1. It’s being reported that Jennifer Lawrence is set to star in an adaptation of John Steinbeck’s “East of Eden,” which, of course, was already made into a film in 1955 co-starring James Dean. Gary Ross, who directed the first “Hunger Games” film, will be behind the camera for the new adaptation, and is reportedly planning to tell the epic story over two films. Considering this and the reported adaptation of “The Grapes of Wrath,” Steinbeck is currently in vogue among Hollywood studios. [Deadline]
2. When James Gandolfini sadly passed away earlier this year, one of the projects he left behind was “Criminal Justice,” the HBO miniseries he was set to star in, based on the BBC series of the same name. The adaptation, written by crime author Richard Price, “centers on an ambulance-chasing New York City attorney, the role originally played by Gandolfini, who gets in over-his-head when he takes on the case of a Pakistani accused of murdering a girl on the Upper West Side.” Well, the producers have found a suitable replacement: Robert De Niro. The actor has attached himself to the project, and production is now set to begin in March. This is big news. An HBO miniseries scripted by Price and staring De Niro? We’re sold. [Deadline]
3. Director Derek Cianfrance (“Blue Valentine”) is reportedly lining up a film about the creation of sports news network ESPN. The film will be based on the book “ESPN: Those Guys Have All the Fun,” written by James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales, which chronicles the rise of the network. The producers are currently searching for a writer for the project. I have an idea: Why don’t you hire the director? [The Wrap]
4. Now that “Breaking Bad” is just a few days from being over, series creator Vince Gilligan has to start looking for work. Hopefully he’ll take a vacation first. But in the meantime, he has landed a show with CBS, something he developed with the network back in 2002 but, now that he’s famous, they all of a sudden are interested in. The series, which doesn’t have a title yet, “centers on two detectives with very different world views who are teamed up. Together, they must answer the question: Are cynicism, guile, and deception enough to clean up the semi-mean streets of Battle Creek, Michigan.” [Hollywood Reporter]
5. Speaking of “Breaking Bad,” co-star Aaron Paul, who viewers know as Jesse Pinkman, stars in “Need for Speed.” Based on the trailer, which you can watch below, this looks like a less self-aware “Fast & Furious.” So if that’s your thing, this one’s for you. [Vulture]
—Craig Hubert
Previously: Jason Segel, Terrence Malick, “Blue is the Warmest Color,” Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Wymond Miles
Image: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images
