Vince Vaughn Joins Dwayne Johnson's Fighting With My Family

Mel Gibson And Vince Vaughn Starring On Police Thriller Dragged Across Concrete Vince Vaughn Starring In Brawl In Cell Block 99 Lena Headey And Nick Frost Join Fighting With My Family

Stephen Merchant is on script and directorial duty, basing the film on the real-life experiences of WWE star Paige (AKA Saraya-Jade Bevis Miller) and her family of professional wrestlers. The movie will see Nick Frost as her father a reformed gangster and former wrestler, his wife (Lena Headey) and their children, who make a living performing in tiny venues across the country. The parents want a better life for their children, and when the siblings get the chance to audition for the WWE, it seems the family dream is coming true and all their troubles will be solved. However, the brother and sister are about to learn that becoming a WWE superstar demands more than they ever imagined possible. Florence Pugh is playing Paige, with Jack Lowden as her brother Zak.

According to Johnson's Instagram post on the casting, Vaughn will be "playing a man who I know all too well and those of you who follow wrestling history know well too. The 80's wrestling star who squandered his money and opportunities because he didn't have the capacity to handle his fame. One bad decision after another, but these days he owns his past actions and does everything he can to give back to the wrestling business he loves." Start your specularisation now!

Inspired by the Channel 4 documentary on Paige and her family, The Wrestlers: Fighting With My Family (which Johnson watched early one morning while shooting Fast 6 in London), this one comes from Film4 and MGM.

Vaughn, most recently seen in Hacksaw Ridge, has worked on Brawl In Cell Block 99 and new drama The Forgiven.

Benedict Cumberbatch Starring In The Child In Time TV Adaptation

Benedict Cumberbatch Talks Doctor Strange First Look at Benedict Cumberbatch In The Current War Sherlock Series 4 Review

McEwan's book is set in a dystopian future at the end of the 20th century. Our focus is on Stephen Lewis, an author of children's books whose daughter Kate goes missing in a supermarket. Driven to drink and despair by the loss, Stephen drifts away from his wife, Julia, who responds by becoming a recluse. But his life is forever altered through contact with and old friend (now a successful minister in the Cabinet) and the man's wife, a quantum physicist, who has some seemingly outlandish theories about the nature of time and space...

The Whitbread Novel Award-winning novel, originally published in 1987, will now become a 90-minute drama, with Stephen Butchard adapting the script and Julian Farino as director. “I read the novel years ago and it stayed with me – profound, beautiful and very moving," says Cumberbatch. "Only Ian McEwan could write about loss with such telling honesty. We’re very excited to have Stephen Butchard’s subtle and brilliant adaptation, and in Julian Farino we have an extraordinary director who delivers emotional truth."

See Thor: Ragnarok Concept Art And A Funny New Video

Fun Comic-Con Thor Video Arrives Officially Online Thor: Ragnarok – New Behind The Scenes Glimpses Mark Ruffalo Says Thor: Ragnarok Is A Road Movie Across The Universe

The first of the two new images, at the top of the page, finds Thor and Tom Hiddleston's Loki facing the might of villainess Hela, played by Cate Blanchett.

And below, you can see Thor squaring off against The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), as he's stranded light years away from Asgard, and forced to battle the big green rage monster before he can make it back to try to save his world from destruction. And as we all know, clashes between Thor and The Hulk tend to lead to lots of property damage...

We'll have to see how the sequences actually fit into Ragnarok, directed by Taika Waititi, who is also responsible for the comedic misadventures of Thor on Earth. We saw the first video featuring the warrior and Darryl (Daley Pearson) as awkward roommates during last year's Comic-Con, and they're back here, debating the value of Asgardian coins and other goodies plus whether they should get a servant (spoiler alert: Thor is pro, while Darryl is firmly against). Thor: Ragnarok itself will be out on 27 October.

Mahershala Ali Heads For Triple Frontier

Mahershala Ali Will Be Luke Cage's Cottonmouth Luke Cage's Mahershala Ali Wanted For Battle Angel Empire's Review Of Moonlight

Once spearheaded by Kathryn Bigelow and writer Mark Boal, it's now being directed by J.C. Chandor, and has already snagged the services of Tom Hardy and Channing Tatum.

Set in the notorious border zone between Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil, the film will chronicle the difficult efforts to combat organised crime in the area where the Iguazu and Parana rivers converge.

