Elizabeth Banks Joining Welcome to People

"Want to be a director? Get in line, asshole."

That's what you’d be normally told, unless you happen to be an established screenwriter/producer responsible for a string of popular fare. In this case, we’re talking about Alex Kurtzman and his directorial debut Welcome to People.

The drama/comedy has already attracted the attention of Chris Pine, star of the Kurtzman written Star Trek reboot and its 2012 sequel, who will star as a young man delivering $150,000 to an alcoholic older sister and nephew he was never aware of after his father’s death.

As per Risky Business, the always-reliable Elizabeth Banks will co-star as the sister. After having been wasted in supporting roles for years (Most people know her from The 40 Year Old Virgin, her television ads pimping L'Oreal and in an "Oh, it's that lady!" manner), studios are starting to take notice of her talents.

She has a slew of projects in the foreseeable future – both already shot and waiting for release and others gearing up to start next year. If I had to guess, I'd say it's the Disney film Tink that'll break her out big time.

Spider-Man Casting Rumor #12452234 - Betty Brant

Of all the characters to appear (mostly reappear) in Marc Webb's Spider-Man reboot, I didn't expect to see Betty Brant again. She was nothing but a wee bit-player in the Sam Raimi films always appearing in the Daily Bugle sequences – nothing more, nothing less.

Showbiz Spy claims Brant will pop up and Webb (Excuse me, "Webber") wants his 500 Days of Summer star Zooey Deschanel for the role. "Big plans" are said to be on the horizon for J. Jonah Jameson's secretary, who if my nerdology is correct was Spidey's first girlfriend in the original 60s era comics.

A bit on the questionable side, kids. But there are morsels here that could add some credence. Webb & Co. are making a clear effort to do their own thing with the reboot and any follow-ups down the road, i.e. no Mary Jane Watson, focusing 100% on a high-school aged Parker (depending on who you listen to), we haven't heard a peep about Harry Osborne, etc.

But I don't know. Could you imagine Deschanel and Andrew Garfield as a couple? For the time being, I'll file this under, "Smells like bullshit."

Pixels Finds Its Writer

Way too early to make a call here and frankly stupid on my part, but damn it I don't care.

Pixels will be a big, big hit. Just the concept (retro video games come to life and wreak havoc in New York City) and watching the original short film (which you check out below) was enough to get Adam Sandler and his Happy Madison production company to lap up the rights. It's easy to see why.

Heat Vision reports Tim Herlihy (longtime alum of Sandler's starting at the very beginning with 95's Billy Madison) will adapt the short-film to a feature-length screenplay. Patrick Jean, the writer/director of said original short, is expected to direct.

Darren Criss to Stick Around on Glee

Well, this should hardly come as surprise, but Deadline is reporting that Darren Criss is now in talks to become a series regular on Glee.  Criss debuted on the show last night to rave reviews, playing the openly gay prep-school cutie Blaine, who befriended a frustrated Kurt and helped him deal with a bully who, it turns out, had some secrets of his own.

Criss previously appeared on last season's Eastwick, but is perhaps best known for playing Harry Potter on the YouTube viral parody, A Very Potter Musical.  His kickass acapella version of "Teenage Dream" (which I was not expecting to like at all) with the rest of the Dalton Academy glee club is currently the #1 single on iTunes. 

And just for the hell of it, here it is again:

Is Favs Going to Disney World?!

Or possibly Disneyland?  Either way, Deadline is reporting that Iron Man director Jon Favreau is in talks to direct Disney's Magic Kingdom, a Night At the Museum-type adventure film in which the famed theme park's attractions come to life after hours. 

Wow.  And I thought having "It's a Small World" stuck in your head hours after leaving the park was frightening enough.  Can you imagine what the Tiki Birds are like when no one is around?

According to Variety's report on the film a few weeks back, Magic Kingdom will be produced by Marc Abraham and Eric Newman through Strike Entertainment (which is, oddly enough, based at Universal). The original script was written by Battlestar Galactica's Ronald Moore, however, it looks a new writer will come on board to write the next draft with Favreau at the helm.

