To be honest, I kind of have the same aversion to the term 'Chick Lit' as I do with 'Chick Flick.' So, you can understand why I am not all that familiar with Madeleine Wickham's Shopoholic novels. The five-part series was optioned by Disney back in 2004, and last August they hired Isla Fischer for the lead. Just Jared is now posting some behind-the-scenes (aka paparazzi) photos of the actress hard at work. Plus, she is wearing what is possibly the ugliest bridesmaid dress I have ever seen -- which is probably the source of some comedy, or at least I hope it is.

Confessions of a Shopaholic centers on a young college grad (Fisher) who lands a sweet job as a high-profile financial journalist in New York City. However, like any romantic comedy, career fulfillment ain't what it used to be. So, of course, our heroine falls in love with a wealthy entrepreneur. Oh, and did I mention she shops a lot? Hopefully Fisher is going to make this gal more charming on screen than she sounds on paper, because so far, I am not loving this story.

On the upside -- P.J. Hogan (director of Muriel's Wedding) is helming the romcom. So, at least there is a glimmer of something a little more complex than the usual 'girly fluff.' Muriel's Wedding should be required viewing for anyone that wants to make a so-called 'chick flick.' Hogan makes fully fleshed out characters, has a biting sense of humor, and makes happy endings that you don't have to feel guilty about loving. Confessions of a Shopaholic is scheduled to hit theaters on February 13th, 2009 -- just in time for Valentine's Day.

After delays presumably linked to the little tot that Isla Fisher just had with Sacha Baron Cohen, the adaptation of Sophie Kinsella's Confessions of a Shopaholic has finally gone into production -- with some shopaholic-breeding parents along for the ride. Variety reports that Joan Cusack and John Goodman have signed on to play Rebecca's (Fisher) parental units in the comedy.

I say "Yay!" to the casting, because Joan and not-brother John are great, but oh, I love how real-life ages never really factor in. That is, unless Joan's character had the money-obsessed daughter in her early teens. Joan is 45, and Isla is 32. Luckily, the credit card-addicted heroine of the film is 25. This is just like The Graduate, where Anne Bancroft was only 6 years older than Dustin Hoffman, when she was really supposed to be old enough to be his mother.

Anyhow, this shallow shopping extravaganza is currently shooting in New York and Connecticut, and is scheduled to hit theaters just in time for Cupid's next holiday on February 13, 2009.

Several things conspire to make Definitely, Maybe seem a dicey proposition at first glance. There's the rarely-inspiring presence of Ryan Reynolds, whose film career has, up to now, moved between mediocre comedies and mediocre action and horror films and served mostly as a demonstration of the phenomenon of 'failing up.' There's also the gimmicky nature of the pitch giving off warning signs, as divorcing dad Reynolds tells his daughter Abigail Breslin the story of his life before he got married, shielding names and facts so she can't figure out which of the three women (Isla Fisher, Elizabeth Banks or Rachel Weisz) he knew and loved when he was single came to be her mother. "I like it," Breslin says early in the film, appraising Reynolds's efforts. "It's like a love story-mystery." And even that's a somewhat off-putting moment; Gee, kid, thanks for pointing that out for us.

But Definitely, Maybe, written and directed by Adam Brooks, surprised me as it unfolded, and got around my initial reservations with its mix of good humor and grace. Not only is Reynolds an appealing lead here -- possibly because the boyishness that's undercut his other work is an integral part of his character – but Definitely, Maybe also has some grit and gristle under the glib gimmick of the mommy-mystery hook. As Reynolds explains the long and winding road of what happened and when, Brooks's script mostly doesn't shy away from the tough stuff, and it doesn't paint Reynolds as some perfect, hapless everyman undone by random chance; he makes mistakes, and he pays for them, and he tries to set things right. Reynolds is normally light and charming enough on screen, but there's something new in his performance here, as his inner feelings keep coming into view behind his smile.

