Get ready for some indie romance!

Variety reports that Dylan McDermott and Scott Caan have signed on to star in a new romantic, independent film called Mercy. But Caan isn't just starring -- this is a story he wrote, and is also producing through a new company formed by himself and the film's director, Patrick Hoelck.

Also starring the likes of Alexie Gilmore, Erika Christensen, Troy Garity, and John Boyd, Mercy focuses on a young and cynical novelist. For some reason, this cynic writes about love, although he doesn't believe in it himself. But this is a story brimming with romance, so of course, he then falls in love for the first time and starts believing. Sappy, eh?

There's really not a lot to go on yet, but so far, I'm not impressed. But thinking of McDermott lead me to think about Campbell Scott and Chris Eigemann. Now, if the film was focused on an older novelist, played by one of them, I'd be all over this.

Anyhow, we should find out soon enough whether the film is too sappy, or nicely balanced. The film begins production Monday in Los Angeles.

Although my birthday present from Fox Searchlight arrived a bit late, it was well worth the wait -- Cinematical was just informed (via a press release) that Danny Boyle's Sunshine has had its release date pushed up to July 20; a move that put a huge smile on my face as we come to the end of a relatively tame Wednesday. For those slightly out of the loop on this one, Sunshine was originally supposed to be released this past March 16. And although the film arrived in theaters around the world (as planned) Fox Searchlight delayed its release here in the states, subsequently pushing it all the way back to December. To say us Boyle fans were a tad bummed out about that would be an understatement -- as our own Scott Weinberg proclaimed, "That's like walking into a kid's room on 12/15 and saying, 'Oh, we bumped Christmas back to September. Stop crying!'"

Fox provided no reason for either shift; originally, some of us thought that maybe they were prepping the flick for an Oscar run, but it didn't seem like the sort of film (futuristic sci-fi?) that Oscar voters chomp on for breakfast. Was it that bad that Fox wanted to re-tool the thing and hide it amongst a busy Compass-filled December? Not likely; the trailers rock, and the buzz has been pretty good. Nevertheless, I could care less at this point -- I just want to see the damn film as quickly as possible. In the pic, director Boyle and writer Alex Garland once again team up for a story about a group of astronauts (Rose Byrne, Chris Evans, Cillian Murphy, Troy Garity, etc ...) who are sent to help re-ignite the sun after the sucker begins to burn out. Mark your calendars people. Sunshine. July 20. Awesome stuff!

What would happen if the sun were eating itself up from the inside out, resulting in its own extinction? More than likely there would be a lot of panicking and an intervention made by the best astronauts this world had to offer. This just happens to be the plot for the upcoming action sci-fi feature Sunshine; Cillian Murphy stars as a member of a heroic team who think they have a plan to save the day. The film is due out stateside this fall and in an effort to satiate U.S. fans, director Danny Boyle -- also responsible for one of my favorites, Trainspotting -- and his production staff have created an online production video diary that documents nearly everything you wanted to know about the film.

It's incredible how true to life Alex Garland (writer) and Boyle wanted the fictitious experience to be. They met with radiologists to understand its effects on the human body, sent the cast to high altitudes to experience zero gravity and studied up on how to recreate the sun's beauty. The most visceral aspect of the diary is interviews with both Boyle and director of photography Alwin Kuchler, who spoke of the necessity to shoot the film with an emphasis on lighting. Boyle explains that the film is "unusual cinematically, the balance between darkness and light." The diary reveals some of the beautiful shots that exemplify just what he's talking about. The characters, he says, are literally, "surrounded in darkness but driven by an internal light." The diaries also include interviews with certain cast members including Troy Garity, who has always been a fan of sci fi but finds it difficult to read a good script in that genre.

Is it just me, or are Nazis really popular right now? Never mind, I know the answer. Still, it feels like just yesterday I posted about a new Nazi-based documentary called My Enemy's Enemy (it was last week, in fact), and just a few months ago, Martha mentioned a remake of The Boys From Brazil that's in the works. Add those films to the recent Hitler-centered Downfall, and you've got a ... well, nothing resembling a trend at all, actually. But considering we in America like to think of Nazis as being anything but real, distinguishable and human, these sorts of films are more striking than, say, Indiana Jones and the Latest Adventure Involving Faceless Nazis or any number of WWII movies.

The latest addition to this non-trend of real-life Nazi movies is Eichmann, which begins shooting in Hungary next week. The film focuses on the life of Adolf Eichmann, an SS officer who was "Transportation Administrator" for the "Final Solution", meaning he organized all the trains sending Jews to their deaths. Not only was he responsible for the killing of hundreds of thousands of Polish and Hungarian Jews, but he continued to carry out the Nazi's extermination plan even after Heinrich Himmler ordered its end. Like many Nazis, he fled to Argentina, and like Klaus Barbie, subject of My Enemy's Enemy, he was reportedly protected for some time by the CIA before being captured and put on trial. Eichmann will concentrate primarily on the his cross-examination by Israeli police officer Captain Avner Less with sequences from the war depicted in flashback.

Robert Young, who seems an unexpected choice for such serious drama after giving us Fierce Creatures and Splitting Heirs, is directing, and the two leads will be played by German superstar Thomas Kretchmann, playing his seventh Nazi officer, and Troy Garity. Also cast in an unrevealed role, is Stephen Fry.

Lots and lots of casting news to report on today. Aren't we lucky? Check it out:

• My main man Ludacris (he's not actually my main man, I just feel a little bit more hip introducing him that way) has joined the cast of Fred Claus, where he'll play an angry elf. The rapper-turned-actor has been doing all he can to drum up interest in his mad skills ever since he co-starred in last year's Best Picture, Crash. Here, he joins a cast that already includes Vince Vaughn, Paul Giamatti and Kevin Spacey, among others. Pic is set to crash (no pun intended) onto the scene at some point during next year's holiday season.
• The adorable little (and I mean, little) Abigail Breslin (yes, she was Little Miss Sunshine) has been tapped to star alongside Ryan Reynolds in Definitely, Maybe for Working Title and Universal Pictures. In the flick, she'll play the inquisitive daughter of a divorced dad hell-bent on asking her pop some difficult questions about his love life. Awww.
• Sissy Spacek, Troy Garity and one of my favorite musicians, Dave Matthews, have signed on to star in Lake City, with Perry Moore and Hunter Hill co-writing and directing the pic. Spacek and Garity will play an estranged mother and son who reunite "under dire circumstances" to save their home. Though we're not exactly sure which character he's playing, Matthews (credited as David Matthews in the film) will take on the role of villain. Production is set to begin next week in Virginia.