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Can I ask you a question: When did we lose Ron Howard? Was it EdTv? How the Grinch Stole Christmas? Did these two films back-to-back force Howard to re-direct his career so that every film he made was either an Oscar-poised drama or a Dan Brown adaptation? Today, Variety tells us that Universal and Imagine Entertainment are now looking to strap Howard down to the director's chair for an adaptation of The Strange Adventures of H.P. Lovecraft -- which is a graphic novel from Mac Carter and Jeff Blitz that takes elements of Lovecraft's struggles in real life and combines them with a fantastical element that includes transforming all of his darkest nightmares into reality.

Sounds pretty cool and creepy, but is it the type of film we want from Ron Howard? I appreciate that he's looking to play with another genre (even though this kind of story seems perfect for Tim Burton), but am I the only one who would love to see Howard return to comedy? Arrested Development was brilliant, sure, and I really do hope that movie gets made -- but I'm talking along the lines of Splash, Gung Ho, Nightshift or even Parenthood. Heck, Willow wasn't that bad either. Where did Ron Howard's playful side run off to? Since when were we interested in the dark and disturbing side of Ron Howard?

Seriously, are you liking Howard's career choices right now? Do you think he's a good fit for this H.P. Lovecraft comic adaptation, or would you rather see a sequel to Gung Ho?

Love her, hate her, envy her or worship her, fact is Megan Fox sells sex with the best of them. She may not be in line for an Oscar nod anytime soon, but she knows what her greatest assets are and is more than willing to flaunt the hell out of them if it means another starring role in a big Hollywood film. And that's what we're here to talk about (I think), as Now Magazine claims Fox has nabbed a lead role in the big-screen comic adaptation of Fathom -- and, luckily, this is one role where clothes are definitely optional.

In Fathom (which has been in development for some time, and is now apparently over at Fox Atomic), Fox would play Aspen Matthews, an amnesiac girl who's discovered and adopted by a naval officer vacationing on a cruise line out at sea. Eventually we learn Aspen isn't just some regular girl, but instead a member of a race of aquatic humanoids called the Blue who, somehow, can control water. So she's not a mermaid, and this isn't a remake of Splash (though I think I'd like to see a remake of Splash, maybe ...), but like any comic, it has its good guys, its villains, its intrigue and its adventure. And if Fox can film the whole thing half naked, then it's also a big box office draw.

More on this project as it develops. Who's up for a little underwater action with Ms. Fox?



[Thanks Cinemablend and IESB]

This summer may be confusing to some less blog-literate moviegoers thanks to two recast roles. In both The Dark Knight and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, a prominent character is played by a new actress. In the former sequel, "Rachel Dawes" will be played by Maggie Gyllenhaal, replacing Katie Holmes, who had the role in Batman Begins. In the latter, "Eveyln Carnahan O'Connell" will be played by Maria Bello, subbing for Rachel Weisz, who appeared in both The Mummy and The Mummy Returns.

This certainly isn't the first time characters have been recast with different actors, and over at The Onion, the A.V. Club has listed 20 such memorably jarring switcheroos, which they're calling The Darrin Effect (after the famous character replacement on TV's Bewitched), in television and film. Surely everyone recalls when Sarah Chalke took over the part of "Becky" on Roseanne; the writers even occasionally even slipped in some reflexive jokes about it. And let's not forget the glaring problem of recasting Jodie Foster's Oscar-winning role of "Clarice Starling" -- Julianne Moore played the part in Hannibal. Or the tragic yet surprisingly respectable replacement of Michael Gambon for a deceased Richard Harris in the Harry Potter movies.

Mermaids don't need cars, which must be the reason that Daryl Hannah is auctioning off her 1983 Chevrolet El Camino. And you can bid for it on eBay! Sure, it's not the same as having a car that appeared in a movie, but you'd still be buying a car that you can say was driven by Pris from Blade Runner. Plus, you can make a copy of that photo of her and the car and tape it to the dashboard. But why else might you want the thing? Well, it runs on biodiesel, which means it's better for the environment than whatever you're driving. Don't know anything about biodiesel? Don't worry: Hannah is throwing in a resource guide and a fueling station that's said to be about the size of a garbage can.

Apparently Hannah has been trying to sell the car for a couple months now, but this is its first time on eBay. According to Ecorazzi.com, it wasn't a matter of not being able to sell the car; rather, she had too many inquiries and couldn't figure out a better way to make a deal than to auction the car off fair and square. You have until Friday evening to attempt to reach the actress' reserve, which must be more than $9,700.00, since that's the current bid as of this writing. So, what do you think? Interested? Then do as Roxanne, I mean Elle Driver, I mean Daryl Hannah says: "woo hoo! kick oil! no war required... 2 see more about bio-diesel + the el camino - ... go 2 dhlovelife.com ... so get up and get off the fossil fuels!!!"

I apparently like Luke Wilson more than Erik, who recently told us about the actor's role in Henry Poole is Here, but I have to agree that the Vacancy star is at his best when surrounded by a good ensemble. Well, some of the other cast members of Henry Poole have just been announced, and so far it looks like Wilson will be supported well. The first, Radha Mitchell, is actually signed on, while the second, Oscar nominee Adriana Barraza, is still in talks ("advanced" talks). Though neither actress is who I would initially have in mind for a comedy, even one actually described as a dramedy, they are each talented enough for me to have faith in their capability for humorous performances.

Not much is really known about the plot of Henry Poole, which was written by Albert Torres, but a good guess for Mitchell's role is the love interest for Wilson's character. This part could be the fiancee that he breaks up with when he discovers he has six weeks to die, or it could be a new romantic pursuit, possibly one of the neighbors who disrupt his plan to wallow in seclusion for the rest of his short life. Hopefully Barraza will not ruin her Oscar-nominated reputation by appearing as a Mexican stereotype. So far, Henry Poole, which director Mark Pellington says is about a hopeless man who finds hope, makes me think of Joe Vesus the Volcano meets The 'burbs. As great as that combo sounds, though, Wilson is not quite the next Tom Hanks (even if you think Old School is Wilson's Bachelor Party and My Super Ex-Girlfriend is his Splash). Not even I like Wilson enough to give him that much credit.