De Niro as Lombardi: Robert De Niro is attached to play coach Vince Lombardi in a biopic being developed by ESPN Films with the script being written by Eric Roth (Forrest Gump). The film will focus on the years that Lombardi rebuilt the Green Bay Packers into gridiron NFL champions. The producers plan to release the film between the AFC and NFC conference championship games and the Super Bowl in 2012. ESPN and Andell Entertainment acquired life rights to Lombardi’s story from his estate and son Vincent Lombardi Jr., as well as the rights to the book “Instant Replay,” written by former Packer Jerry Kramer and Dick Schaap. [Risky Business]
Sacha Baron Cohen or Jemaine Clement for Men in Black 3?: Josh Brolin has already been rumored as a potential lead in the forthcoming Etan Cohen (Tropic Thunder) scripted Men in Black 3, but now rumors say Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat) and Jemaine Clement (“The Flight of the Conchords”) are being considered for the role of “Yaz”. No word on what that character’s involvement in the story will be, but sounds like an alien to me. Last I read, Will Smith is expected to return as Agent J, and word was there was some time travel involved where Smith would meet a younger Agent K, the character played by Tommy Lee Jones in the first two films. [BD]
Anna Faris and Chris Evans Ask What’s Your Number?: Anna Faris and Chris Evans and are set to star in what is described as an R-rated comedy titled What’s Your Number? with Mark Mylod (“Entourage”) directing an adaptation of Karyn Bosnak’s book “20 Times a Lady,” which Bosnak adapted herself with a rewrite by Jennifer Crittenden and Gabrielle Allan. The story revolves around a young woman who, with the aid of her womanizing next door neighbor, decides to re-visit all her ex-boyfriends in the hopes of finding the man of her dreams. 20th Century Fox will distribute. [Variety]
Tyler and Wilson are on The Ledge: Liv Tyler and Patrick Wilson will join Terrence Howard and Charlie Hunnam in Matthew Chapman’s directorial debut The Ledge. Chapman scripted the suspense thriller which tells the story of a man (Hunnam) standing on a high-rise ledge who insists he must jump by noon as the policeman below (Howard) tries to manage the situation. Filming began Monday in Baton Rouge, La. [THR]
Hemsworth Heads Up Arabian Nights: Liam Hemsworth (The Last Song) is set to star in Arabian Nights as a young commander who, after his king is murdered in a coup, joins forces with Sinbad and Aladdin to rescue Queen Scheherazade. Chuck Russell (The Scorpion King) is directing from a script he co-wrote with Barry P. Ambrose. Plans right now are to begin filming at the end-of-summer. [THR]
Bible is Next to Go 3D: Paramount Pictures and former Walden Media co-founder Cary Granat producing with Reel FX are reportedly developing a film titled In the Beginning, which is described as a 3D feature using the Book of Genesis as its primary resource. David Cunningham is expected to direct a script by John Fusco (Hidalgo). The budget is reported to be around $30 million with hopes of attracting the same family- and faith-based audiences that flocked to The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. [Deadline]
Temple for Pill in Jack and Diane: Reports have Juno Temple replacing Allison Pill in the werewolf romance Jack and Diane. The film was originally developed about four years ago with Ellen Page (then Alison Pill) starring opposite Olivia Thirlby in the telling of a story in which two people, Jack and Diane, meet in New York City and spend the night kissing ferociously. Diane’s charming innocence quickly begins to open Jack’s tough skinned heart. But, when Jack discovers that Diane is leaving the country in a week she tries to push her away. Diane must struggle to keep their love alive while hiding the secret that her newly awakened sexual desire occasionally turns her into a werewolf. Word is filming will begin this May in New York with Bradley Rust Gray (The Exploding Girl) directing from his own script. [BD]
Kravitz Joins Daniels’s Selma: Apparently I wasn’t paying close enough attention while live-blogging the E! red carpet during the Oscars on Sunday night, because when Ryan Seacrest interviewed Lenny Kravitz he revealed he has been cast as civil rights activist Andrew Young in Lee Daniels’s (Precious) Selma. Kravitz joins previously cast Hugh Jackman and Robert De Niro in the film centering on the famous Selma-to-Montgomery marches in 1965 to help get voting rights for African Americans listed in the Constitution and that helped shift public opinion on civil rights overall. Filming is expected to begin in May. [The Playlist]
Lang Confirmed for Conan: Stephen Lang was MTV]
