Let's start off with a little bit of trivia: Did you know that High School Musical and its sequels have had the working titles Grease 3, Grease 4, and Grease 5? That would make it seem as though Zac Efron and his super-cute co-stars were some new generation possibly bred from the loins of Sandy and Danny. Not quite. It's got the whole differing social group angle, and how friends can get in the way of love, but it's definitely not that dirty, classic family movie we all know.

As a tot, I liked Grease, but I loved Grease 2 -- this is probably because Maxwell Caulfield was much easier on the eyes than John Travolta. But after watching the original a few times and devouring the second much more often, there was a long hiatus until a close cousin of mine got a little older and Grease got re-released in theaters. I took her to see it, and my jaw sagged through the entire film. How dirty! How could I not have realized this? I looked over at her; she was smiling, happy, and oblivious, so obviously the "don't-see-the-raunchiness" spell was working all these years later. It skillfully rides that fine line between raunch and respectability.

So, in the sea of a new musicals, equipped with myriads of fangirls, I give you my generation's High School Musicals: Grease and Grease 2.

By far, one of my absolute favorite movies is Stephen Frear's adaptation of Dangerous Liaisons. So, you can imagine that my expectations will be pretty high for Frears' latest French period piece, Cheri. The Hollywood Reporter announced that Rupert Friend (The Young Victoria) and Kathy Bates have joined the cast of Frears' take on the book by famed French novelist Collette. Friend will play the male lead, and Bates is in negotiations to play his overbearing "maman".

Originally published in 1920, Chéri was the story of an affair between an aging retired courtesan, Léa, and a pampered young man, Chéri. When it comes time for Chéri to make good on the promise of an arranged marriage, he is forced into a loveless union and then I would assume it's your usual array of romantic suffering. I mean, just look at the guy, he's got that 'romantic squint' down pat.

Just last month, Michelle Pfeiffer signed to play the aging courtesan and Friend's love interest, Lea de Lonval. Frears also wrote the adaptation with Liaisons screen writer, Christopher Hampton, which means it really is a Dangerous Liaisons reunion (if only they could have gotten Uma Thurman, Glen Close, and John Malkovich; making it the complete set). Now that all the distribution deals between Pathé and Miramax have been sorted out Cheri is ready to start production in France early this April.

While I've been itching for Uma Thurman to do more period work, there's another famous tow-headed actress hopping in a time machine. Variety reports that Miramax and Pathe are about to close a deal on a big-screen adaptation of Colette's Chéri, for Michelle Pfeiffer to headline. What makes this project even better -- it'll be a Dangerous Liasons reunion. Aside from its star and sexy material, Christopher Hampton penned the script and Stephen Frears will direct it.

Set in 1920s Paris, Chéri focuses on the affair between an older, retired courtesan and a young man some 25 years younger than her, one who is the son of a fellow courtesan. For 6 years they are together until they must part for Chéri to make good on an arranged marriage. However, he doesn't get over his older lover, and as Variety describes it, he "retreats into a fantasy world." Madame de Tourvel has come a long way!

There have been some bumps in the road, but as things stand now -- the deal will give Miramax North American control, and Pathe will get the overseas territories -- much like the deal made for Frears' last film, The Queen. Should everything move along from here, production will start this April in France. Now we just need a young man itching for Pfeiff. Any ideas?

OK, so while it probably isn't the most exciting news I've heard today, it certainly is a scoop on some unlikely casting. Sources for ComingSoon are reporting that Michelle Pfeiffer is set to star alongside Ashton Kutcher in the Rick Moody adaptation, Personal Effects. The film is based on Moody's story, Mansion on the Hill, from the book Demonology. Kutcher will play Andrew Wakefield; a young man who is hired by a high-end wedding planning business right after his sister is killed in an accident on her own wedding day. In the original story, Andrew is irreparably damaged by the loss of his sister and even seeks out a bizarre revenge against her fiancée. The story then cuts between Andrew's memories of his sister and his new life in the business of marriage. David Hollanger wrote the adaptation and is also attached to direct. Hollanger is an American TV writer and producer and Personal Effects would be his first feature film.

I think it's fair to say that when you think of the darker side of character studies (the story is from the same man who wrote the Ice Storm after all), you don't think of Kutcher -- but maybe he will surprise us all, you never know. Details about the film are pretty sketchy at this point, although news of the film is already making its way around the net. That is unless this is all somebody's idea of a practical joke. Kutcher is currently filming the comedy What Happens in Vegas (which seems a little better suited to his talents) and Pfeiffer is in talks to star in Chasing Montana. Effects is reportedly set to start filming on location in Vancouver, Canada later this month. But on the off chance there is somebody out there who is waiting with bated breath for Kutcher's dramatic debut; stay tuned, and we'll let you know as soon as we hear something official.

Sometimes news is better than anything our twisted minds could ever cook up. Not only has moviemaker rationale completely left the universe, but Michelle Pfeiffer's sanity has gone with it, if a recent article from News.com.au is to be believed. She says that she has been approached about an upcoming remake of the epically dirty, kid-friendly classic, Grease, and I quote: "It's a great idea and I hear they would like to get Jessica Simpson for the role of Sandy, she would be good." Oh, God. Where do I start?! This might just be a sign that the apocalypse is coming.

Okay. Let me start with the hideous part of this news: Simpson would be good? Simpson is being looked at for SANDY? Now, no matter how much I am not into her as an actress, and how wary I am of musical remakes (my response to Footloose exemplifies that), who in their right mind would cast someone who can't even get her features released? And in a starring role of a remake of a beloved musical? Has no one heard about Blonde Ambition? This seriously can't be true. If they wanted to remake Grease 2, and put Rob Schneider in the role Johnny Nogerelli, I could see it -- Zmed, Schneider... I can dig it in a goofy sort of way. But man, I'd love to hear what Olivia Newton-John says about all of this.

