be just as disappointing as The Pink Panther. But Clooney... While I have very little interest in seeing a Topper remake, he could sway me.

The King of Kong is my favorite movie of the year so far, and one of my favorite documentaries of all time. It may be hard to find a theater showing the film where you are, but do anything in your power to see it. Seth Gordon, the director of that robo-excellent flick is rapidly becoming a pretty hot commodity in Hollywood. As Monika told you, he intends to direct a fictionalized version of Kong, with actors like Johnny Depp and Edward Norton on the filmmaker's wish list. He's attached to direct a project called The Only Living Boy in New York. And now The Hollywood Reporter has announced that Gordon is in final negotiations to direct Four Christmases, a holiday comedy with Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon. I'm not sure how he's going to have time to do it all.

Four Christmases is based on a screenplay by first-timers Matt Allen and Caleb Wilson, and will follow a young married couple (Vaughn and Witherspoon), each half of which has divorced parents. They struggle to attend...you guessed it...four Christmas Day celebrations, one for each parent, and somehow maintain their sanity. Christmases has been in the works for several years. It was set up with an intended December 2004 release date, but went into turnaround when it conflicted with the release of the Tim Allen vehicle Christmas with the Kranks. Then Adam Shankman was scheduled to direct, but chose to do Hairspray instead. When he left, Shrek director Vicky Jenson came on board, but "a deal never materialized." So now we've got Gordon at the helm, and I couldn't be happier. If Christmas is half the film Kong is, I'll love the crap out of it.

Did you know that Queen Latifah, who is remaking All of Me, wants Steve Martin to reprise his role from the original 1984 comedy? It's news to me and possibly news to Martin who apparently hasn't been given many details about what Latifah and director Adam Shankman (Hairspray) want to do with the film.

All of Me originally starred Martin and Lily Tomlin -- an outrageously funny duo -- and was about two souls that merge into one body. Tomlin plays a wealthy woman who wants her life to continue on earth via the body of another woman. She calls upon Martin's lawyer services to rearrange her will and a soul transference ceremony. As Martin exits her sky rise apartment before the services begin, an act of human clumsiness sends the bowl that Tomlin's soul was resting in flying out the window and onto Martin's head. Thus the ceremony is botched and Tomlin is now present in Martin's body. The film becomes a physical comedy as the personalities fight to cohabitate.

The premise of the remake will essentially stay the same. Latifah stated to MTV that a number of story options were being presented to Shankman and herself but not much has been determined. As for Martin returning to the role he originated over 20 years ago? Stage actors reprise their roles often without too much guffawing and Martin has aged so graciously that physically, he would have no problem re-inhabiting the role. Whether he should do the project or not is best left to be determined by the script. I have to admit that I have instant trepidation about this one. It could be wonderfully brilliant but another part of me would rather let sleeping dogs lie.

I'm going to do my best to let you know about this brand-new Hairspray trailer without editorializing or expressing my own personal opinion of the clip, but I think the movie looks really awful and I could have sworn that the original source material was a comedy. OK, moving on: Here's the trailer for a '60s-era movie musical called Hairspray which is based on a Broadway play that was based on a scrappy little John Waters movie from 1988. (I can guarantee that Waters never expected all this when he made his flick.) If memory serves, the movie's about a free-spirited chubby girl who teaches her close-minded nemeses a thing or two about judging people by their physical appearances, darnit.

Only the original film had John Waters' distinct sense of absurdity, whereas (based only on the trailer) this musical version looks more like Dreamgirls meets That Thing You Do, which could make for an entertaining enough movie, I'm sure, but there's an extra albatross around the neck of this flick: I won't name any names, but the guy I'm thinking of also directed Bringing Down the House, The Pacifier and Cheaper by the Dozen 2. Plus I may be in the minority on this one, but ... John Travolta in drag as a suburban housewife? Not really all that funny an idea. Am I nuts?

Still, putting aside all my ill-informed bile and general nastiness, I hope I'm proven dead wrong and Hairspray turns out to be a heart-warmin', toe-tappin', side-splittin' good time at the movies come July 20. I mean ... it does have Christopher Walken in it. (Also Michelle Pfeiffer, Brittany Snow, Queen Latifah, Amanda Bynes and Alison Janney as "Prudy Pingleton.")