As Sony roped in Drew Goddard to join their Spider-Man franchise to helm Sinister Six, he was forced to drop a potentially interesting project that was being developed. It looks like things are still moving on his former adaptation of Andy Weir‘s The Martian, as The Wrap reports 20th Century Fox are interested in Matt Damon taking the lead. While no talks have begun, the film would follow him as an astronaut who lands on Mars but soon finds himself stranded and in order to survive, he must figure out a way to return to Earth. The source material has been compared to both Apollo 13 and Cast Away, and reportedly far removed from Gravity, despite the logline similarities. It sounds enticing, so hopefully a worthwhile replacement is found for the director.
Next up, after his well-made Sundance drama Frank (our review), Lenny Abrahamson is looking to direct his follow-up and it looks like he’s settled on one. According to Deadline, Brie Larson (21 Jump Street, Short Term 12) will lead his next film, Room, which is adapted by Emma Donoghue from her own book. The drama will follow Larson as a woman help captive with her son, inspired by the disturbing true story of Elisabeth Fritzl, an Austrian woman who finally escaped in 2008 after 24 years of captivity. It sounds like horrifying stuff, and hopefully Abrahamson can make it a story worth telling.
Although its set for a summer 2016 release, it doesn’t quite look like Independence Day 2 is at the forefront of Roland Emmerich‘s mind. Deadline reports that he’s shifted focus to a passion project that will start production this year titled Stonewall. War Horse‘s Jeremy Irvine is set to lead the Jon Robin Baitz-scripted project, which tells the true story of a 1969 police raid at a Greenwich Village gay bar and the riots that would follow. It potentially sounds like Emmerich’s finest source material yet, so we’re looking forward to it.
Larson’s Scott Pilgrim vs the World co-star Mae Whitman has picked up a lead role. Variety reports that she’ll lead CBS Films’ coming-of-age film The D.U.F.F.. Directed by Ari Sandel, the Josh A. Cagan script follows the high schooler labeled as the titular DUFF (designated ugly fat friend) and then bands together with others in her class to take down the evil queen of the school. While the plot seems a bit retreaded, hopefully the talented Whitman can use this one to break-out, with filming kicking off this summer.
Lastly, Seth Rogen has invited another woman on board his Megan Ellison-backed, R-rated animation Sausage Party. With Rogen, Edward Norton, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, David Krumholtz, Kristen Wiig, and Nick Kroll all on board, Deadline adds that Salma Hayek has joined the crew, playing the esteemed Teresa the Taco. The Pixar-mocking story, directed by Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan, follows a hero sausage and his new friends as they embark on a perilous journey through the supermarket to get back to their aisles before the 4th of July sale. A release is expected for 2015 via Sony Pictures.
Which of the above projects are you most looking forward to?