We've had superheroes who actually hold some sort of power, and we've had normal folks pretending their super, but how about possible delusion, or secret superhero traits that lead you to spell poorly? As The Hollywood Reporter posts, Woody Harrelson and Sandra Oh are starring in a new film called Defendor, and Playlist-loving Kat Dennings is looking to join in on the fun. Woody will play a man who thinks he has a secret superhero identity, while Oh plays his shrink and Dennings would play a teen he becomes friends with. As a superhero, what sort of powers would suit Woody best? Leaping over buildings in a single bound? Tingling Spider sense? Stay tuned!

In the rumor realm, we've got buzz bubbling about a third Coco Chanel project (like two aren't enough). Beyond the TV movie with Shirley MacLaine and the feature with Audrey Tatou, The Guardian posts that there might be a third starring, believe it or not, Demi Moore. I guess the look is right, but could Mrs. Kutcher pull off a period piece -- one focused on an icon no less? (And just in case Coco isn't enough for you, the report also states that there are rumors about Vivienne Westwood and Kate Moss heading to the big screen.) *UPDATE: Westwood is on her way, with Kate Winslet signed to play the icon.

Now this next bit isn't exactly casting news, but it could become that -- Variety reports that Kevin Bacon is executive producing a new series for Showtime that dips into the life of Honest Abe's infamous assassin, John Wilkes Booth. