barry manilow Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Looks like he's finally made it! Barry Manilow will soon write the songs that make the cinematic world sing.* Oh, yes. Variety reports that Michael Stipe and Sandy Stern of Single Cell are joining Playtone's Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman to create a romantic comedy focusing on Manilow's extensive song catalog.

But we're not talking about some Mamma Mia! sort of flick where famous folks get together and try to belt out songs like they're Abba. Why get some stand-ins when you can get the real thing? The film will be a character-driven smorgasbord of Manilow fans heading to Las Vegas to see the icon headline Mandalay Bay. His music will drive the piece, and there will even be a performance or two by the man himself.

Could it be magic? Darn tootin'. They say this will be in the vein of Love Actually, and I hope they make a distinct effort to keep this quirky and slightly off-the-wall fun. No sugar-washed romcom with a goofy, sexy woman, or some cocky chauvinists. If you're going to make a movie saturated with Barry Manilow, do it right. (But not with stripper angels.. Can't Hardly Wait already covered that.) Otherwise, you'll have some angry fans raining down as cold as ice.

*Although, of course, that was one of the songs that Barry didn't write.

Who knew George Clooney was such a big Ali G fan? Apparently, the Good Night, and Good Luck director is so into the British comedian, he wrote a part in Ocean's Thirteen specifically for him. With Talladega Nights due out this summer, Ali G (or Sacha Baron Cohen) is beginning to show signs he's ready to roll with the big boys. 

Now that we're just three months away from the start of production, casting for Danny Ocean's third trip to the big screen is really starting to heat up. Recently, after news broke that neither Julia Roberts nor Catherine Zeta-Jones were returning, everyone from Jennifer Lopez to Angelina Jolie are rumored to be interested in a role. Clooney admitted to Sky News that he's a big fan of Cohen's work and that, if he decides to get down with the role, he'd be playing an "oddball character." Oh, and the rest of Ocean's crew are just so normal, right?

In related news, singers Barry Manilow and Céline Dion are also in talks for roles in the film. If that's the case, then this means part of the plot will probably surround a Dion/Manilow concert. Wicked! Ocean's Thirteen is going to totally rock out. I'd say yes to Ali G playing an oddball character. Manilow and Dion? Um, not so much.