Cinematical just received this exclusive poster for What Just Happened? (click to enlarge), which comes to us from director Barry Levinson (Rain Man, Wag the Dog). Based on producer Art Linson's memoir What Just Happened? Bitter Hollywood Tales from the Front Line, the film stars Robert De Niro as a middle-aged Hollywood producer who tries to juggle an actual life with an outrageous series of crises in his day job.

As you can see from the poster, however, this puppy is packed with talent. You've got De Niro, Sean Penn, Bruce Willis, John Turturro, Stanley Tucci, Catherine Keener and the list goes on. When What Just Happened? premiered earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival, Cinematical's James Rocchi described it as "movie geek heaven," saying De Niro produces "his best 'sly' comedic work since (probably) Wag the Dog." And how can you not love that poster and its tagline? Hilarious. Really looking forward to seeing this one when it arrives in a few months. (Check out the full synopsis after the jump)

What Just Happened? is set to hit theaters on October 3.

The complete line-up for the second edition of the AFI Dallas International Film Festival has been announced, and beyond the galas and the glitter, the programming team has assembled an intriguing schedule. Robert Wilonsky of Unfair Park was the first to post the news and highlighted several of his recommendations.

First, though, the stars: Helen Hunt will appear in support of her directorial debut Then She Found Me, which will serve as the Opening Night Gala on March 27, and Charlize Theron and Woody Harrelson will walk the red carpet for the closing night presentation, Battle in Seattle. Sometime in between, Robert De Niro and Barry Levinson will come out hustling for their latest, What Just Happened? Special awards will be given to Hunt, Theron, Jack Lemmon (in care of the late actor's widow, Felicia Farr), Mickey Rooney (?!), and Todd Wagner.

AFI Dallas established itself on the local social calendar last year as a premium civic-boosting event. That's good for the city, but as a film buff, I'm glad to see more international films in the narrative competition, more docs, an expanded and ace-looking section devoted to music docs ("Deep Ellum Sounds"), an entirely recommended six-film "Mavericks" section (featuring the French Chrysalis and the Japanese Vexille), and a ton of shorts. There's a fair share of titles that are dragging around lukewarm notices (see What Just Happaned? above), but I'm glad that local audiences will have a chance to decide for themselves. Cinematical will be covering the festival, which begins on March 27 and runs through April 6.

With Sundance wrapped, it's time for Robert Redford to get going on his next movie. According to Yahoo/Associated Press, his next project will be an adaptation of Bill Bryson's bestseller -- A Walk in the Woods. He will produce and star while Barry Levinson is planning on directing. Nothing like Into the Woods or Into the Wild, this book focused on Bryson's return to the U.S. after 20 years in England, and how he decided to reconnect with his homeland by hiking the 2100-mile-long Appalachian Trail with a college friend. The account details their struggles with self-reliance, and the people they meet along the way.

Redford says: "It'll be fun. I don't know when I've read a book that I laughed so loud. Also, it's a chance to take a look at the country... The backdrop is pretty terrific, if you stop to think of all the visuals that are possible as they go along that trail." It's about flipping time, I say. The family favorite Charlotte's Web aside (he was Ike the Horse), Redford hasn't acted in a comedy since 1996's Up Close & Personal. The last time he was in a good comedy, well...

Of course, the drama master can't go without some heavier fare as well. After hiking the Appalachians, Redford says he will take on the story of how Branch Rickey helped Jackie Robinson get into major league baseball in 1947. "What Rickey had to do, what Robinson had to go through, and the partnership they had to form, that's a story nobody knows. It's just a fascinating story."

If you're a ravenous movie nerd like me, than there's very little in Barry Levinson's "inside baseball" Hollywood movie What Just Happened? If, on the other hand, you don't know a whole lot about studio politics, the angst of test-market screenings, and the tricks that movie-makers (or, more specifically, movie-sellers) will pull just to get a festival screening and a huge opening weekend, then you'll most likely get a whole bunch of chuckles out of the flick. To those who know about this stuff all too well, the comedy should still make for an interesting enough diversion -- thanks mainly to a massive, colorful cast and a few solid jabs that hit Hollywood right in the kisser.

Based on producer Art Linson's book What Just Happened? Bitter Hollywood Tales from the Front Line, the film version tells the story of one very successful Hollywood producer, and the ways in which he juggles multiple professional crises, as well as some prickly domestic issues at the same time. Robert De Niro is our movie producer, doing his best "sly" comedic work since (probably) Wag the Dog. John Turturro is the archetypal agent: skittish, shifty, and packing a nasty ulcer. Stanley Tucci is the writer who needs our protagonist for professional reasons, but pursues his ex-wife (Robin Wright Penn) for other activities. Michael Wincott is the drug-infested director whose ultra-edgy film is being mangled by horrifying studio boss Catherine Keener.

