Well, I guess we can add another name to the list of actors competing for the role of the late great Rat Packer Sammy Davis Jr. While doing some press with MTV for Hairspray, star Elijah Kelley let it slip that he is in talks to play the legendary song and dance man. Now, here's where it starts to get a little complicated for Kelley. A couple of weeks ago, Jette had word that there were three competing Davis projects in active development. The forerunners are a co-production between Denzel Washington and Brian Grazer based on the 2003 biography In Black and White, and a film with André Benjamin that focuses on the relationship between Davis and actress Kim Novak. Kelley would be reuniting with Hairspray producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron for his chance to play the candy man; he says that he would be playing Davis between the age of 15 to 25, which were the years that "made him Sammy Davis Jr."

Kelley is not waiting around for this role though, and has already signed with New Line for Party Up, a movie that revolves around the treasured standby of all teen comedies, the house party gone awry. And since it's all just speculation at this point, it's way too early to tell if Kelley could even handle the more dramatic aspects of Davis' life. We know that he can rock a finger wave, but first, we are going to have to wait and see who emerges victorious in the "battle of the biopics."

Remember the dueling Truman Capote biopics, Capote and Infamous? That's nothing compared to the possibilities for movies focusing on Sammy Davis Jr. and his memorable career. According to the New York Times, the potential movie projects currently number four -- three features and a documentary, focusing on different aspects of the singer/actor's life from various biographical sources. If the Capote films are any kind of benchmark, it seems that the first movie to reach theaters will likely be the one with the biggest box-office success. This means that when one of these films actually goes into production, the other projects may crumble. Here are the contenders for the big race:

• Denzel Washington starring in and possibly directing a Brian Grazer-produced adaptation of 2003 biography In Black and White: The Life of Sammy Davis Jr., written by Wil Haywood. Imagine Entertainment and Universal Pictures have teamed up for this movie. This is the one I'm betting will prevail, simply because of the big-name talent behind it.
• Andre Benjamin (aka Andre 3000) starring in Sammy and Kim, about Davis's affair with actress Kim Novak in the 1950s, which drew a lot of controversy at the time. The sensationalist aspect of this story could potentially draw a lot of crowds.
• New Line is finalizing a deal to adapt Davis's best-selling autobiography from 1965, Yes, I Can, which was actually written by Jane and Burt Boyar. Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, who have produced Chicago and Hairspray, are attached as producers. This biopic is endorsed by Davis's widow, but no lead actor has yet been named.
  
• A documentary is also in the running, also based on Yes, I Can, and using Burt Boyar's filmed interviews with Davis. This sounds like it might be a good alternate, smaller film that would clarify facts that might balance out a more sensational, fictionalized biopic.

Looks like super-in-demand (and super-hot) Oscar winner Charlize Theron has her next gig lined up after she finishes with Paul Haggis' In the Valley of Elah and Alan Parker's The Ice at the Bottom of the World. According to Variety (via Coming Soon) Theron's gig after those films will be The Battle in Seattle which is being written and directed by Theron fiance, actor and freshmen helmer Stuart Townsend.

Theron's new co-stars in The Battle in Seattle, an ensemble political action drama set against the backdrop of the 1999 World Trade Organization meeting (and riots) in Seattle, are Ray Liotta, Martin Henderson of The Ring and the recent Flyboys, Andre' Benjamin from the recent Idlewild and Woddy Harrelson, who also appeared with Theron in North Country. Also according to Variety, Townsend will be trying to take a somewhat unique approach with his direction and will tell the story of the film from several different interlocking perspectives -- including those of the protesters, politicians, police and some of the delegates.

An interesting idea, and one that may serve the project well. However, not completely original, having been done very well many times in films such as Pulp Fiction, Crash , the upcoming Bobby, directed by Emilio Estevez and most any Robert Altman movie you can think of. Still, the premise sounds interesting and Theron has a talent for picking good, relevant material like Monster and North Country, so this might amount to something in the end. Plus, did I mention that Theron is super-hot? Let's not forget that.

The Battle in Seattle is expected to begin filming in November. No other casting news or a release date as of yet.

