By Romeo San Vicente
Neil Patrick Harris, director?
Neil Patrick Harris has already done everything else in show business short of escaping Houdini-style from a locked trunk at the bottom of a lake (and don't count out that option yet, given his lifelong interest in magic tricks), including directing television and stage productions. So the next step on the ladder is feature films. His first project for Fox 2000 is "Aaron and Sarah," an indie comedy about a geeky guy and a popular girl who meet as freshmen in high school and become best friends. (Look, it could too happen.) Together they weather four proms and a funeral before – can you guess? – finally realizing what was standing right in front of them the whole time. Emma Roberts and Josh Hutcherson will star in what could very well turn out to be the "(500) Days of Summer" that's allowed a happier ending. And starring people who aren't so old.
'Hobbit' ON
All that angst. All that negotiation. All that director drama. But now it's official: "The Hobbit" is happening and Peter Jackson ("Lord of the Rings" trilogy) will, indeed, direct. The bad news is that it's going to be in that annoying 3D, but the good news is the potential for a powerhouse cast. Now here's where it all turns into speculation, but the word is that "Dr. Who" star David Tennant is up for a role, as is Michael Fassbender ("Inglourious Basterds"), and that Martin Freeman ("The Office," "Hot Fuzz" and the current BBC series "Sherlock") is being eyed as Bilbo Baggins. Obviously some, but not necessarily all, characters from the earlier films will appear, but there will be Gandalf. At the moment, Sir Ian McKellen is listed as merely "rumored" to play that part on his IMDB page, but who else could step into those robes? Name one person. See? It's impossible. And making this happen fast is definitely on the agenda since there's the possibility of a February 2011 start date.
Tilda Swinton bathes in "Blood"
Ever heard of Erzsebeth Bathory, the 16th-century countess who is reported to have seduced, tortured and murdered over 600 young women because she believed that bathing in their blood would make her live forever? Isn't she already everyone's favorite historical lady-vampire/serial killer? Well, if you're not up to speed on her legend, then Tilda Swinton is going to fix that, when she stars in "The Blood Countess" ("Die Blutgrafin") as Bathory. German director Ulrike Ottinger will take on the strong personalities of Swinton, French star Isabelle Huppert and cult hero Udo Kier ("Suspiria"), and reports are that the film will lean toward the vampiric end of the story. Not to worry, though, because with actors and subject matter like this, the "Twilight" crossover audience looking in vain for something approaching a love story will be a tiny sliver of a Venn Diagram. Meanwhile, there exists the promise of Tilda Swinton bathing in a blood-tub, which is something everyone can probably agree will be worth buying a ticket to see.
Jane Lynch, Lea Michele of 'Glee' work the microphone
They're going to hide their faces but not their voices. The two "Glee" stars are each working on animated projects even as they continue to shoot the second demanding season of the elaborate musical TV show. Lynch is playing against type for hers, voicing the role of sweet, kind Aunt May Parker on the upcoming animated series "Ultimate Spider-Man." Lea Michele, on the other hand, is stepping right into diva-red slippers as Dorothy Gale in the feature film "Dorothy of Oz." The musical film features a mostly male voice cast, including Patrick Stewart, Dan Aykroyd, James Belushi, Hugh Dancy, Oliver Platt, Kelsey Grammer and Martin Short. And while some of those gentlemen can sing, none of them are most well-known for that talent, so this is definitely going to be a showcase for the young lady when it finally hits theaters sometime in 2012.