Disney has, of course, brought their theme park properties to the big screen before.  Some have been successful (Pirates of the Caribbean - $1.7 billion and counting), but most have not (Country Bears and Haunted Mansion anyone?).   However, this will be the first time the park itself will be the star of the show - and become possibly the most expensive Disney theme park commercial ever made.

But hey, let's face it:  the place has a fairy tale castle, a haunted mansion, a jungle cruise, some out-of-control teacups, a space-age rollercoaster, a submarine (at Disneyland, anyway), a train ride that just happens to be the wildest ride in the wilderness.  Plus Goofy lives there.  And the movie will be directed by the guy who directed Elf.  How can that not be fun?

Little Fockers Theatrical Trailer

No need of bad-mouthing Little Fockers because we've all heard it before and it's still going to make a fortune next month regardless. Sorry, Phil. You're my buddy, and I'd prefer you were right on this one. But I can't imagine audiences not eating this up like they did the first two films.

Yahoo! Movies has the new trailer up. Now with Dustin Hoffman!

The Invasion Got Cancelled

There goes one less piece of Roland Emmerich-brand cheese to clog up our ass.

Heat Vision reports the plug's been pulled on The Zone, what was expected to be a surprisingly-smaller-scale affair from the Independence Day and 2012 helmer. Production was expected to begin next week on the project, said to be another in a recent-line of "found-footage" themed features. Here the plan was to cover an alien invasion, using a cast full of unknowns and be heavily written/improved on set.

Everyone's guessing as to the reasoning to cancelling Zone this late in the game. But it's fairly obvious. There are a number of similar-themed projects in development from rival studios, and audiences have already gotten a taste of that sub-genre with Cloverfield and two Paranormal Activity movies.

But don't weep for Emmerich. He'll find a way to blow shit up again, just you wait!

Channing Tatum is Beating Up Teenagers

Word leaking through the cracks over at "TOLDJA" says Channing Tatum is in talks to star in 21 Jump Street, Sony's film version of the popular 80s series.

He'll join Jonah Hill (also a screenwriter/producer here) as two undercover cops posing as high-schoolers to bring down all the naughty stuff teenagers do: joining gangs, underage sex, illegally downloading music, watching Glee, etc.  

First thing they have to do is acknowledge how neither Tatum nor Hill really look like they belong in high-school. Just have a throwaway exchange between the characters about "being held back...a lot" and boom, you've got that 800 lb. gorilla resolved and a laugh from the audience.

Production will start in the spring under the direction of Phil Lord and Chris Miller (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs). Does this mean that G.I. Joe sequel Paramount's been talking up, in a rather on-and-off/maybe, sorta, iffy fashion is dead and buried?

Spider-Man Must Be Old Enough to Wipe His Ass

Have the funniest feeling some are totally going to read more into this than it's worth.

What's Playing says Sony has decided to spike the age of Peter Parker for a planned flashback sequence in the Spider-Man reboot. They were originally looking for a 4-to-6 year old tyke, but their search is running dry I suppose and are now aiming for a young lad between 6-to-9.

The sequence in question involves Pete's mom and dad and likely explains how the li'l webslinger came into the care of Uncle Ben and Aunt May. In the comics, his parents were S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, and you just know some are going to speculate of a possible Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) cameo.

Don't hold your breath unless the prospects of one big cinematic universe pleasing fanboys is deemed a higher priority by two major corporations than wanting to earn some cash.

Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader Trailer

At least, 20^th Century Fox isn't following in Disney's dumbshit "Let's put our big Christmas tentpole in the summer!" mentality with the latest Chronicles of Narnia installment The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Such common-sense may even be rewarded with buffo box-office receipts when the Christmas holidays kick into full-gear. God wouldn't it be amusing as Hell if this did better than Disney's Tron: Legacy?

Yahoo! Movies has the theatrical trailer. Don't expect to see yours truly in line for this one. I very-much enjoyed The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe, but passed seeing Prince Caspian. Looked boring and, honestly, so does this.