Bigelow is still aboard as a producer and Chandor is working from Boal's script. As for Ali, he'll be seen in next year's Alita: Battle Angel, due on 20 July.

Tim Minchin To Be Friar Tuck For Robin Hood: Origins

Jamie Foxx Playing Little John In Robin Hood: Origins Ben Mendelsohn Will Be Robin Hood: Origins' Sheriff Of Nottingham Jamie Dornan Wanted as Robin Hood: Origins' Will Scarlet

Taron Egerton is preparing to play the lead role of the legendary (and already oft-filmed) outlaw who returns from the Crusades and battles the corrupt likes of the Sheriff of Nottingham (Ben Mendelsohn here) while helping the locals survive.

Origins has been building an eclectic cast so far, including Jamie Foxx on as Little John, Eve Hewson as Maid Marian and Jamie Dornan playing Will Scarlet. Who is traditionally more known for his musical abilities than Tuck, but perhaps they're going in a different direction with everyone. We firmly expect King John to be played by the bear from The Revenant.

Otto Bathurst will direct the film in Budapest this year, aiming at a 23 March 2018 release in the States with no confirmed date for the UK just yet.

Joe Carnahan And Frank Grillo Confirm Plans For A Re-Imagining Of The Raid

The attempt to make a new version – once touted as a remake – of Gareth Evans' excellent action thriller The Raid has had a typically torturous development battle with actors and directors named then departing. Now, it there is confirmation that Frank Grillo (who has been attached for a while) and his The Grey director Joe Carnahan are involved in a new take on the idea. English Language Raid Remake In Trouble Taylor Kitsch Offered The Lead In The Raid Remake

As revealed on Carnahan and Grillo's Instagram pages and the Twitter feed of XYZ Films, the plan is to create a fresh spin on the idea of Evans' tower block-based blend of siege movie and martial arts action, with a new idea and different fighting styles. So it's not a remake, more a different angle on the concept.

And this has been quietly known for around a month, as Grillo explained to We Live Film's Fred Topel in January. Grillo explained then that he and Carnahan were in the midst of talks with XYZ to get the rights to do this, and the deal is finally settled. So what makes this one different? "Totally new script," Grillo told the site. "Joe Carnahan rewrote it. Far more faithful to what Gareth did in the first movie and yet it’s an entirely new spin on the film. Gareth is a big part of this because he’s one of the producers. It’s us not trying to remake a film as much as it is to give our version of what that thing was."

And what are they aiming to include? "Insane fights, insane tactical stuff," Grillo outlined. "We’re big fans of John Wick. Those guys are good friends of ours. It’s 10 times better than what that was tactically. We have the best people in the world coming to choreograph what we think will be fights no one’s ever seen before. So to honor what the first Raid movie was but to elevate it."

We'd guess this will go into production once Carnahan is finished with the third Bad Boys film, but it certainly seems like the idea of an American version of The Raid is in good hands right now.

Cary Fukunaga Directing Atomic Bomb Film Shockwave

True Detective's Cary Fukunaga Finds The Alienist Luke Evans And Daniel Bruhl Join The Alienist Emma Stone And Jonah Hill Starring In New TV Comedy Maniac

If all goes the way the studio wants, Fukunaga will direct the film based on a script by Drive's Hossein Amini that adapts Stephen Walker's non-fiction book Shockwave: Countdown To Hiroshima.

As the title might clue you in, the book follows the events leading up to the bombs that were detonated above the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II. The film would likely include those working on the Manhattan project that kicked off the Atomic Age, the scientists who worked in the hopes of beating the Nazis to develop the technology and the Presidential decisions to use the terrible weapons.

Right now, Fukunaga and Amini are working on TV crime drama The Alienist, while the director has been shooting Netflix comedy Maniac.

Amazon Picks Up Ronald D. Moore And Bryan Cranston's Electric Dreams

Bryan Cranston To Star In Philip K. Dick Anthology Series The Man In The High Castle – Season 2 Review

The show, which will draw from short stories by the award-scooping writer, was originally commissioned by Channel 4 in May. But despite the company's plan to co-produce the show with US network AMC, the latter dropped out before the thumbs up was given. Now, though, Amazon – which had been close to picking it up before – will take part and carry the series in the States.

Cranston, who is also a producer, will star in one episode, while Battlestar Galactica/Outlander's Moore is serving as one of the main writers alongside Michael Dinner, a veteran of shows such as Justified and the Cranston-involved Sneaky Pete (which also happens to be an Amazon show... it's all connected!)

