So before anyone gets too excited, we should probably all take a step back and consider whether we should be really taking the word of Mike Tyson. The scandal plagued boxer recently told the sports paper Review-Journal that "Me and Jamie Foxx are going to do a collaboration. He's going to play me in my life story. We've talked about it many times." Tyson was giving a pep-talk to troubled youngsters in Las Vegas. Not to be sarcastic, but it must have been a community service deal, since Tyson isn't necessarily the best role model for staying out of trouble.

Jamie Foxx is rapidly becoming the go-to guy for real-life flicks. Foxx made a name for himself when he starred in the life story of famed gang leader (and peacemaker), Stan 'Tookie' Williams. Then, of course, was his Oscar-winning performance in Ray. Next up is another musical biopic, The Soloist with Catherine Keener, and then he has signed to play Earl Sanders in the real- life crime drama, The Zebra Murders.

One thing is for sure, there has been no shortage of drama in the life of the famed heavy weight, so there is plenty of material to work with. There have been accusations of spousal abuse, drug charges, assault charges, rape convictions, prison time, bankruptcy, and a conversion to Islam. Not to mention that whole ear-biting thing. So far there has been no word from Foxx about the project so only time will tell if this movie is anything more than wishful thinking on the part of Tyson. The only question is can Tyson handle airing his dirty laundry on the big screen?

Could you see Jamie Foxx as Mike Tyson?

You could go batty trying to figure out why Oscar voters like what they like -- these are the rocket scientists who thought Crash was Best Picture material, as opposed to say, a candidate for the worst movie of that year -- so it was only with mild bemusement that I greeted the Academy's decision this year to snub Atonement director Joe Wright, who deserved a Best Director nomination for every reason you can possibly summon. A few reasons: 1) He managed the extraordinary challenge of taking a piece of dense, modern literature and turning it into a compelling drama and a romance that works as a movie without dumbing down the material. 2) He's a talented, 'every shot counts' style of director, who labors over his shot selections and has the visual acumen of a Stanley Kubrick. 3) He deserved a nomination for his last film and got snubbed that time too.

The Guardian recently got its own elaborate set visit to Wright's upcoming movie The Soloist, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx, and the topic of Wright's snub was on everyone's mind. Downey, in particular, was ready to open up about it, saying that "it's a f**king crime Joe wasn't nominated. He's the goods, man, he really is." When Wright was asked directly about it, he responded "Well, out here it's all they bloody talk about, so yes for twelve hours or so I was gutted because everyone seemed so angry about it on my behalf. Then I just looked around and thought: What am I even thinking? I'm making a movie in Hollywood with these amazing actors I'd only ever seen sitting there in my cinema seat like a mad fan -- and they seem excited to work with me for some reason." A pretty classy response.

The snub talk is only one part of a huge and interesting set visit report that includes new details about The Soloist and a lot of funny stuff with Robert Downey, Jr. Here's a sample, to leave you with -- Downey talking about his working relationship with Wright: "First day, I said 'Listen Joe, just don't f**k with me and we'll be okay.' But the whole point is that we're supposed to f**k with each other and he did f**k with me -- for some reason he got under my skin and f**k, it worked."

You've got to be familiar with Rachael Harris. Or, at least recognize her. If not, I demand that you go out and introduce yourself to one of the best comic filmmakers we have in this world -- Christopher Guest. She's popped up in a number of his films, starting off as "Winky's Party Guest" in Best of Show, and most recently playing Mary Pat Hooligan in For Your Consideration. On the more mainstream and less-awesome side of things, you might have seen her in License to Wed or Evan Almighty. All of the above is comedy, but The Hollywood Reporter posts that the actress is about to get musically serious for the upcoming drama The Soloist.

The film will focus on the story of Nathaniel Ayers -- a schizophrenic homeless man in LA who once went to Juilliard. An LA Times columnist, Steve Lopez, befriended the man and brought his story to the public. Word on the production first came out in August, noting that Jamie Foxx was starring, and Atonement helmer Joe Wright had the directorial chair, from a script by Susannah Grant (Erin Brockovich). Later that month, Robert Downey Jr. grabbed the role of Lopez. Catherine Keener was next to board, jumping into the role of Lopez's wife, and now Harris has signed on to play another Los Angeles Times employee. Production will kick into gear next month, and after that, the waves of awards buzz.

There are three ways that Joe Wright's The Soloist can go. It can end up sharing the fate of the recent bomb Resurrecting the Champ, which similarly was about a reporter and a homeless man. Or it can be a modest success, in the tradition of many feel-good dramas involving obstacles overcome, and win the hearts of audiences more than it hits with critics and awards. Or it can be like Wright's other two films (Pride & Prejudice and Atonement), and garner Oscar buzz all around. Despite the familiar, uplifting plot scenario, I'm going to guess the film goes in the last direction. After all, as Patrick said in August, it has four things the Academy loves: "1) Homeless 2) Musician with 3) Mental Problems and 4) A Dream." And now it also has another Oscar favorite in two-time nominated actress Catherine Keener, who has joined the cast, according to Variety.

In The Soloist, Keener will play the wife of Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez, who we previously learned will be played by fellow Oscar nominee Robert Downey, Jr. The true story follows Lopez as he discovers Nathaniel Ayers (Oscar-winner Jamie Foxx), a homeless, schizophrenic musician with aspirations of playing at L.A.'s Disney Hall. To me, the plot sounds like an adaptation of that old joke about how to get to Carnegie Hall (practice!), but I assume Lopez's collection of articles, "From Skid Row to Disney Hall" are not so comic. However, wih such a talented team -- including Oscar nominated screenwriter Susannah Grant (Erin Brockovich) -- it will at least have to be entertaining.

Back in June of last year, Erin Brockovich scribe Susannah Grant was tapped to write the next inspiring Hollywood biopic. This time around, it's about the struggles of Nathaniel Ayers, a homeless man in downtown Los Angeles who suffers from schizophrenia, but also happens to be a talented violinist who once went to Julliard. The script has since been finished (it is now called The Soloist), Joe Wright (Atonement) is directing and musical biopic wonderman Jamie Foxx has been cast as Ayers. The big remaining role was that of Steve Lopez, a Los Angeles Times columnist who befriended Ayers and brought his story to the masses. Forget about resemblance, instead of finding a look-alike, Variety has reported that DreamWorks has singled out Robert Downey Jr. for the part.

With this cast, the film is sure to titillate the biopic crazy who love beautiful music in the face of adversity. It's also almost destined to be pretty damned good -- how could it not be with Downey Jr.? The guy can pull off anything from a singing detective to a body full of hair. But the production won't gear up until early next year, probably to hit for the Oscar push in late 2008. In the interim, we can catch him as Tony Stark in Iron Man next May, and in Ben Stiller's Tropic Thunder next July (a flick that happens to have been co-written by Justin Theroux.)