Ryan Gosling seems to be making a transition away from the indie work we’ve come to expect from him with his leading role in the upcoming Logan’s Run remake and now The Wrap reports that may continue into a starring gig alongside Johnny Depp in Disney’s The Lone Ranger. Gosling has entered negotiations for the role of the titular masked lawman, while Depp was previously cast as his Native American friend Tonto. Gore Verbinski (Rango, the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy) will direct for producer Jerry Bruckheimer with a 2014 release in mind.
Variety brings minor The Dark Night Rises casting news, with Nestor Carbonell in negotiations to reprise his role as the Mayor of Gotham. Exciting, right?
Deadline reports Michael C. Hall and “Dexter” developer James Manos Jr. will collaborate on the indie feature Love, Scotch and Death after the show wraps its sixth season. Hall will play a character based on writer-director Manos, with the film taking place during an unimaginably bizarre week in the man’s life. Vera Farmiga will co-star.
Robert Zemeckis will produce a live-action/CG-hybrid adaptation of the book How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack for Sony Animation, with a planned budget in the $20-$30 million range. The book is a tongue-in-cheek guide to help owners fend off an imminent invasion from their menacing lawn statues. Variety reports Zemeckis has not committed to direct, as he is now weighing several options after Disney pulled the plug on his Yellow Submarine remake.
Jeremy Irvine, the young British actor who landed the lead in Steven Spielberg’s WWI drama War Horse (pictured right), might follow that up with a turn as Pip in a new adaptation of Great Expectations from director Mike Newell (Donnie Brasco, Four Weddings and a Funeral). Rowan Joffe (The American) is penning the adaptation of the Charles Dickens story about an orphan who becomes a distinguished gentleman through an unknown benefactor. Variety reports Helena Bonham Carter is also in talks to play Miss Havisham in the film, which is slated for a 2012 release.
Dreamworks is has already made some movement for a sequel to Real Steel, the Hugh Jackman-starrer that won’t even see a release until October 7. Deadline‘s Mike Fleming hears the studio has instructed screenwriter John Gatins to begin work on the follow-up. Fleming reports the early response to internal screenings has been strong but they’ll need to show me more than they did in the first trailer if I’m going to buy in. It seemed to offer little more than the headache-inducing clanking we’ve already seen enough of in the Transformers and Iron Man franchises.
THR reports Paramount has picked up a pitch for an untitled stalker comedy from Anna Faris, who will exec produce and likely star in the pic. The idea for the film, which revolves around Faris and a new stalker-from-hell roommate, was inspired by a funny incident in the actress’s real life. I suppose it’s about time we get a comedic version of Single White Female.
And finally, George Clooney and his long-time protege Grant Heslov will produce a Wall Street bailout pic based on the 2009 Washington Post article “The $700 Billion Man.” Variety reports the project is being developed as a possible directing vehicle for Clooney. The article focused on Neel Kashkari, who helped develop the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program, which bailed out the big banks following the economic collapse in 2008. Zach Helm (Stranger Than Fiction) is penning the adaptation.
