Movie News & Gossip

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Producers Don Murphy and John Wells have teamed up to option "The Flock," a novel by James Robert Smith.

The book tells the story of a group of highly intelligent giant prehistoric birds discovered in the Florida Everglades who are intent on protecting their ancient home when faced with encroachment by theme park developers.

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - In a role fit for a member of Hollywood royalty, Danny Huston will play King Richard I in the untitled Robin Hood movie starring Russell Crowe as the mythical hero.

Production on the Imagine/Universal film is underway in England with Ridley Scott at the helm.

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Susan Sarandon and John Goodman are set to join Al Pacino in "You Don't Know Jack," HBO Films' movie about Jack Kevorkian, the assisted-suicide specialist dubbed Dr. Death.

Kevorkian assisted in more than 130 suicides. After willingly sending a videotape of himself euthanizing a terminally ill man to "60 Minutes," he was convicted in 1999 of second-degree murder and spent eight years in prison before getting paroled in 2007.

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - With "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" monopolizing family filmgoers to remain the top film at the weekend overseas box office, newcomer "Bruno" drew audiences seeking raunchier fare.

The 3D-animated threequel "Ice Age" grossed $97.9 million from 102 markets. "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" followed at No. 2 with $32.5 million from 63 countries. "Bruno" was No. 3 with $25 million from 28 countries.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "Bruno," British satirist Sacha Baron Cohen's latest subversive outing, narrowly claimed the No. 1 spot at the weekend box office in North America, according to studio estimates issued on Sunday.

The "mockumentary," in which Baron Cohen plays a gay Austrian fashion model seeking fame in the United States -- sold $30.4 million worth of tickets during the three days beginning July 10, distributor Universal Pictures said.

VIENNA (Reuters) - A shocking gay fashion reporter who dreams of being "the biggest Austrian superstar since Hitler" raised giggles when he hit Austrian cinemas on Friday despite having rankled some who say his jokes go too far.

"Bruno," a film from British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, tells the story of a hapless television journalist from the Alpine city of Klagenfurt who takes his outrageous attitude and outfits to the United States in search of fame.

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - After an intense months-long search, Warner Bros. has chosen Ryan Reynolds to play the title character in "Green Lantern," the studio's live-action movie based on the DC Comics hero.

Reynolds and his representatives entered negotiations for the part Friday, after the studio held two rounds of screen tests for the actor, Bradley Cooper and Jared Leto. Justin Timberlake also did a screen test.

VIENNA (Reuters) - A shocking gay fashion reporter who dreams of being "the biggest Austrian superstar since Hitler" raised giggles when he hit Austrian cinemas on Friday despite having rankled some who say his jokes go too far.

"Bruno," a film from British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, tells the story of a hapless television journalist from the Alpine city of Klagenfurt who takes his outrageous attitude and outfits to the United States in search of fame.