Toss in some supremely amusing "self-mocking" performances from movie stars Bruce Willis and Sean Penn, and you've got the makings of a flick best described as "movie geek heaven." And while What Just Happened? is by all means a colorful and generally pretty funny expose of modern-day Hollywood, it often feels like Levinson and Linson (he also penned the screenplay adaptation) are content to preach to the choir. It's meant to be outrageous and unbelievable how art turns into pure commerce, but there have been plenty of Hollywood satires that demolish the "test screening" mentality, the "beleaguered producer" conceit, and the oh-so-cynical insinuation that Hollywood has no integrity whatsoever. So while much of the material in What Just Happened? is insightful and accurate ... it's just not all that new or shocking anymore.

Here's the biggest problem most folks will have with Bee Movie: It's not Ratatouille. Both films have a lot in common with one another, except the latter is far greater in terms of story, character and overall charm. And if Ratatouille hadn't arrived only a few short months ago, I might have felt differently about Bee Movie. Instead, I walked away feeling a bit jaded, expecting more from a man who had entertained me for so many years on one of my favorite television shows of all time. But that's not to say Bee Movie is a bad film; it will most certainly entertain the youngsters with its colorful, larger-than-life spirit, and there are enough adult-orientated gems scattered throughout to make it worthy of your family's hard-earned cash. But when your kids turn to you and whisper, "I liked the one with the rat better," don't say I never told you so.

If you're not aware of this film by now, then I'd seriously take a look around because you might, quite literally, be living in a bubble. The film is co-written by, produced by and stars the voice of Jerry Seinfeld, and the man has been buzzing "Pssst ... Bee Movie -- pass it on ...) in our ears for months. When he wasn't dressed up in a giant bee costume, hanging from a construction crane in France, he was promoting the film through commercials, television shows. From what I hear, several people claim the man actually entered their dreams at one point to promote Bee Movie. It's been nearly a decade since Seinfeld (the television show) ended, and it might take another 10 years for the man to do something else. Problem is, after Bee Movie, I'm not sure we'd mind.

I'm not sure which I like least: newspaper ink, which gets all over my hands and clothes; or scented perfume and cologne ads, which always manage to open and cover me in their aromas (it's no wonder the internet is doing better than print media!). However, I do know that I will like a certain new innovation, which combines the two annoyances, even less. According to ComingSoon.net, Fox Walden is printing a new kind of ad in the September 9th issue of the L.A. Times that features scented ink. The ad, for Zach Helm's family fantasy film, Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, will have designated areas printed in a soy-based ink that, when scratched, emits the smell of frosted cake. Fox Walden chose the specific scent because it should "remind consumers of all ages to be young and have fun."

But what does frosted cake -- or even scented ads in general -- have to do with Mr. Magorium? The movie is about a toy store, not a bakery. Well, I see it as being just another similarity to Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, which featured scratch-and-taste stickers of fruits (in the movie, not in its ads). Actually, this new marketing idea would have fit much better with the recent remake, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The plot of Magorium is almost completely modeled on that film -- with a little of Barry Levinson's Toys thrown in for a change of product. Dustin Hoffman plays the title character, a quirky toy-store owner who is searching for a successor to run the magical place. There's no contest or grand-prize tour of the joint -- Magorium's replacement choice is only between his accountant (Jason Bateman) or his store manager (Natalie Portman) -- but the likeness is still obvious. If you aren't as grossed out by the annoying tactic as I, you can check the ad out in Sunday's Fall Movie Sneaks section of the paper.

Looking over Robert De Niro's last several films, it's easy to say "Man, what just happened?" However, knowing he's re-teaming with director Barry Levinson (Wag the Dog) on an adaptation of Art Linson's very funny memoir (What Just Happened?) is enough for this writer to, finally, throw a little excitement behind an upcoming De Niro film. Joining an already fantastic cast are Catherine Keener and Robin Wright Penn; the two females will star alongside folks like Stanley Tucci, John Turturro, Kristen Stewart and De Niro. Also, Bruce Willis and Sean Penn will make an appearance as themselves.