(See earlier news on The Battle in Seattle here and here.)

It seems like just a few days ago that we offered you the opportunity to answer a few questions about Idlewild for a chance to win some spectacular Idlewild swag. Actually, it was just a few days ago, but who's counting? The questions -- this time with their answers, were:

• 1) Idlewild was sold to Universal after OutKast's 2003 double-album became a smash success. What was that album called? Speakerboxxx/The Love Below

• 2) The film features some rousing dance numbers. What is the signature dance style created by choreographer Hinton Battle for the film called? Swop

• 3) What is on the flask that Rooster always carries with him? A talking rooster (rooster was also an acceptable answer)

• 4) What does Percival's father do for a living? Mortician (undertaker, funeral home director, etc, were also fine)

• 5) What is the ironic name of the speakeasy where Rooster and Percival perform? The Church

• 6) What was director Bryan Barber best known for prior to directing Idlewild? Music videos

• 7) Barber drew inspiration for Idlewild from which period musical by Vincente Minnelli? Cabin in the Sky

• 8) One of the songs on the soundtrack is titled "Chronomentrophobia". Chronomentrophobia is the fear of what? Clocks

Eight Cinematical readers submitted correct answers to all eight questions. Their names went into a hat (a pink University of Oklahoma hat, if you must know), and the winner is ... Dale! Yes, reader Dale wins the fantabulous Idlewild swag pack, which includes a very cool t-shirt, mini-poster AND a CD of the amazing soundtrack. Congratulations, Dale! We'll be in touch to get your address, and your swag will be on its way! If you didn't win, don't fret. You still have until 5PM EDT Thursday to enter the Caption This contest for some very nice This Film Is Not Yet Rated swag.

Though there were times we thought it would never come, the release of Outkast's Idlewild is just over a week away and, in celebration, Universal is pulling out all the internet stops when it comes to promoting the film -- and for once that doesn't mean a MySpace page. Instead, the studio has enhanced the movie's very nicely designed -- and fast-loading -- official page with not one, not two, not three, but eight clips from the movie. The content of the clips ranges from Acting, With a Hint of Romance to Big Boi Doing His Thing (During the 1930s), and should please those of you who, like me, have been waiting for this damn thing for almost a year now. Plus, there's some new music from Outkast in there (you may recall that one of the many release delays was supposedly due to the duo's desire to get the movie's soundtrack 100% perfect) -- what's not to like?

At long (long, long) last, Idlewild will hit theaters August 25 (so they tell us, anyway).

Ok, this is good -- really, really good. There's an article in Sunday's New York Times by Roni Sarig that's a Bryan Barber profile combined with a look at the development of Idlewild (for those of you new on the Cinematical scene, Idlewild is the Outkast movie that I talk about all the time, and Barber is its director), and the end result is very encouraging. Get this: Sarig actually compares Barber to Michel Gondry and Spike Jonze, suggesting that he's following in their footsteps as he "translate[s] the eccentricity of [his] ... videos into iconoclastic features." Can I get an amen?

The history of Idlewild, as detailed in the article, is fascinating -- it was originally envisioned as one of an HBO series of six "low-budget urban movies" with budgets of about $1 million each, but as the project (first titled Speakerbox) grew, it eventually swallowed up the entire series, and grew too big for the TV screen. After years in development and production (and then on the shelf while Outkast finished the music), and despite the fact that Barber and producer Charles Roven apparently "did not see eye to eye on probably 98 percent of the picture," the director insists that the final product reflects his original awesome, weird-ass vision.

We'll all get to see for ourselves in just a matter of months now: Idlewild hits screens (supposedly 2500 of them, but I'll believe that when I see it) at the end of August.

This is my fifth, increasingly desperate post about the state of Idlewild, AKA The Outkast Movie. The pattern of the posts is pretty much as follows: I get all excited about the fact that the movie has a release date, and then it disappears off the face of the earth. And then the cycle happens again -- the current date, August 25, is its third in the past six months, and I've finally learned not going to celebrate until I actually see it on a marquee somewhere. Though the constant delays theoretically have to do with a desire on the part of Big Boi and Andre 3000 to get the music completely perfect (rather than a desperate need to rescue their movie from total suckage), I'm sure I'm not the only one who is both eagerly looking forward to this one and very, very worried about its quality. I mean, it's a prohibition musical, for God's sake -- there's a lot of room for failure there.

