Even with The Golden Compass sort of flaming out last fall, kids' fantasy continues to be a hot commodity. Witness the treatment that Brian Selznick's highly acclaimed illustrated novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret is currently receiving. The adaptation is being ushered into production by GK Films, whose last project was The Departed. They've recruited in-demand screenwriter John Logan (Gladiator, The Aviator, Sweeney Todd) to write the screenplay. And the film will be directed by Chris Wedge (Ice Age, Robots), trying to make an Andrew Adamson-like break into live-action having mastered CGI animation. The plan is to start filming this fall, presumably with an eye toward getting the movie out by Christmas of next year.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret isn't just any old children's book. Its author says that it's "not exactly a novel, and it's not quite a picture book, and it's not really a graphic novel, or a flip book, or a movie, but a combination of all these things." The New York Times called it "a silent film on paper." It's about an orphaned boy working as a clock cleaner in a Paris train station who gets embroiled in a mystery involving another of the train station's denizens. Sounds like fun, and also like an opportunity to make something generic out of something unique. Ah, but that's unfairly pessimistic (even if Robots was awful) -- I'm actually a sucker for this tyke-fantasy stuff. Another one for the ole' reading list...

I may have initially hated Miami Vice, but it might be time to take another look. Especially because it's taking Michael Mann a long time to make a follow-up (though it's normal for him to take a few years between films). Lately he's been concentrating on producing, overseeing such pics as The Kingdom, which is currently in theaters, and the upcoming Hancock, which stars Will Smith. According to Variety, though, Mann has found a project that he's interested in directing next year, and it's to be another vehicle for Smith, who Mann previously directed to an Oscar nom in Ali. The drama, titled Empire, will also reunite Mann with screenwriter John Logan, with whom he worked, as a producer, on The Aviator. The plot involves a "contemporary global media mogul."

Other than that job title for (I'm assuming) Smith's character, little is known. But with such a great team involved, I don't think we need to worry. They're all very talented and respected (even if Logan did write the recent version of The Time Machine), Columbia apparently dished out at least a million bucks for the must-be-amazing pitch and I trust that Mann will not disappoint me again in the future. Something about this project -- perhaps the hint of corporate and media dealings -- makes me think it will be most in line with Mann's The Insider, which I think is his best film, even though it doesn't have a lot of action nor does it have Pacino and DeNiro face to face. Empire also won't feature classic Hollywood icons, like the film noir Mann and Logan were recently said to be making, but with that in mind, I think I'm anticipating this new project on less-kitschy grounds. Meanwhile, I'm also hoping that Smith make this a priority over Seven Pounds, his presumed next film (following Hancock) that returns him to the care of Pursuit of Happyness director Gabriele Muccino. I guess it all could come down to which film Smith thinks offers him a better chance at another Oscar nom for 2009.

You might have heard rumblings a few years ago about another adaptation of William Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice. This came on the still-hot heels of the Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons and Joseph Fiennes version that came out that year. However, this one was going to put a bit of a spin on things. Under the hands of Sir Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart, the classic play was going to rise out of the desert of Nevada -- The Merchant of Venice Vegas. Aptly housed at the Venetian Resort, the adaptation would explore greedy gambling and money as well as the relationship between Antonio and Basanio using the city's gay scene. Of course, McKellen was approached by Stewart to play Antonio. At the time, some believed it was a bit over-the-top.

For a while, there has been no word on the project, but it's still been running under the radar. While discussing his upcoming Shakespeare roles for the Minerva Theatre in Chichester, Stewart chatted a bit about Venice, a play he was into since he was "12 and my English teacher put a copy of The Merchant of Venice in my hand... I just took to it, like being thrown into water and finding you can swim. All I ever wanted to do was Shakespeare, the other things were just happy accidents." While he made no mention of McKellan, he explained that he will produce and star in the film (as Shylock, I presume), which came out of an argument with John Logan over the play. After Stewart argued that it wasn't a "loathsome play," Logan decided to adapt it for the actor. Unfortunately, that's all there is to say for now -- there's no news on when, or of a definitive cast. Me, I'm just hoping this does well enough that he decides to bring his Prospero to the screen next, which he hit out of the park with New York Shakespeare Festival's version of The Tempest.

[via MovieWeb]

Despite rumors about delays, Dreamworks has given Sweeney Todd an official release date of December 21st, 2007. And really, what better time than Christmas for a story of grisly murders, revenge, and meat pies? Sometimes a release date is just a release date, but when a film with this pedigree is placed into theaters at that time of year, odds are it's angling for some little gold statues. Here's hoping it warrants them! The film stars Johnny Depp, Sacha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Laura Michelle Kelly, Christopher Lee, Timothy Spall, and Anthony Stewart Head of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame. John Logan (Gladiator, The Aviator) is adapting Stephen Sondheim's beloved "musical thriller" for the big screen.

The story of Sweeney Todd has been filmed many times before, the most well-known probably being a 1982 televised version of the stage play, starring Angela Lansbury. I saw the most recent stage revival of the show on Broadway, and was pretty impressed. I'm eager to see Burton's take on it. Sweeney Todd is an extremely icky, pitch-black affair, and I couldn't imagine a better pairing of director with material. The show's blend of dark humor and grisly thrills fits squarely into Burton's Sleepy Hollow wheelhouse. Sweeney marks the sixth time Depp and Burton have worked together. Their collaborations have brought us three truly excellent films: Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, and Sleepy Hollow, as well as the pretty cool Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Corpse Bride, for which Depp provided a voice. I can't wait to see where this new one ranks. I don't know about you, but hearing Borat, Donnie Brasco, and Hans Gruber sing sounds like a pretty sweet Christmas present to me.

Oh, and if you want to see what Mr. Depp will look like as "the demon barber of fleet street," head here. Looks like he's got kind of a Cruella DeVille thing going on with the hair.