By Romeo San Vicente
Ryan Reynolds. Photo: Disney
Ryan Reynolds gets his own 'Tootsie'
Ryan Reynolds knows the gays love him already for all the shirtless woodchopping he did in that "Amityville Horror" remake. And he confidently glided through a gay role in the oddball indie "The Nines," refusing to turn it all into caricature and lowest common denominator stereotype. Now comes his first comedy drag role to flesh out that queer-cred resume. He'll play a man who decides to disguise himself as a woman in order to make friends with his ex-girlfriend and win her back. There's no title yet and no female lead cast as of this moment, so it's at least a year or so away from your multiplex. And sure, the straight-guy-in-a-dress thing's been done before, but rarely by a man who looks this good when he's not in heels.
500 days of Joseph Gordon-Levitt
His moments as indie film's best-kept secret may be numbered thanks to his star turn in this summer's adorable sleeper hit "(500) Days of Summer." And that weird supporting role in "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra," while not contributing anything artistic to the world, definitely raised his mainstream profile in a way he hasn't experienced since his days as a kid on the sitcom "Third Rock From The Sun." That means he's on a roll, and if you can't get enough of the talented young actor, keep your eyes peeled for his third film of 2009, "Uncertainty." It's set to open this month in limited release, and it's directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel, the filmmaking partners behind the gay-themed "The Deep End" (McGehee is the queer one of that gay-straight alliance). What's it about? The mysterious trailer reveals almost no clues. So it can be said with certainty that it's totally uncertain.
Ellis & Van Sant double up on double suicide
Biopics about inspirational blind musicians and famously lost female aviators (or even gay rights pioneers) can become tired after awhile. True-life stories of relatively obscure art-world personalities who commit his-and-hers suicide, however, are packed to the brim with all sorts of morbidly fascinating details that don't require too much faithful translation when brought to the big screen. Enter Bret Easton Ellis and Gus Van Sant, who'll be working together on a script called "The Golden Suicides," about the 2007 deaths of New York art scenesters Theresa Duncan and Jeremy Blake. The story's rarefied atmosphere and high-life tragedy is the perfect fit for Ellis, whose own fiction could have included these people if they weren't already real. And Van Sant's due for something more arthouse and less multiplex after his recent "Milk" success. When it sees the light of day in 2011 (2012?) we'll find out if it's a match made in misery-loving heaven or just a big indie bummer.
Musical theater gets even weirder and gayer
They're bringing back that notorious Broadway disaster "Carrie." The one that was based on the Sissy Spacek-starring '70s horror film. Nope, not making that up. There are rewrites and revisions already underway, but no real concrete details yet. And really, it's not a moment too soon. Because in the current climate in which bringing just about every popular movie to the musical theater stage is standard practice, and with "Carrie"'s legend having only grown since its early demise, why not give audiences a chance to see what they've been denied? Meanwhile, it's now the Spice Girls turn to have their own stage calamity, as casting has begun in the U.K. for a "Mamma Mia!"-style jukebox show based on the story of the girl-power quintet's rise to fame. Not that Romeo is predicting or even hoping for a "Carrie"-like failure; it's just that when you get all the free Posh you need in the tabloids, why would you buy a ticket to see someone impersonate her?