Other writers involve include Tony Grisoni, Jack Thorne, Dee Rees, Matthew Graham and Travis Beacham.

Love Actually Cast Reuniting For Comic Relief Short Sequel

The 30 Best Christmas Movies Empire's review of Love Actually

Curtis, one of the founders of the UK charity, came up with the idea to explore what some of the characters might be up to now, 14 years after the original. The likes of Hugh Grant, Keira Knightley, Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Bill Nighy and Rowan Atkinson are all set to appear. Which, if we're honest mostly makes us miss Alan Rickman that little bit more.

“Over the years I’ve enjoyed doing Red Nose Day specials of TV things I’ve worked on — Blackadder, The Vicar Of Dibley and Mr Bean," says Curtis of the idea. "It seemed like a fun idea this year to do a special sketch based one of my films, since Red Nose Day is now in both the UK and America. I would never have dreamt of writing a sequel to Love Actually, but I thought it might be fun to do 10 minutes to see what everyone is now up to.

"Who has aged best? – I guess that’s the big question… or is it so obviously Liam? We’ve been delighted and grateful that so many of the cast are around and able to take part — and it’ll certainly be a nostalgic moment getting back together and recreating their characters 14 years later. We hope to make something that’ll be fun — very much in the spirit of the original film and of Red Nose Day — and which we hope will help bring lots of viewers and cash to the Red Nose Day shows."

No word yet on whether Ant or Dec will be involved, but the short will be part of the Red Nose Day show, to be broadcast on 24 March.

Niki Caro Directing Disney's Live-Action Mulan

Disney Developing Live-Action Mulan Ang Lee Turns Down Disney's Mulan Remake

The new take on the story of the legendary warrior woman who disguises herself as a man to take her aged father's place in the army has been in the works for a while now, and faces competition from a Sony project. Disney, acutely aware of cultural sensitivity about the film (especially when the original spec was criticised for adding in several white characters including a male lead who seemed to have more of the focus than Mulan herself) has been working with Chinese cultural consultants and hired Hong Kong-based producer Bill Kong.

Though it originally approached both Ang Lee and Rogue One's Jiang Wen (who, when he's not killing Imperial Stormtroopers is a busy, award-winning filmmaker), the studio then began looking for a female director, including a short list of Patty Jenkins, Michelle MacLaren and Leslie Linka Glatter, with Caro winning out and becoming only the second woman to direct a Disney film costing more than $100 million (after A Wrinkle In Time's Ava DuVernay).

Caro's next film to see screens will be true-life tale The Zookeeper's Wife, which will be out on 5 May this year.

New Logan Found Footage Clip Heads To The Lab

If the trailers (and Empire's own extensive set visit piece) tell the world anything about Logan, it's that you should not expect a wise-cracking romp. This one promises to go dark, and more proof of that is offered in a chilling new clip, as originally tweeted by director James Mangold. Logan: Exclusive New Look At Hugh Jackman's Wolverine New Logan Trailer Highlights X-23 Logan: Who Is X-23?

This is the closest tie yet to the comics background of the character Laura, played by Dafne Keen in the film, a young woman who needs Logan's (Hugh Jackman) help when she's hunted down by dark forces who have their own plans. We'd caution spoilers ahead for those unfamiliar with the comic book history, or simply wishing to maintain the surprises and connections lurking within.

Laura, of course, is X-23, a mutant cloned from Wolverine's own DNA, and boasting many of his abilities including accelerated healing and considerable strength/agility. She's also cursed with adamantium claws - two in each hand and more in her feet. In the footage, we see the medical experiments that gave her the claws in particular, and the emotional trauma that results.

Logan promises to be unlike any of the previous X-Men movies, and also features the likes of Patrick Stewart (as an aged, deteriorating Professor Xavier), Stephen Merchant, Boyd Holbrook and Richard E. Grant. It'll arrive in UK cinemas on 1 March ahead of a 3 March US release. For more on the movie, pick up the current issue of Empire.

Mel Gibson May Direct Suicide Squad 2

Mel Gibson Talks Hacksaw Ridge Mark Wahlberg And Will Ferrell Will Return For Daddy's Home Sequel Mel Gibson And Sean Penn On For The Professor And The Madman

According to Deadline, the filmmaker and Warners are doing the tentative negotiation dance around this one, and while it's a little puzzling as to why a director known for more distinctive (and awarded work) would want to tackle the sequel to a critically derided but commercially solid superhero film? Well... We're sure someone will ask Gibson eventually. And he could probably use the payday from a new big studio movie to help get something else of his own going.