Back in August, Isla Fisher was tapped to head the big-screen adaptation of Sophie Kinsella's bestselling novel Confessions of a Shopaholic, which was going to be filmed under the British title, The Secret Dream World of a Shopaholic. Now the film is back to its US title, has a new start date popping up next month, and more cast to revel in the world of shopping along with Fisher. The Hollywood Reporter has posted that Hugh Dancy and Krysten Ritter have signed on to co-star.

Shopaholic, which is being produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Muriel's Wedding helmer PJ Hogan, is about a woman named Rebecca (Fisher), who works as a financial journalist in New York City -- one who writes for "Successful Saving." While most of her life is on the up and up, Rebecca has a serious shopping addiction that she can't afford, so she has to find "creative solutions" to kill her debt. And, since this is a romcom, she also falls for a successful entrepreneur she's covering for the magazine. One, perhaps, that can afford her over-the-top shopping ways?

The Jane Austen Book Club member Hugh Dancy won't be the object of Isla's affection, but rather the editor of her magazine. Ritter, meanwhile, will play her best friend, Suze. Ritter is also "Gina the Goth" in the upcoming romcom 27 Dresses, but is probably better known for her roles on Veronica Mars (the exuberant Gia Goodman) and Gilmore Girls (the also-exuberant Lucy). Now all we need is Rebecca's romantic interest, and the film will be set to shoot next month in New York and Connecticut.

I was watching Talladega Nights the other day and start griping about Isla Fisher. Why? Sheer jealousy of course -- her being engaged to Sacha Baron Cohen. Anyway, a friend asked me who the hell I was talking about, and I explained that she was the bubbly model replacement for the bonnet-wearing Naomi Watts in I Heart Huckabees. My other friend then told me I was crazy and explained that she was also the girl from the Wedding Crashers. I can't help it. Every time I think of her, I remember her as the replacement model. Now, along with a new kid, she's getting a big starring role -- JoBlo has posted that she's signed on to star in The Secret Dream World of a Shopaholic. This is the movie adaptation of Sophie Kinsella's Confessions of a Shopaholic. (Why would they make the name longer?)

Fisher will play Rebecca Bloomwood, a college grad who makes a living working as a financial journalist in the Big Apple. Most things are going well, except that she's struggling with a terrible shopping addiction. Her bills increase well beyond her means and "she's forced to creatively find solutions to her mounting debt while falling in love with a highly successful entrepreneur she's highlighting for the magazine." Sounds like a perfect match to me -- although we'll have to see how she does as a financial journalist. The adaptation was written by Tracey Jackson (The Guru) and PJ Hogan (Muriel's Wedding and My Best Friend's Wedding), so that should bode well for the production.

Now, this is where I get confused -- they say that filming will begin this November. Fisher's already pretty round, and she's expecting her baby this winter, so I'm not sure how they're going to pull this all off -- unless the start date is just some misinformation. If she's a pregnant financial journalist and shopaholic in New York, well that would be...interesting.

Oh yeah, and she's cute. (Scott made me say that.)

In one year, Isla Fisher went from the giggly model replacement for Naomi Watts in I Heart Huckabees to a starring role in Wedding Crashers. Personally, I think her luckiest grab was the arm of sexy-when-not-Borat Sacha Baron Cohen, but maybe that's just me. It's been a few years, but now she's got a mountain of movies on the way, the first of which is Wedding Daze (previously called The Pleasure of Your Company). She's teamed with Jason Biggs who danced his bare butt right out of the spotlight after wrapping up his time in the American Pie series.

