Links for you: Miley Cyrus as Batgirl?

Director Neil Burger is in talks to write the screenplay adaptation of the classic children's book Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. This will be the second adaptation for the book after 1982's animated feature The Secret of NIMH, directed by Don Bluth. Have I mentioned that this is a dreadful idea? [ONTD!]

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the third film based on the fantasy series by C.S. Lewis started principal photography in Australia on Monday. [ComingSoon]

Now for the biggest WTF? news of the week. Rumor has it that Miley Cyrus auditioned for the role of Batgirl (in full batsuit) in case they include this character in the next Batman movie. This can't be true right? Like that Timberlake rumor - damn that turned out to be sort of true. [The Movie Blog]

Another set of films has been added to the Toronto International Film Festival lineup. Included are Drew Barrymore's Whip It, the Coen Brother's A Serious Man, Werner Herzog's Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, and Michael Moore's Capitalism: A Love Story. [Film Junk]

Taylor Hackford takes over as president of the Directors Guild of America. [In Contention]

Jon Hamm (sigh) has been cast in The Town which Ben Affleck will direct and star in. The film is an adaptation of Chuck Hogan's novel Prince of Thieves. Oh, did I mention Rebecca Hall has also been cast in this? [RopeofSilicon]

Casting links: Frieda Pinto joins Julian Schnabel, Zac Efron won't dance, and more...

Hollywood's newest It girl, Freida Pinto has signed on to star in Julian Schnabel's latest film, Miral. The film is an adaptation of Rula Jebreal's book about an orphanage during the 1948 partition of Palestine and the creation of Israel. It sounds good, but you can just feel the controversy and angry protests coming from a mile away. Not that Schnabel will care. [Variety]


Zac Efron has (thankfully) dropped out of the remake of Footloose. He is also starring in 17 Again (a remake of sorts), and an adaptation of Johnny Quest. I can feel my childhood dying a slow death. [HitFix]


Mad Men star Jon Hamm has joined the cast of indie drama Howl, and will play defense lawyer Jake Ehrlich, who inspired the TV series, Perry Mason. The film is about the 1957 obscenity trial of Allen Ginsberg's poem. The film also stars James Franco and David Strathairn. It's possible that there is just too much handsome in all this. [Variety]


And speaking of howls: Twilight sequel, New Moon has five new actors to play members of the wolf pack. Chaske Spencer, Bronson Pelletier, Alex Meraz, Kiowa Gordon and Tyson Houseman have been cast, although no one has revealed who will play whom. Each member of the wolf pack is of Native American decent. Spencer is Lakota (Sioux), Pelletier is Cree-Metis, Meraz is Purepecha (Tarasco), Gordon is Hualapai, and Houseman is Cree. [Empire]


On the biopic front: Anthony Hopkins is attached to play writer Ernest Hemingway in Hemingway and Fuentes, which will be written and directed by Andy Garcia. Annette Benning may also take on the role of Hemingway's widow, Mary Welsh. I'm drawn to this because the film isn't taking the typical paint by numbers, biopic formula. Instead, it will focus on the last days of Hemingway's life. [Hollywood Reporter]

This week in superhero news: the Green Lantern edition

Warner Bros. Pictures is reportedly going to begin shooting The Green Lantern this September in Australia. The film is scheduled to open on December 17, 2010.



The short list of possible Hal Jordans has Chris Pine (that's Captain Kirk to you) at the top of the pile. Other names being thrown around are Jon Hamm, Nathan Fillion, and Sam Worthington, though it appears that Warner wants an under 30 actor. So much for Jon Hamm. IESB points out that though one actor portraying both Kirk and Hal Jordan might be a sticking point, Christian Bale plays both Bruce Wayne and John Conner as well.

As usual, I'll toss out some names in case the casting universe picks up on it (curse you Scarlett):
Martin Henderson (too old), Jake Gyllenhaal (his name is always tossed around), Ryan Gosling, Gosling's doppelgänger Ben Foster, True Blood's Ryan Kwanten, Justin Hartley (Aquaman on TV), Charlie Hunnam despite the fact that he might be doing that Thor thing, and Henry Cavill.