Of course, this may all fall apart at the initial stage, so watch this space. In more concrete Gibson news, he's definitely signed on alongside John Lithgow to co-star in the Daddy's Home sequel. The comedy follow-up will see Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell's characters from the first film teaming up to give their kids a great Christmas, but the festive season is thrown into chaos when Wahlberg's dad (Gibson) and Ferrell's (Lithgow) show up. Sean Anders is once again directing, working from a script he wrote with regular scribbling partner John Morris. The film already has a US release date penciled in for November.

Will Ferrell And Amy Poehler Run A Casino In The House Trailer

In this day and age of increased education costs, figuring out how to pay for your child's university tuition is a common problem for parents. And it's one faced by Scott (Will Ferrell) and Kate Johansen (Amy Poehler) in new comedy The House. See the trailer... Will Ferrell Moves to The House Amy Poehler Joins The House

For this couple, whose daughter Alex (Ryan Simpkins) just got accepted to college, a possible answer comes from their neighbour Frank (Jason Mantzoukas, so you know he's a little weird): they'll start an illegal, underground casino in his house.

At first, of course, it seems to go well, even as Alex starts to be suspicious of what her parents are up to every night, but naturally things spiral out of control in what director Andrew Jay Cohen (who wrote this with his Bad Neighbours collaborator Brendan O'Brien) is hoping will be seen as hilarious ways.

We'll know if he's right when The House opens on 30 June.

Empire Podcast #250 – LIVE With Christopher McQuarrie

Would you believe, it's been five years since four Empire staffers crammed into a tiny, grey, lifeless pod booth and waffled on about films to spawn the Empire Podcast. Since then, we've clocked up over 17 million listens, numerous Spoiler Specials, hundreds of famous guests – and now, this week, our milestone 250th episode. To mark such an auspicious occasion, we returned to our old pals at the Prince Charles Cinema in London's Leicester Square, for a sold-out live recording.

Our special guest on the night: the writer, director, raconteur and friend-the-pod Christopher McQuarrie. After the near-legendary three-hour Spoiler Special interview he recorded with us for Rogue Nation, it seemed only fitting to invite him back for a funny, frank, and fascinating hour-long conversation on Mission: Impossible 6's progress, his decade-long collaboration with Tom Cruise, and how The Usual Suspects was saved by a fart.

Plus, the usual news, reviews, and other movie nonsense you've come to expect from your favourite Empire staffers. Thanks for listening – here's to next 250.

You can listen to the Empire Podcast via our iTunes page, our SoundCloud page, this RSS feed or by pressing play below.

Exclusive: Christopher McQuarrie Talks Mission Impossible 6

This week, the Empire Podcast marked its milestone 250th episode recording live at the Prince Charles Cinema – where, in front of a sold-out crowd, we welcomed the writer/director/raconteur Christopher McQuarrie. An old friend of the podcast (he was the interviewee for our mammoth three-hour Rogue Nation Spoiler Special), McQuarrie is currently in London prepping the currently-untitled Mission: Impossible sequel, and seemed only too happy let us know how things were going.

“It’s going great!,” he enthusiastically told us. “We start shooting on April 10th in Paris. It’s a very different Ethan Hunt, I can promise you that.” Tom Cruise and Rebecca Ferguson are confirmed to return, of course, but McQuarrie teased some old faces returning from the franchise – ”including people you would not expect to be back.”

We asked the filmmaker how on Earth he planned to top Rogue Nation’s signature opening stunt, which saw Cruise’s Ethan Hunt hang of the side of a plane. “I don’t know!” was his response. “And I have to find out by April 10th. I may have found something today. I came to Tom with a picture of something and Tom looked at it and said, ‘That’s awesome! I want to fall off of that!’ It’s like, OK, I can see it on a poster, and I can see Tom falling off of it.”

McQuarrie offered no specifics as to what The Cruiser would fall off, but did reveal that M:I 6 would not open in such a bombastic way as its predecessor: “It starts in a very unconventional way,” he explained. “It does not start with action. That was the hardest pitch of this movie.”

