I predict that the news you are about to read will result in many people shocked, shocked! that someone would make a comedy about cancer. Even The Hollywood Reporter sounds a little uncertain about the news. But once you read the film's plot, I think you're going to see exactly what kind of movie this is.

Mandate Pictures has bought I'm With Cancer, an autobiographical comedy by Will Reiser. Seth Rogen, the busiest man in Hollywood, is set to costar and produce the film alongside his writing-producing partner Evan Goldberg and The Daily Show's Ben Karlin.

Reiser's script is based on his own battle with cancer, and is centered around an up-and-coming 25-year-old who discovers he has the disease. I think you know where this is going. This isn't going to be some spoof of serious illness, or run with the idea that coming down with cancer is funny. Cancer is going to be about a young man trying to deal with something that could kill him, finding the humor in hospital situations, and using it to stay sane. Laughter is the best medicine, and all that. Given that Reiser obviously conquered his disease to co-produce this movie, I bet it will even have a happy ending. You know what I'm also willing to bet on? Medicinal marijuana jokes. If there isn't at least one, I will eat this post.

Do you remember a George Clooney project, green-lit in May, Men Who Stare at Goats?
Not only does it boast the coolest title in the world, but it's racking up a cast of equal greatness. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ewan McGregor, Kevin Spacey, and Jeff Bridges are joining Clooney, under Grant Heslov's direction.

The film is based on Jon Ronson's book of the same title, and follows his investigation into the secret wing of the U.S. First Earth Battalion, a paranormal research unit created in 1978. Its goal was to create "Warrior Monks," supersoldiers who could do all sorts of comic-booky things like walk through walls, become invisible, read minds, and kill creatures by staring at them long enough. One soldier in Ronson's book claims he killed a hamster and a goat doing just that.

The adaptation is already switching things around a bit -- it's set in Iraq (where some of the supersoldiers have been reportedly deployed), and McGregor will be playing a stand-in for Ronson named Bob Wilton. He's desperate for a story, and stumbles upon the craziest one of a lifetime when he meets Lyn Cassady, played by Clooney, who claims to be a secret psychic soldier, reactivated after 9/11. As they travel through Iraq, investigating the story, they meet Bill Django, played by Bridges, who is the founder of the program and Cassady's mentor. Spacey will play Larry Hooper, another former psychic who is running a prison camp in Iraq.

While the topic of psychic supersoldiers seems to lend itself to comedy, Iraq and prison camps don't, so who knows what tone this will strike. Every actor in this can switch effortlessly from dramatic to quirky -- it's going to be a treat seeing them all in one film. Especially one with psychics and goat murders.

Instead of starting out with a bang and fading fast, Aline Brosh McKenna has slowly been building herself a pretty sweet career. She started on Margaret Cho's All-American Girl, had Three to Tango, the Laws of Attraction, and a television show called Drive. Then, well, she penned the ultra-popular The Devil Wears Prada, and followed it up with Katharine Heigl's 27 Dresses. Now Variety reports that Mandate Pictures has picked up her next romcom, which is currently untitled.

This time around, her comedic heroine will be Maya -- "a young and highly successful businesswoman who has devoted her life to working for her legendary businessman father. But when Mr. Right enters her life and proposes to her, her father's disapproval of her new fiance leads Maya to devise a mischievous ploy to change Dad's mind." I'm hoping it's hypnotism, but I bet it will be something like a business makeover.

Mandate head Nathan Kahane says Brosh McKenna has "an exceptional ability to tell charming and funny stories for women that are guilty pleasures for men." Personally, I hope it's without the friendly condescension in Prada and tons of other projects these days. In Prada, Andy gets chastised for being busy with her job, with no discussion that maybe it's good for her to make the most of this opportunity -- not permanently, but temporarily. This sort of thing is popping up all over the place. Challenging the lead is good and makes for a better movie -- if it isn't done in a way that makes you question the challenger. Anywho, stay tuned, as I'm sure we'll have more romcommy goodness soon.

Odds and ends from Friday:

• Not long ago, Samuel L. Jackson let out that Hayden Christensen was possibly joining him in Jumper, to be directed by Doug Liman. Well, Anakin Christensen has now officially signed on to star in the lead role, taking over for Tom Sturridge who was originally cast in the part. Apparently, folks wanted to go with a more "prominent actor." Damn, talk about a slap in the face. Sorry Tom.
• Mandate Pictures has snatched up the rights to 27 Times, scripted by Thomas Thonson. The dark, super-natural thriller is said to revolve around a paranoid young man who profits off his brother's ability to foresee violent deaths. No word yet on a director or cast.
• While speaking about his latest film, Blair Witch co-writer/director Eduardo Sanchez claimed he's real interested in putting together a Blair Witch 3 ... if a Lionsgate will get behind it. According to Sanchez, he'd like to do a prequel that involved Elly Kedard. "We've given it a lot of thought and there's even a pretty good treatment ..." Currently Sanchez is busy shooting Altered, which Rogue Pictures will release next year. [via Moviehole]