Just to get us even more excited about it movie, though, Chris Lee of the Los Angeles Times spoke with Idlewild director Bryan Barber last week, as well as the ubiquitous Terrence Howard, who appears in the film in a supporting role. Not surprisingly Barber, whose directing experience was limited to music videos (including the one for Outkast's Hey Ya!) prior to taking on this project, faced serious opposition from studio heads in getting the movie made. Not only was he a neophyte director and writer, but he was also trying to make a period, African-American musical. And his stars, best known as a team, would appear in only a handful of scenes together -- one can understand why studios were a little worried about sinking money into the project. By either a deal with the devil or insane luck, though, Barber got $27 million and a deal with Universal -- and, if all goes well, we'll get to see the result in August. Fingers and toes crossed.

[via GreenCine Daily]

On the list of Cinematical review assignments for March 17, there's a line that reads "Idlewild: Martha." Yes, that's right: the fabled Outkast musical was supposed to be in theaters this weekend. However, because back in January the movie was removed - for the second time - from HBO Films' release schedule, that assignment is just sitting there taunting me, much like the brilliant trailer the company unleashed back in January.

Though this sort of pattern practically screams MAJOR, FLAMING PROBLEMS! to the general public, Outkast's Big Boi insists (as you might expect) that everything is perfectly fine. Why the delay(s), you ask? It's all about quality, and he and Andre 3000 are still working on the music for the movie. According to Big Boi, "What happened was it usually takes me and Dre a couple of years to get the music right. When we first started the movie we didn't really have a whole lot of the music done." So, though a few singles are ready now, the duo agreed with HBO to hold the release until the music is polished, rather than rush it out in time for the March open. Now, if this is true, great. I've still got a sneaking suspicion, though, that there are editing monkeys locked in a room somewhere at HBO, frantically trying to fix the movie.

The new release date is August 25, at which time HBO plans to have the movie on 2500 screens. Damn. A musical. On 2500 screens? I'll believe that when I see it.

I've made no secret of the fact that I have an irrational eagerness to see Idlewild, AKA The Outkast Movie. As a result, I (along with one or two other people) was quite alarmed by the sudden disappearance of both the movie and its soundtrack from HBO's and LaFace/Jive's release schedules back in November. Now, though, totally out of nowhere, a full trailer for the film has appeared at Yahoo, complete with a March 10 release date. Woo hoo! And, while it should be obvious that I'm a total easy mark for this movie, the trailer is surprisingly good. It's almost impossible to get any sense of character because it goes by so quickly, but the editing is sharp, the dancing is awesome, and the Prohibition-era atmosphere has a wonderful sheen of fantasy over it. It could potentially be a pretty cool period flick, if nothing else.

In addition to Outkast (Big Boi's the singer, André's the piano player) and singin' and dancin', the movie's got a cast full of big names, from Patti LaBelle and Terrence Howard to Cicely Tyson and Ving Rhames. Come on. How can you not be just a little excited about it?

[via Dark Horizons]

We had Charlotte's Web on tonight (one of my fave childhood movies - although I must admit that Wilbur's whining does grate on my nerves after the third viewing or so in a 24-hour period) - and I got to wondering what's up with the remake of the film. I went to IMDB to check it out and, sure enough, a veritable bevy of hot stars are in the film: Julia Roberts as Charlotte, Dakota Fanning (shocking casting call there, I know) as Fern, Steve Buscemi as Templeton the Rat (okay, I can buy that), Oprah as Gussy the Goose, and John Cleese, Robert Redford, Jennifer Garner,  Kathy Bates, Thomas Haden Church, Reba McEntire, Andre 3000 from Outkast (!?!) and Cedric the Entertainer (playing Golly, the henpecked gander bossed around by Oprah's Gussy) -- holy arachnophobia, is there anyone who isn't in this film?

And then I noticed something odd. No Wilbur. Huh?!?