He also hinted that it would delve deeper into character study territory. “I’ve seen five of these movies and I don’t know who Ethan Hunt is. One movie sort of dealt with his personal life; the other movies are about people speculating what’s really going on in Ethan’s head. I want to know who Ethan is in this movie, I want an emotional journey for this character, and Tom really embraced it.”

His approach this time, then, was to say “‘I don’t want to string together a bunch of action scenes, I want to actually deal with character’. So I put Ethan in a bunch of complicated moral quandaries, and I’m trying to find ways to connect them – and then, ironically, the way to connect them was through giant action scenes.”

For the full hour-long interview with Christopher McQuarrie – which includes more on the new Mission: Impossible, his decade-long collaboration with Cruise, his experiences on The Usual Suspects, Valkyrie, and The Tourist, and his memories of winning an Oscar – be sure to listen to the full Empire Podcast episode. (You can also subscibe via our iTunes page or listen on our SoundCloud page.

Jurassic World Sequel: James Cromwell Joins The Cast

Ted Levine Joins the Jurassic World Sequel Juan Antonio Bayona Confirmed To Direct Jurassic World 2 Chris Pratt And Bryce Dallas Howard Back For Jurassic World Sequel

A Monster Calls' Juan Antonio Bayona is directing the film, which will see Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard back as Owen Grady and Claire Dearing, but beyond their return, nothing is known about the sequel's story, which is by Colin Trevorrow and Derek Connolly.

Bayona has been busy gathering an eclectic cast, with Toby Jones, Rafe Spall, Justice Smith, Daniel Pineda and Ted Levine all recruited. The cameras will be rolling this year, with the film scheduled to arrive on 8 June 2018. Rumours that Cromwell will be using Raptors to round up sheep are, at this time, entirely the product of our fanciful imaginations.

Cromwell will be seen this year in biopic Marshall.

Ben Affleck Won't Direct The Batman – But He's Staying In The Cowl

Ben Affleck May Not Direct The Batman After All Ben Affleck Says His New Bat-Flick Is Called The Batman Joe Manganiello Talks Ben Affleck's Solo Batman Film

There had been signs of issues with the film in recent months, with no clear answer as to when the script would be finished and no solid word on a start date. And now the actor has announced that he's going to stick to playing the hero, producing the movie and co-writing the screenplay with Geoff Johns. "There are certain characters who hold a special place in the hearts of millions," Affleck says. "Performing this role demands focus, passion and the very best performance I can give. It has become clear that I cannot do both jobs to the level they require. Together with the studio, I have decided to find a partner in a director who will collaborate with me on this massive film. I am still in this, and we are making it, but we are currently looking for a director. I remain extremely committed to this project, and look forward to bringing this to life for fans around the world."

As for Warner Bros. the studio was quick to issue a statement backing the choice. “Warner Bros. fully supports Ben Affleck’s decision and remains committed to working with him to bring a standalone Batman picture to life."

It won't stymie the rumours of creative confusion in the Warners/DC camp, but at least it's happened now and not as the movie is starting to shoot. But the question now becomes who can take over the job. According to Variety's sources, the shortlist of potential candidates includes Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes veteran Matt Reeves.

As for Affleck's Batman, he'll be back on screens in this November's Justice League.

Colin Farrell Heads For Inner City

With news of Farrell entering talks comes some more details on the story for this one. Washington will play a reclusive lawyer who has worked for decades as a legal researcher for his beloved mentor. But when the older man passes away, he's snapped up by a well-known, but far more cutthroat firm where he discovers a case that changes his life... And could potentially threaten it.

As for Farrell, he's circling playing the slick, wealthy legal eagle who initially recruits Washington to his new job. If he makes a deal, he'll be working on the film starting the middle of March in Los Angeles. Farrell most recently worked on Sofia Coppola's latest, The Beguiled and reunited with his Lobster director Yorgos Lanthimos for The Killing Of A Sacred Deer.

• Denzel Washington Eyes Dan Gilroy thriller Inner City

Denis Villeneuve Confirmed As Director Of Dune Remake

[embed: https://twitter.com/DuneAuthor/status/826641857400565760]

Brian Herbert (son of Frank) tweeted that Legendary "has signed the very talented Denis Villeneuve to direct the exciting new DUNE series film project". Intriguingly, the tweet suggest a franchise is planned rather than a single film – an ambitious scheme for ambitous material.

