Spike Lee and Disney might sound like a pretty odd combination, but I don't really see it that way. (Lest we forget that the excellent 25th Hour was a Disney production.) Love the guy or not, Spike Lee has turned into quite the eclectic filmmaker over the last few decades -- and so when I heard that the guy was helming a $50 million WWII drama for Disney, I was intrigued but not surprised. Based on the book by James McBride -- and adapted for the screen by same -- Miracle at St. Anna tells the tale of four black soldiers who find themselves stuck behind enemy lines in Italy.

Opening September 26, St. Anna stars Derek Luke, Michael Ealy, Laz Alonso, and Omar Benson Miller. Also on board are John Turturro, D.B. Sweeney, Kerry Washington, John Leguizamo, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Riding high after his last feature film (the solid and profitable Inside Man), Mr. Lee looks to be moving into "Oscar-friendly" territory again with St. Anna -- and I know I'm not the only movie fan who's curious to Lee's first big war movie.

Cinematical has received this exclusive poster for Miracle at St. Anna (click to enlarge), the highly-anticipated new film from director Spike Lee. Based on the novel by James McBride (who also penned the adaptation), Miracle at St. Anna follows four black American soldiers (and members of the US Army's all-black 92nd "Buffalo Soldier" Division) who, while stationed in Tuscany, Italy during World War II, find themselves trapped behind enemy lines and separated from their unit when one of them risks his life to save an Italian boy.

Starring Derek Luke, Michael Ealy, Laz Alonso, Omar Benson Miller, Matteo Sciabordi, John Leguizamo and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Miracle at St. Anna marks Lee's first foray into war flicks, and it will certainly be interesting to see his trademark style applied to this type of movie. I thoroughly enjoyed both Inside Man and When the Levees Broke, and feel Lee is entering a new, exciting time in his career -- one I'm definitely down for being a part of. What about you?

Miracle at St. Anna arrives in theaters on September 26.

The Hollywood Reporter has announced that Michael Ealy (Sleeper Cell) has joined the cast of Seven Pounds. The film re-unites The Pursuit of Happyness director Gabriele Muccino with his star Will Smith in another 'weepie' drama. Sitcom writer Grant Nieporte (8 Simple Rules ... for Dating My Daughter) wrote the story about "a suicidal IRS agent (Smith) who sets out to make amends by assuming the identity of his younger brother. His plans get complicated when he inadvertently falls in love." Ealy has signed to play the younger brother, and judging by the storyline for the film, I have a feeling we'll mainly be seeing him in flashbacks.

Last December, Monika had brought us the news that Rosario Dawson had signed to star as Smith's love interest (marking another reunion, but this time for the Men in Black II co-stars) and Woody Harrelson as a motel manager that becomes increasingly involved with the suicidal Smith. Ealy has just finished work on Spike Lee's WWII drama, Miracle at St. Anna's, about a group of African-American soldiers who are trapped in Tuscany during a Nazi massacre.

There isn't much time for Ealy to switch gears since Pounds is expected to begin shooting this month. Pounds is scheduled to hit theaters in late 2008, which would appear to be just in time to keep Smith in the running for an Oscar nomination. As for Ealy, it looks like his career is on an upswing -- from starring in things like Fast and the Furious 2 and Never Die Alone to working with Will Smith and Spike Lee in just four short years is an achievement in anybody's book.

Let the following story be either a cautionary tale, or a story of hope, one that carries the message: always pay your taxes. As you know, Wesley Snipes got into a wee bit of tax trouble last year. He was indicted last October, and arrested last December. Well, the thing is, he was supposed to star in Spike Lee's upcoming World War II drama, Miracle at St. Anna. According to Variety, he's withdrawn from the project "because it became too difficult for him to leave the U.S. and shoot in Italy while he fights federal tax-fraud charges." Gee, what a surprise!

This scenario is, however, probably the only one where it might be beneficial to ignore the rules. I mean, if he's found guilty (he pleaded not guilty), how else is he going to pay back the money? He'll have to dip into his piggy banks, or find work in the states, because Derek Luke has replaced him. (That's good for Luke, but there is a 12-year age difference between them... I'm not sure what the rationale is here.) The actor just played an Army Ranger in Lions for Lambs, and now he's going back in time to play one of four members of the U.S. Army's all-black 92nd Division -- who found themselves without their squad behind enemy lines. "The soldiers, bitter about racism and the feeling that their own government treats its enemy better than it does them, finds humanity in the small Tuscan village of St. Anna."

If you were a little apprehensive about the last casting announcement, the other ensemble players should sweeten the deal. Joining Luke are John Turturro, James Gandolfini, Michael Ealy (Barbershop 2: Back in Business), and two actors from Get Rich or Die Tryin', Omar Benson, and Tory Kittles. Considering the fact that the last three are young black men, I imagine they might be the other three soldiers.