katharine mcphee Tagged Articles at Cinematical

A brief, sum-it-all-up-in-one-line description of The House Bunny would probably go something like this: Imagine if a sequel to Legally Blonde and a sequel to Clueless had a child and it was adopted by a sequel to Revenge of the Nerds. That's The House Bunny. Thankfully, a strong and very funny performance from Anna Faris -- as well as decent-enough turns from Emma Stone and Kat Dennings -- save this late summer slacker from flunking out of theaters completely. It's familiar, it doesn't make you work for a laugh and, heck, for some it might be a nice way to cap off a long, dark, foul-mouthed summer full of superheroes, stoners and sequels.

To Shelley Darlingson (Faris), living in the Playboy Mansion is a fairytale come true. Sure, she's not a centerfold ... yet ... and was only featured in a few pictorials (Girls with GEDs, Girls with Charlie Sheen), but that doesn't stop her from bringing half-naked cheer and joy to anyone within shouting distance. Things take a turn for the worse, however, when Shelley's told that Hef doesn't want her in the mansion anymore -- that 27 is, like, 59 in Bunny years. With nowhere to go, a suitcase full of skimpy outfits and the rusty, beaten-up station wagon she arrived in, Shelley wanders the streets until eventually she stumbles upon a whole bunch of mansions that look just like home ... only they're fraternity and sorority houses ... but good ol' Shelley don't know the difference.

Prior to our interview with Anna Faris earlier today, Cinematical managed to spend some time with three of her co-stars in The House Bunny, namely Rumer Willis, Emma Stone and Katharine McPhee (who's recording an album now for a Spring '09 release, in case you happen to be a die hard McPhee nerd). And, yes, it's true what they say about sitting next to an American Idol finalist -- those butterflies in your stomach are real and they desperately want (and need) to hear a Whitney Houston cover for some odd reason.

In speaking with Rumer Willis about her upcoming projects, she mentioned that her mother, Demi Moore, had just finished work on her directorial debut -- a short film for Glamour Reel Moments called Streak. While Willis was tight-lipped on the film's plot, she did say it starred herself, Brittany Snow and Sarah Wright (who also has a role in The House Bunny). Other women who've directed shorts for GRM include Jennifer Aniston, Bryce Dallas Howard and Gwyneth Paltrow. You can find out more about the program over on its official website, and one imagines we'll catch Streak a little later this year.

Lately, Wes Bentley has tried to bury someone who was alive, terrorized a paramour in a parking lot, and written suicide notes. He's also gearing up for some Edgar Allen Poe and Stephen King, but that's not all. The Hollywood Reporter posts that the actor has signed on for an independent psychological drama with Katharine McPhee (The House Bunny) and Anita Briem (who plays Jane Seymour in The Tudors) called The Storyteller.

Penned (and to be directed) by Robert Angelo Masciantonio (All Along), The Storyteller stars Bentley as "a writer who goes on a downward spiral when his father dies, causing his assistant (McPhee) to start investigating whether his muse, as well as narrator for his stories (Briem), is a figment of his imagination."

As I mentioned above, Bentley also got some Poe work on the way, an adaptation of the short story Ligeia, which also has him starring as a writer. So, which writer fellow will be next, should he continue the trend? My vote, based on looks: D.H. Lawrence.

Her name has been circling a bunch of projects as of late, but it seems American Idol runner-up Katharine McPhee has finally landed her first studio acting role (after already landing a part in the indie dark comedy The Last Caller). Take that Taylor Hicks! Mcphee has signed to star alongside Anna Faris in the untitled Happy Madison sorority flick we told you about recently. Columbia Pictures will distribute. Also joining the first female-driven comedy from Adam Sandler's shingle are Emma Stone, Rumer Willis, Kat Dennings and Dana Goodman. Fred Wolf will direct off a script penned by the Legally Blonde duo of Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith. Story follows a Playboy bunny (Faris) who gets kicked out of the Playboy Mansion and settles into a role as house mother to the "lamest sorority on campus." I'm not exactly sure how one goes from Playboy Mansion to lame sorority house without at least stopping by Brett Ratner's casting couch first, but I guess we're supposed to suspend our disbelief a bit here.

Mcphee, for her first major role, will be playing a pregnant hippy. A pregnant sorority hippy, that is. Stone will act as the sorority's president, while Willis will play an insecure girl who wears an unnecessary backbrace, Dennings will show up as the token feminist (piercings included) and Goodman will take on the role of a girl who should have graduated years ago if she didn't constantly keep changing her major. (Hey, my best friend did that!) Like with most college comedies, there will be an evil, popular sorority -- and Sarah Wright has signed on to star as a conniving hottie from the other side. Shooting is set to begin later this month in Los Angeles. Personally, I'm just curious to see a female-centric Happy Madison flick. Since they're known for producing silly male-orientated films (mostly starring Sandler or one of his many pals), I wonder how this one will play out. Faris has potential if she's given the right material (a bit over-the-top in Just Friends, but I dug her), but I imagine the premise will rely on how "lame" they can make the rest of the cast, Mcphee included.

Let me ask you three quick questions.

1. Are you female?
2. Are you reasonably attractive?
3. Are you under the age of 35?

If you answered yes to all three questions, congratulations! You are fully eligible to join the Wonder Woman casting rumor mill. In fact, your name is probably already on the list. Since the day Joss Whedon signed on to write and direct the film, names have been flying around. At this point, it is my studied estimate that roughly 1.7 million women been considered "front runners" for the part. I know this, because it is my job to write about it. Today's Flavor of the Week? None other than American Idol runner-up Katharine McPhee. Apparently she was the runner up this year? I don't watch the show, so I can't praise her talent or cynically attack the lack thereof, I'm just bringing you the news. For whatever reason, McPhee has reportedly captured the ever-roaming eye of Joss Whedon himself. An American Idol gig can really take you places, can't it? So tell me, Idol worshippers of the world -- McPhee as Wonder Woman?