I already smell Oscar nominations for this one. According to Variety, Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro are re-teaming for I Heard You Paint Houses, based on Charles Brandt's book. And another Scorsese alumni is writing the script -- Steve Zaillian, who not only scripted Gangs of New York, but won an Oscar for Schindler's List. See what I mean? A contender for Best Picture, and it isn't even filmed yet.

The topic is familiar stomping ground for Scorsese and De Niro -- organized crime. De Niro will play the main man of Houses, Frank 'the Irishman' Sheeran, who reportedly committed more than 25 mob murders. One of these was supposedly Jimmy Hoffa, who he confessed to killing and dismembering on the orders of mob boss Russell Bufalino. And if you're wondering about the title, it has a wonderfully gruesome origin: it's mob slang for a contract killing, due to the mess left behind on walls and floors when you carry one out.

Sheeran confessed all to Brandt, who befriended him before his death in 2003. While this seemed to clear up the mystery surrounding Hoffa's disappearance, controversy still reigns. Other hitman have confessed to the crime since Sheeran, and lacking conclusive DNA evidence or a body, nothing can be proved or denied. The FBI stopped looking for Hoffa's body in 2006. But Hoffa's fate is like the identity of Jack the Ripper -- no one will ever stop confessing, wondering, or looking.

As I said at the start, this movie has a perfect pedigree. But for the sake of argument, do you think it's just too safe? We all realize Scorsese knows a mob thriller like the back of his hand, and we know De Niro can play a guy who, well, paints houses to chilling perfection. I'd love to see Scorsese court some of that Last Temptation of Christ controversy again, but perhaps that's just too cocky of me to question.

If you read my posts regularly, you might be under the impression that the only movies that make me truly weak in the knees are Marvel adaptations. But my heart belongs more to rogue cops than it does superheroes, and if I could have my film wish, it would be for a renaissance of the action/thriller. And you know, I think it might be on its way ...

First comes a story from The Hollywood Reporter that Paramount has hired Josh Olson to adapt Lee Child's novel One Shot. It's the ninth in Child's Jack Reacher series -- why they aren't adapting the first, I have no idea. Now, I haven't read the series, but from all accounts Reacher is the kind of man we haven't seen onscreen since Harry Callahan or Wendell "Bud" White. And that's why Olson (who was also behind the adaptation of A History of Violence) took the job: "I had just finished watching the first two Dirty Harry movies on Blu-ray. And I thought, 'No one's making movies like that anymore.' It coincided perfectly. It's just the kind of movie that I haven't seen in a while. It's a tough, smart, action-oriented thriller." (In a really funny twist, I was watching Dirty Harry last weekend and thinking the same thing -- and also how much I want to date Clint Eastwood circa 1971.)

Obviously, One Shot isn't enough to revive the genre, but Entertainment Weekly reports that rumors continue to gather around Lethal Weapon 5, particularly with Shane Black's Cold Warrior catching everyone's interest. Seems he's down for writing and directing the fifth installment, though all waits on the approval of Mel Gibson. I'm intrigued by the new story details, as it introduces a pair of young New York cops. Now, if Lethal Weapon 5 was more of a reboot/origin story for two new characters who could carry some films of their own, well, that would be pretty darn cool.

Steven Spielberg has yet another project that he's keen to make his next directorial gig -- according to The Hollywood Reporter, he's just snagged the rights to Chocky, John Wyndham's famous sci-fi novel.

Chocky is more famous in the United Kingdom than here in the States, as it was the basis for a television show in 1984. It centers on a young boy who has a rather tumultuous relationship with his imaginary friend. His father grows concerned that his son has not yet abandoned his imaginary friend for real ones -- and slowly, he begins to realize that the invisible friend is actually an alien consciousness that is residing in the boy's mind. It's old territory for Spielberg, right down to the government forces who are far too interested in the boy and his alien. Surely, Chocky is some reader's favorite book or childhood television memory, and I'm keen to hear your opinion of its big screen potential.

Nevertheless, don't get too excited, Chocky fans. Given Spielberg's break with Paramount, it's uncertain where the project will end up -- DreamWorks has optioned it, but all of its properties automatically end up with Paramount, which would require Spielberg to actually buy it back for his own development. And this is just one of a slew of projects Spielberg has acquired lately. He still has Tintin, The Trial of the Chicago 7, that long-delayed Lincoln biopic, Cowboys and Aliens, and The 39 Clues. All are technically owned by Paramount, all are "the next picture Spielberg wants to direct," and all need to be re-purchased if he wants to develop them at DreamWorks. So by 2009 or 2010, you might see Tintin, you might see Chocky, or you might see another project altogether. Spielberg is covering all his bases.

