Takeshi Kaneshiro replaces Tony Leung in Red Cliff
“Japanese heartthrob Takeshi Kaneshiro, best known to western audiences as the romantic warrior in House of Flying Daggers, has replaced Tony Leung Chiu-wai as the lead on John Woo’s Chinese epic, Red Cliff. Leung, Cannes best actor winner for 2000’s In the Mood For Love, quit the film earlier this week, saying that he felt he didn’t have enough time to prepare for his role of master strategist Zhuge Liang. The actor had just finished shooting Ang Lee’s spy thriller Lust, Caution and recently played a police officer who avenges his family’s murder in Confession of Pain.” –from Guardian Unlimited

Speaking of Ang Lee

Ang Lee just rapped up production of his new Chinese-language film Lust, Caution set to release in the US September 28, 2007. How exciting! The story takes place in 1940s Shanghai, where an influential figure (Tony Leung) and a young woman (Wei Tang) are swept up in an emotional affair with deadly political ramifications.

300 earns $167m in two weeks

Released March 9, grossing $141,843,655 domestically and $25,200,000 internationally, 300 has earned over $100m profit in just two weeks making the film 2007’s biggest (and best in my opinion) hit thus far! Finally an exceptionally directed, perfectly acted, foreign casted film that happens to be action, but also happens to be damned good, gets accolades in numbers. See, good action films without excess in violence, sex and smoke and mirrors to mask shortage in talent can be made…on occassion.

Don Cheadle as Miles Davis, directing Miles Davis

Cheadle will make his directorial debut directing a biopic of Miles Davis, the legendary jazz musician. He’ll also star as Davis in this biopic written by Stephen J. Rivele and Chris Wilkinson (Oliver Stone’s Nixon).

Why Cate, why?

Cate Blanchett has been cast in an unspecified role in the 4th the Indiana Jones film. Why? Why? Why? Why make the film? Why? Why? Why? Why, Cate, why? Why be in it?

City of God and The Constant Gardener director’s new film, Blindness

“Director/screenwriter Fernando Meirelles’ next project is an adaptation of the book “Blindness” written by Portuguese Nobel Prize winner Jose Saramago (source via Variety). “Blindness” is a philosophical thriller about an epidemic of blindness that overtakes a modern unnamed city. The epidemic eventually forces society to the brink of breakdown. Meirelles will begin filming next summer in his hometown of Sao Paolo, and additionally in Toronto, under a $25 million budget. Meirelles will only direct; the script is being written by Canadian Don McKellar.” –find out more at Firstshowing.net

Winslet and DiCaprio together again, but hopefully in a better film

“American Beauty and Jarhead director Sam Mendes is next directing a movie named Revolutionary Road, which recently picked up stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. This will be the first time the two will be back together since Titanic. But who cares?! It’s more about the fact that Sam Mendes is going to be directing. Every project he takes on is always incredibly interesting.” –find out more at Firstshowing.net