Now onto Pfeiffer. She says that she wants to play Principal McGee: "She is fun and has some great put-down lines. I think I would like the part now that I have been asked." However, cut into my cheese-loving heart, she detests her role in Grease 2: "I hated that film with a vengeance and could not believe how bad it was. At the time I was young and didn't know any better... I hear it's a cult movie now." Yeah, Michelle, it is. It's even one of the reasons Brian Herzlinger loves Drew Barrymore. Anyway, why rant about one and then want to be in a remake of the other? But even that doesn't matter as much as how and why she'd think Simpson would be good in this.

I must stop ranting about this now, as I could go on for pages and no one wants that. But let's have some fun first. We've got Simpson as Sandy, so what other terrible casting choices could they make to really make this potential remake even more laughable?

[via Cinema Blend]

Michelle Pfeiffer has come a very long way since she first popped onto television series like CHiPs in the late '70s. One of her first big roles is one of my most beloved -- when she longingly sang for a C-o-o-l R-i-d-e-r in Grease 2. Sure, the movie is crap, but I still think Stephanie Zinone and Michael Carrington (Maxwell Caulfield) are one of the best on-screen couples of the '80s. (Go here to see where some of them are now.) From there, well, she was unstoppable. She was the Ladyhawke, one of The Witches of Eastwick, she was Married to the Mob, licking bat faces in Batman Returns and leading the fairies in A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Pfieffer also gained three Oscar nominations for her work in Dangerous Liaisons, The Fabulous Baker Boys and Love Field, so it is about time that she finally get her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame this week. The actress thanked her mother and father: "She taught me that I could do anything and that I should have a career before I get married," and she says that her father taught her "that you can make something of yourself if you work hard." She definitely followed their advice: Pfeiffer is currently playing Velma Von Tussle in the new Hairspray film and plays the evil Laima in Stardust, which comes out in a few days. Next up: she co-stars with Paul Rudd in I Could Never be Your Woman, the latest film Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Clueless director Amy Heckerling.

With the release date for the big screen version of Neil Gaiman's Stardust just a couple of months away, the official site is now hosting three new TV spots for the film. Directed by Matthew Vaughn, the "kick-ass cast" includes Michelle Pfeiffer, Claire Danes, Robert DeNiro, Ricky Gervais, and Sienna Miller. Like most of the marketing for the movie, there has been nary a mention of Miller. Most of the attention appears to go to Pfeiffer, who by the looks it is going to make an entertaining villain, and Danes as the glowy embodiment of a star.

The story follows a young man on a romantic quest who crosses a fabled wall in his village to retrieve a star. From there on it's the usual Gaiman territory of witches, unicorns, and a floating pirate ship. Gaiman had a hand in adapting the script, and from the looks of the trailer and these clips, most of the plot and humor seem to be intact. If half of the rumors of Gaiman projects in the pipe turn out to be true, it looks we are going to be seeing a lot of his particular brand of fantasy in the near future. He's been busy with his script writing duties for Beowulf and adapting the graphic novel Black Hole, and don't forget there is still a slim chance of a Good Omens film. Some recent "rumblings" even hinted that Gaiman might take a crack at directing a film version of his own Death: The High Cost of Living. You know what they say, when you want something done right, do it yourself.

[via Movies Online]

John Waters 1988 hit movie-turned-Broadway-musical is heading back to the big screen on July 20 -- this time as a musical -- with Adam Shankman (The Wedding Planner) at the helm and a bevy of A-list stars in the cast. We have an exclusive first look at 10 Hairspray character posters below, from an in-drag John Travolta to a still-smokin' Michelle Pfeiffer. Click on the images for larger versions.

Newcomer Nikki Blonsky stars as Tracy Turnblad, a chubby teen who wins a spot on the American Bandstand-esque Corny Collins Show in 1962 Baltimore. Amanda Bynes plays Tracy's saucy best pal Penny Pingleton.

John Travolta plays the plump Edna Turnblad, mother of the aforementioned aspiring dancer. Yes, that's correct: A virtually unrecognizable Travolta plays a woman. And he's married to Christopher Walken. Great stuff.

It looks like Sienna Miller's "It Girl" status might have beeen officially revoked. Kung Fu Rodeo has a look at the poster for her new fantasy film Stardust, except Miller didn't seem to make the cut. Directed by Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake), the film stars Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert De Niro, Claire Danes, Charlie Cox, and finally Miller. However, she is nowhere to be seen on the full page ad; even Ricky Gervais, who has a tiny role in the film managed to snag a spot. The film is based on the Neil Gaiman novel of the same name, and centers on a young man who crosses into a magical realm on a romantic quest only to be swept up into a greater destiny. The project has stayed pretty low on the radar in the crop of summer blockbusters, but after we have had our fill of web flinging and galactic robot battles, it might be a nice change of pace.

I'm not all that surprised Miller is not front and center on the poster since her character is a pretty minor one in the book, so I would assume the same holds true for the film. It seems that not that long ago Miller was everywhere -- granted, they were usually out-of-focus paparazzi pictures. But it seems that the failure of Factory Girl went way beyond dashing The Weinsteins' Oscar hopes; could it be possible that Miller's face on a poster has become something of a liability? Hopefully when Miller takes over for Lindsay Lohan in the upcoming Dylan Thomas biopic she will finally earn some movie poster real-estate.

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.")