It looks like another quiet week in the land of the geek -- particularly since all my friends are off at Fantastic Fest. If you're one of the lucky people attending, eat a Wild at Artichoke Hearts pizza for me at the Alamo Drafthouse. I lie awake at night thinking about it, and wishing for the skill to replicate it.

• The biggest news of the weekend was a story that hit Variety late Friday night: Stephen Chow has landed the role of Kato in The Green Hornet and the director's chair. Rumors and Seth Rogen's wishes have attached him for some time, but now it's official, and definitely shows that the project is going to be heavy on the comedy. (Incidentally, I never realized before now what huge Green Hornet fans my geek parents were -- let's just say Rogen's ears must be burning.) The movie is scheduled to be released June 25th, 2010.
  

• Tintin has run into some major financial problems. According to the LA Times, Universal has passed on the film, leaving Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson to scramble for a new studio to financially back them. It's as embarrassing as you can imagine -- not only because its two of the biggest names in the business, but because Spielberg may have to make nice with Paramount (who's financing half the film) just as he and David Geffen are trying to extricate themselves from it. It also leaves Spielberg without a project to direct, as Tintin was supposed to be next in line, and it delays the whole thing even longer. But hey, at least struggling directors the world over can now do something they never thought possible -- feel just like Spielberg!
  

At first you think Ghost Town is about a jerk named Frank, as portrayed by supreme jerk-player Greg Kinnear. We meet him as he's on the phone, chewing out his realtor for getting his wife mixed up with his girlfriend. ("Does 'Amber' sound like the wife of a man my age?!") Next thing you know, he's dead, his spirit stuck wandering Manhattan, still wearing the tuxedo he had on at the time of his demise.

But no, Ghost Town is actually about a dentist named Bertram Pincus, though I don't believe anyone in the movie ever calls him by anything other than his last name. He's played by Ricky Gervais, whom you know from The Office and Extras, and Pincus is a variation on those brilliant characters: snarky, discourteous, and wholly misanthropic, yet also very funny -- not just to the audience but occasionally even to the other characters. It turns out he's the kind of misanthrope who can really make you laugh once you get to know him.

Pincus dies for a few minutes while undergoing a minor hospital procedure, and when he comes back he has the unique ability to see and hear the hundreds of ghosts, like Frank the jerk, who haunt New York. As usual with these stories, the ghosts have unfinished business for which Pincus' help is required; the twist is that Pincus has no interest in helping anyone, living or dead, for any reason.

It may sound like Ghost Town centers around too many "jerk: characters, but it's really only Frank who comes off that way. Pincus is too funny, and we are too much on his side (because really, other people ARE kind of annoying) to dislike him. Besides, he's balanced out by Gwen (Tea Leoni), Frank's sweet and kind widow, who works as an Egyptologist and lives in Pincus' building. She's about to marry a guy Frank doesn't like, and Frank wants Pincus to break them up. Pincus, instantly smitten with the lovely Gwen, decides to position himself as the alternative.

And it sounds glorious! Jon Favreau is doing a lot of press for the upcoming Iron Man DVD, and he sat down with CHUD to give an interview so long, it's been split in twain. Naturally, talk turned to plans for Iron Man 2 and 3, which Favreau is deep in the process of writing. Among the highlights:

-- War Machine is likely to be in the sequel, as Terrence Howard's Col. Rhodes had too little screen time in the first film. They want to make up for that, and give him a crack at wearing the suit.

-- The Mandarin is the overarching, behind-the-scenes villain, but he comes with a lot of racial and superpower baggage that is difficult to put on screen. Starships, dragon aliens, and ten magic rings that can upset the power of the universe don't really fit into the realistic universe Favreau has aimed to put Iron Man in. And yes, Favreau is concerned about how the various Avengers will fit into that world, too. Hulk and Captain America are feasible (and the cross-over has pretty much been forced on the former), but he's not sure about Thor. (Who is?)

-- The recent hostilities between Russia and the U.S. have made a lot of Iron Man's arch enemies current again -- and we might actually see Crimson Dynamo pop up. (I vote yes, so we can get the Black Widow introduced to audiences.)