The film (and book) revolve around a fading Hollywood producer (De Niro) who's struggling to get a movie made, while doing his best to survive the absurd Hollywood politics that surround his every move. Keener and Wright Penn will play the two women in De Niro's life; the latter will take on the role of his ex-wife, while the former will play a studio head with whom our producer is courting. Shooting is scheduled to begin this week in -- where else -- La La Land. "Inside Hollywood" films are often a tough sell because the majority of people out there don't work in Hollywood, and don't get the jokes ... nor do they care. Instead of watching a screenwriter complain about how many drafts he's contracted to write, folks would rather the character throw a script across the room ... only to watch all 100 pages smack an unsuspected visitor upside the head. Needless to say, if Levinson and De Niro can capture a little (or a lot) of Wag the Dog in this film, then we're in store for the type of comedy that desperately needs to make its way back onto the big screen.

I just can't decide whether I should be excited or worried about Robert De Niro's upcoming film, What Just Happened? In December, I brought you news of of the star once again teaming up with Barry Levinson (they collaborated on Wag the Dog) on an adaptation of Hollywood producer, Art Linson's memoir, which he turned into a screenplay. De Niro will play Ben, a movie producer based on Linson, who struggles with the treachery of Hollywood and a failed second marriage. All of this is not the worry -- it's the excellent, growing cast.

There seems to be a fine line in cinema between a solid cast making a film stellar, and overwhelming talent leading to a disasterous, exploding film failure. However, Wag pulled it off, so the worry could be for naught. The Hollywood Reporter says that Stanley Tucci, John Turturro and Kristen Stewart have all signed on as co-stars. Tucci, fresh off a 3 lbs. failure, will play a screenwriter; Turturro is playing a Hollywood agent; and Stewart (Panic Room and Zathura) will play De Niro's daughter. In smaller roles, Bruce Willis and Sean Penn will make brief appearances, as themselves. While I'm all about seeing The Tooch in something less fashionista, Levinson is more psyched about the content: "What excites me about this film is that it's not only very funny, but it's terrifyingly accurate." We shall see! Principal photography begins in March.

One of the greatest things about the film Heat was our chance to finally watch two fantastic actors (Robert De Niro and Al Pacino) act alongside one another. Of course, it wasn't the first time these two Godfathers of cinema appeared in the same film, but it was a moment everyone (including me) had been waiting for. And tell me that scene at the table didn't make the movie.

Now, word is trickling out via MTV and Production Weekly that De Niro might be teaming up with another mega-Hollywood giant, George Clooney. Okay, perhaps it's not as jaw-dropping as the De Niro/Pacino pairing, but nevertheless they're still a delicious on-screen duo. The film in question is Marc Forster's (Stranger Than Fiction) 36, a remake of the 2004 French flick 36 Quai des Orfèvres starring Gérard Depardieu. Pic tells of two cops who compete against each other to solve a series of armored car robberies, with the winner earning a promotion. At first glance, the premise could sound sort of comedic (if you hadn't heard of the original) -- however, I assure you this ain't no comedy. It's a straight-up crime drama, complete with violence, revenge and all that other tasty stuff. De Niro recently told MTV that he will film 36 (which will be based off a script written by The Manchurian Candidate scribe Dean Georgaris) after he's finished with the Barry Levinson pic What Just Happened.

Here's a question: In your own fantasy world, which two actors (or actresses) would you like to see paired up on the big screen?

You might remember this little political satire that came out almost ten years ago. The premise: When a presidential candidate finds himself in a sex scandal, a Hollywood producer is hired to create a fake war to distract the populace. The film was Wag the Dog, and it starred the likes of Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman, along with Kirstin Dunst as the faux Albanian refugee (before she wanted the masses to eat cake). It was directed by Barry Levinson, and now he is teaming with De Niro for a new film, What Just Happened?

The movie will be based on Art Linson's memoir about his experiences in Hollywood as a producer. Linson not only directed the first account of Hunter S. Thompson and his lawyer in Where the Buffalo Roam, but he's also produced everything from The Untouchables to Singles. De Niro will star as Ben, a producer based on Linson, who is struggling to get a picture made whilst trying to hold onto his career and not suffer the indignities of numerous Hollywood humiliations.

Basically, it's the Wag the Dog of the cinematic world, and the filmmakers hope that it will impact movie making like Wag impacted politics. The production, which will begin in early March, will also contain a number of Hollywood stars popping in for cameos, as themselves -- the first on the list is Sean Penn. If Levinson and De Niro can channel the magic of its predecessor, this should shape up to be a great film, whether it impacts the business or not.