Much like the rise of the Atreides, Dune’s cinematic history is legendarily chaotic. It languished in development hell for most of the 1970s. Alejandro Jodorosky tried and failed to produce it (with some insane names attached – Orson Welles! Mick Jagger! Salvador Dali!), though his aborted efforts became a superb documentary in its own right. David Lynch eventually directed - and quickly disowned - the first completed adaptation in 1984, which starred Kyle MacLachlan, Max Von Sydow, and Sting.

Further adaptation attempts hovered in the Development-Hell-O-Sphere for years, with Taken director Pierre Morel among the recent suitors to make an ultimately fruitless stab. The rights eventually reverted back to Herbert's estate in 2011, and were finally snapped up by Legendary late last year.

The curse of Dune could yet topple Villeneuve's efforts. But with the director shepherding another beloved sci-fi project, Blade Runner 2049, out of development hell and into cinemas this year, we'd wager he's a safe pair of hands – and with a pedigree that includes bold, challenging, grown-up material like Sicario and last year's Arrival, this could be finally the adaptation that Herbert deserves. We’ll keep our ears close to the sand on this one.

• Denis Villeneuve in talks to direct Dune.
• Legendary grabs the rights to Dune.
• Blade Runner 2049 gets an atmospheric first trailer.

Olivia Holt And Aubrey Joseph Will Be Marvel's Cloak And Dagger

The comic book heroes, also known as Tandy Bowen and Tyrone Johnson, are traditionally pair of teens from different backgrounds who bond when they're both dealing with emerging superpowers. Tandy's ability is emitting light daggers, while Tyrone can engulf people in darkness. They also start to fall for each other, and their relationship only makes things more complicated. On the show, the focus will be their coming-of-age story, showing how Tandy has overcome family tragedy and the closed-off Tyrone deals with opening up his life once he meets her.

“The characters of Tandy and Tyrone have always stood out to me ever since I first met them in the pages of Marvel comics when I was a boy. When Olivia and Aubrey read for the roles, these characters leapt off the page. We’re so excited to see what these talented young actors bring to the Marvel Universe,” says showrunner Joe Pokaski.

Marvel has yet to announce when it might hit US screens (and unlike, say Netflix, there's no immediate channel for the UK), but given the casting, it should be ready to air later this year.

• Marvel Turning Cloak And Dagger Into A Series

Viola Davis And Julia Roberts Starring In Small Great Things

Fences And Hidden Figures Score At The 2017 Screen Actors Guild Awards Empire's Review Of Fences Viola Davis To Star In Steve McQueen's Widows

The movie is still at an embryonic stage, with no writer or director attached yet, though La La Land producer Marc Platt will develop the film for his company and Amblin Partners.

Small Great Things tackles the sensitive subject of race relations as it follows Ruth, a labour/delivery nurse who is a 20-year veteran in taking care of newborns at a Connecticut hospital. But she's told not to touch the baby of a couple who are white supremacists. When the couple’s baby dies and Ruth is the only one present, the couple takes her to court.

Davis is an Oscar nominee for Fences, which is out on 10 February. Roberts will next be seen in Wonder and heard in Smurfs: The Lost Village.

Richard E. Grant Joins Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Chris O'Dowd Asks Can You Ever Forgive Me? Melissa McCarthy Takes Over The Lead In Can You Ever Forgive Me?

The Diary Of A Teenage Girl's Marielle Heller took over the director's chair around the same time that McCarthy boarded the film, and she'll work from a script by original shot-caller Nicole Holofcener, who wrote it with Jeff Whitty.

McCarthy stars in the adaptation of Lee Israel's memoir, which chronicled how she went from profiling the likes of Katherine Hepburn, Tallulah Bankhead and Estee Lauder in the 1970s and 80s to finding doors slammed in her face because she'd fallen out of step with current tastes. So she turns her art form to deception, fabricating and then stealing famous letters from library archives abetted by her loyal friend Jack (Grant).

The cast also includes Jane Curtin, Dolly Wells, Anna Deavere Smith and Jennifer Westfeldt. "I'm overjoyed to be starting principal photography on this film, with this fantastic group of collaborators. Working with Melissa, Richard E. Grant and the rest of our tremendous cast, Searchlight and Anne Carey and all my wonderful producers is a dream come true," says Heller. "Now, more than ever, it is imperative we tell the stories of women and all people who have gone unnoticed by society. I'm honoured to be helming this very special film." There's no news yet on when the film will be released.