-- Demon in a Bottle is coming. Expect to also see some elements of Matt Fraction's Iron Man run pop up -- the movie and his work have a real symbiotic relationship going on. There may even be a partnership forming ...

Now, isn't that a nice way to start the weekend? There's more where that came from on CHUD, but remember to come back and geek out in the comments.

OK, the first thing I noticed was the lack of an audio commentary of any kind. I mean, Jon Favreau and Robert Downey Jr. are certainly known for their affable and garrulous nature -- and they're also damn funny guys. So I was definitely looking forward to a chat track with Favreau, Downey and Jeff Bridges -- with maybe an alternate track for the producers / screenwriters / etc. -- but I can only assume those commentaries are being postponed for a later DVD. (And I checked: No commentaries on the Blu-Ray release either.)

So with that minor and very nerdly disappointment out of the way, I dug into the other stuff. And wouldn't you know it? The 2-disc Iron Man Special Edition is every bit the fantastic package that this movie deserves. Will the film warrant a big, fat THREE-discer once Iron Man 2 rolls around? Almost definitely. But that's a few years away, and for twenty bucks you can get a whole lot of Marvel-ous fun out of this set.

On disc one we have the 125-minute feature film in glorious 16x9 widescreen. Also included on this disc are about 18 minutes of deleted bits and extended scenes. Nothing too revelatory, but there are some nice exchanges and interesting takes here. Best of all, none of the excised sequences make you wanna smack someone and go "D'oh! That shoulda been in the movie!!" Plus we get a bunch of promos for Star Trek, Indiana Jones, The Incredible Hulk, and the animated series Iron Man: Armored Adventures.

Ahhh, but then we get to Disc Two!

Cinematical has been passed along these images which are making the rounds and demonstrate how Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather looks following a print restoration before its run at the New York Film Forum beginning tomorrow (the second one has been included after the jump).

Christopher Campbell made the initial mention of the plans for showing that film and Part II over the next few weeks, leading up to their Blu-Ray release on September 23rd (fans of Part III will just have to tough it out). Mind you, these comparsion shots are indicative of only the print, and not necessarily what those discs will look like.

Paramount family division Nickelodeon Movies is set to make feature films based on the cute and highly collectible toys manufactured by Kidrobot, according to Variety. The homogeneously shaped yet heterogeneously decorated toys, which are smooth, cartoon-like action figures adorned with limited-edition designs created by well-known international artists, are to star in a series of films mixing animation and live-action. The studio will work with Kidrobot owner W!LDBRAIN, the animation studio that also produces the show Yo Gabba Gabba! for Nick Jr., and original owner/creator Paul Budnitz, who still functions as president of Kidrobot. Two years ago, when W!LDBRAIN bought stake in Kidrobot, the company's main goal was to produce TV series, feature films and direct-to-video projects involving the toys.

Unlike many toys-turned-movies, though, the Munny and Dunny (and Labbit, etc.) figures from Kidrobot have no backstory, so producer Scott Aversano (Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events), who heads the Nickelodeon and MTV film labels, is seeking a screenwriter to come up with something involving kids who are somehow transported into the "edgy world" populated by the creatures.

Johnny Depp never forgets his director friends. According to Variety, he's teaming up again with his Pirates of the Caribbean main man, Gore Verbinski, for Paramount's animated feature Rango. The movie will realize the dreams of thousands (nay, millions) of women worldwide as it casts Depp in the role of household pet. He'll go on an adventure to discover his true self -- which, I think, involves discovering he is Johnny Depp, commander of women.

Verbinski cooked up the story himself, but gave the writing job to John Logan. He will direct the movie as a nice relaxing break from adapting Bioshock. Some of us do yoga, some of us direct Paramounts "most ambitious star-driven entry into animation."
The effects will be handled by ILM, who did such brilliant work on Pirates' Davy Jones. According to Verbinski himself, Rango will be using top-notch CG techniques "that will allow us to capture and translate every aspect of Johnny's performance, using it to drive the computer-generated character in a way that has yet to be seen in an animated feature." This sounds kind of terrifying to me -- Depp's household pet is left unspecified in the article, and I now have a vision of a dog or a turtle with Depp's face. Or they are going the Angelina Jolie / Beowulf route.

All joking aside, I do think another Depp and Verbinski pair-up can only yield good results -- and it will be fun to see (hear?) Depp do more voice work. The movie starts production this January, and is slated for a March 2011 release.