But oh, if you've missed that arse, you have no farther to go than the Daze trailer. The black screen opens up to a rather small, sparkly bikini bottoms resting on the thankfully underwear-clad bum of Biggs. From there the trailer goes on to explain the film -- Anderson proposed to his girlfriend, in a crazily over-the-top manner, and killed her. Seemingly not interested in going back to that whole dating thing, he proposes to a cute waitress he doesn't know. However, because this is a romantic comedy, it becomes one of those cheek-pinchy happy stories rather than a disastrous train wreck. (If only life really worked that way! Well, then again, the guy deserves it since he accidentally killed his girlfriend while proposing.) There's lots of Fisher's crazy laugh, and of course, no movie like this is complete without a dance scene, although this time it is dance charades with Biggs, who looks like he got some lessons from Paul Rudd. So, if over-the-top, unbelievable wackiness and Biggs bum are your cup of tea, this film will be a grand old time.

If you walked out of Wedding Crashers madly in love with Isla Fisher and wondering if and when she might get her very own starring vehicle, your prayers have been answered. (I actually fell for the gal several years ago after seeing her in a goofy Australian comedy called The Wannabes.) Looks like Universal will be bankrolling Fisher's The Cookie Queen, which she'll be producing from a screenplay by newcomers Ed Gonzalez and Jeremy Hast.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the comedy's about a grown woman who gets all jealous and vindictive when a pushy fifth-grader threatens to demolish her 20-year-old cookie-selling record. Sounds like your typical "high concept" farce, but it'll be pretty cool to see Ms. Fisher sink her teeth into a starring role -- not only because she's amazingly cute (let's just say Sacha Baron Cohen is one lucky man), but also because she's really quite funny. And when you take "sexy" and "funny" and wedge 'em into one woman, well, let's just say I hope The Cookie Queen doesn't crumble. No word yet on who'll be directing. Hopefully someone with talent.

Fans of Isla will have plenty to keep them busy in the meantime. She's presently onscreen in The Lookout, plus she has no less than five new movies on the horizon: She'll pop up in comedies Wedding Daze and Hot Rod, plus she's also doing Definitely, Maybe with Elizabeth Banks and Rachel Weisz (wow!), contributing a voice to Horton Hears a Who, and has signed on for a Paramount comedy called Groupies opposite Amy Poehler. Now if only we could get her into a movie with Sarah Silverman or Jenna Fischer....

Erik told us about a month ago about Definitely, Maybe, a movie that, sadly, is not the story of feuding brothers with bushy eyebrows and a little rock band on the side. Instead, it's a romantic comedy about "a soon-to-be-divorced political consultant who has to answer some hard questions from his 11-year-old daughter as he explains his promiscuous past." When the film was announced, much of the cast was already in place, including Ryan Reynolds (who, despite Erik's mean remarks, will completely rock this grown-up part -- seriously) as the political consultant and Derek Luke and Isla Fisher in unspecified supporting roles.

Today, reports indicated that a few more major openings are close to being filled -- and by names that will make this movie very popular among men, despite its chick-flick potential: Elizabeth Banks and Rachel Weisz are in negotiations to join the cast. According to this morning's Hollywood Reporter, Banks will play the college girlfriend of Reynolds' character, while Weisz is in talks to play the girl who replaces Banks in the consultant's heart. At this point, though, does it even matter? I'm guessing the names Weisz, Banks and Fisher will be more than enough to make this a must-see for a large segment of the population.

It was announced late last year that The Lookout, screenwriter Scott Frank's directorial debut, had secured the considerable talents of Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Jeff Daniels for its starring roles. Gordon-Levitt plays a disabled janitor who is caught up in a heist, while Daniels is a blind ex-biker who is also involved, though no one in the press seems to know exactly how. While the two of them alone certainly have the ability to carry a well-written film (and, since Frank wrote the script, it's good), it's now being reported that three impressive names have been added to the cast, and the movie is sounding better and better. Playing a criminal (presumably one involved in the heist) will be Matthew Goode, who won praise for his performance as Scarlett Johansson's boyfriend in Match Point, and another scene-stealer, Isla Fisher of Wedding Crashers, has been cast as "a scandalous vixen." (Boys, that one's for you.) Rounding out the trio of additions in the role of a therapist is the wonderful Carla Gugino who someday, maybe, will get the attention she deserves.

The movie is scheduled to begin filming in Canada later this month.