Leonardo DiCaprio On For Crime Thriller The Black Hand

Leonardo DiCaprio Attached To Star In Conquest Leonardo DiCaprio: A Viewer's Guide

Stephan Talty's book chronicles the real-life story of Joe Petrosino, a driven NYPD cop who made it his life's mission to go after the dangerous gang spreading a kidnapping ring from Italy to America in the late 1890s.

The Black Hand (for such a mark was their calling card) were ruthless and inspired fear among the local Italian immigrant population, but Petrosino won the citizens' trust and created a network of informers. He sent many of the gang back to Italy or locked them up, but was finally lured to his death, leaving behind a wife and children.

DiCaprio is working with The Gotham Group and Paramount to bring the story to the screen, and he's on the hunt for a writer to do Petrosino's life justice.

Billie Piper And Samantha Morton Find Two For Joy

Tom Beard, who has come up through photography and music videos, is making his feature writing and directorial debut with the film, which will chart the challenging relationship between a teenage daughter, her bed-ridden mother (Morton) and her wayward younger brother. Screen International's story doesn't mention what role Piper will play.

"Two For Joy encompasses my professional development over the last six years. In that time I have worked closely with young people who have been through the care system with the drama therapy charity The Big House," says Beard. "This has given me a unique perspective on issues affecting them, issues that I hope to offer up an unbiased and profound representation of in this film.” The film has Sadie Frost, Emma Comley and Andrew Green on board to produce via their Blonde To Black Pictures company, and should be shooting this summer.

Piper will next be seen in London-based noir City Of Tiny Lights, which is out on 7 April. And Morton is part of the voice cast for animated fantasy Magik, due next year.

• Billie Piper Heads For City Of Tiny Lights

Supergirl: Teri Hatcher Cast As A Mysterious New Villain

Empire's Review Of The Invasion Crossover Invasion Aftermath: What's Next For The Flash, Supergirl, Arrow And Legends Of Tomorrow The Flash And Supergirl Musical Crossover Gets A Villain

Not much is known about who her character will be yet; as most of the details are being kept quiet. But according to Entertainment Weekly, she will end up as one of the main villains of this current season.

You've got to figure that they'll find some way to have her sharing the screen with Cain; after all, why cast both Lois & Clark stars and not have them swap any dialogue? And it's hardly the first time that Hatcher has guested on a show in the DC universe, as she also appeared on Smallville. "No offense to any of the wonderful actresses who have also played the part, but Teri Hatcher is my all time favorite Lois Lane," says executive producer Andrew Kreisberg. "To have her come back to the SuperWorld in a completely different part is an unbelievable gift to me, Greg Berlanti, and the fans."

In related superhero news, you'll likely already be aware that Supergirl (AKA Melissa Benoist's Kara Danvers) is set to cross over again, this time with just the crew from The Flash. Set to happen in late March, the episode Duet will feature songs sung by Benoist, Grant Gustin (Barry Allen) and others from the wider DC TV Universe cast including Jesse L. Martin, Victor Garber and (because who could stop him with this opportunity?) John Barrowman. We also now know about two of the songs that will feature in the episode, with La La Land tune duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul contributing "Runnin' Home To You" and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend team Rachel Bloom and Tom Root crafting "Superfriends", which is sure to raise a chuckle.

“As soon as I heard that they were doing a musical crossover, I e-mailed Mark Pedowitz who connected me to Greg and Andrew. I immediately offered them my services,” Bloom told BuzzFeed News in a statement. “As soon as they picked one of my song ideas, I hopped on the phone with my old Robot Chicken boss Tom Root and we brainstormed and, based on that brainstorm, I wrote up the song 'Superfriends.' I am so excited to contribute more to the upward trend that is musicals in television and film. Music can be one of the most amazing and efficient forms of storytelling and character development. Also, it was really fun to write a comedy song for two superheroes."

Glee's Darren Criss is playing episodic villain Music Meister, and it'll be interesting to see how the musical stacks up with the likes of Buffy classic Once More With Feeling...

Nicole Kidman Considering A Role In Aquaman

Aquaman Set To Arrive In October 2018 Willem Dafoe Will Be Part Of Aquaman DC's Aquaman Hires A New Writer

Kidman, assuming she signs, is looking to play Aquaman's mother, Atlanna. A member of the royal family in Atlantis, she escaped her kingdom for an adventure on the surface, and ended up falling for a lighthouse keeper and giving birth to Jason Momoa's hero.

As for Abdul-Mateen, the man who plays Cadillac on the Netflix series is in line to be Black Manta, a scheming villain and one of Aquaman's main foes who was first introduced in 1967. It's the latest big film role for the actor, who narrowly missed out on the role on Lando in the Han Solo spin-off but will be seen in Baywatch and The Greatest Showman.

The pair will join a cast that already boasts Amber Heard as Mera, Willem Dafoe as scientist and advisor Vulko and Patrick Wilson as Orm, Aquaman's half-brother and another threat.

Wan is aiming for a 5 October release date next year. Momoa, Heard and Dafoe will all pop up in Justice League, due out on 17 November.

Saoirse Ronan Starring In Refugee Drama Sweetness In The Belly

Ethiopian director Zeresenay Berhane Mehari will oversee the film, which has Laura Phillips adapting Camilla Gibbs' bestseller. Ronan is on board to star as Lilly Abdal, a young woman whose life straddles two very different worlds. Orphaned in Africa as a child born to English parents, she returns to their homeland as a refugee, fleeing a violent civil war. Trying to find herself in a cold new home, Lily becomes the heart of a disenfranchised community and works to reunite people with their scattered families. But she's also dealing with a lost love affair with idealistic doctor Aziz.

“When we were developing the script Saoirse was our dream first choice for Lilly,” producers Jennifer Kawaja and Julia Sereny tell Deadline. “It’s so wonderful to have her on board. We are thrilled to begin to realise the project, especially as the film is even more relevant now then it was when we started this journey.”

The cameras will be rolling this September and the rights will be up for sale at the Berlin Film Festival market next month. Ronan has several films awaiting release, including The Seagull, On Chesil Beach and Lady Bird.

Mel Gibson And Vince Vaughn Starring In Police Thriller Dragged Across Concrete

Vince Vaughn Starring In Brawl In Cell Block 99 Mel Gibson And Sean Penn On For The Professor And The Madman Empire's Review Of Hacksaw Ridge

Bone Tomahawk's S. Craig Zahler – who worked with Vaughn recently on Brawl In Cell Block 99 – is in the director's chair, and wrote the script. The story finds two police officers (Gibson as the old timer and Vaughn as his volatile younger partner) who are suspended when a video of their overly violent tactics is plastered across the web and on news channels.

With their income suspended and funds running low, they double down on the bad behaviour and head for the criminal underworld. But there, they find far more than they wanted...

Gibson directed Vaughn in Ridge, which is in cinemas now. The latter has also worked on The Forgiven, while Gibson has been shooting The Professor And The Madman.

Diego Luna Circling The New Scarface

Antoine Fuqua Circling The New Scarface Pablo Larrain Set For New Scarface Universal Plotting Another Scarface

Fuqua had been seriously considering the job since last August, and the director was enthusiastic about the chance to make it. But a sticking point arose when Sony needed him to stay developing the Equalizer sequel, into which he's poured even more time and effort... Despite attempts to figure out the schedule (Universal is also looking to have Scarface shooting this spring), a new director will be needed.

As for Luna, Variety's sources say he's attached to star, but there has been no official announcement about that yet. The new version of Scarface, like the 1932 take and more famous 1983 movie will once again explore an immigrant chasing the American dream via any method necessary – up to, and including violent crime. In this latest variation, which has Terence Winter writing the most recent script draft, the newcomer is Mexican. After going through a couple of potential directors, Universal is meeting others, intending to keep the movie on track to shoot this year.

Guy Pearce Joins The Catcher Was A Spy

Paul Rudd Starring In World War II Drama The Catcher Was A Spy Guy Pearce And Kyle Minogue Starring In Comedy Flammable Children

The Sessions' Ben Lewin is directing a script written by Saving Private Ryan's Robert Rodat. Here, he adapts Nicholas Dawidoff's 1994 non-fiction bestseller about Moe Berg, an accomplished college graduate who spoke nine languages and spent 15 years as a player on baseball teams including the Chicago White Sox. What his teammates didn't know was that his sports career was a cover for his life as a top secret spy for America's pre-CIA intelligence agency the OSS, and he helped America win the arms race against Germany.

Rudd is on as Berg, while Pearce's role has yet to be revealed – though there's a chance he might be one of Rudd's colleagues. Or we could see him as his OSS handler.

Pearce has worked on TV mini-series When We Rise and will cameo in Alien: Covenant (due 19 May) as Peter Weyland. There's no word yet on when The Catcher Was A Spy will be released.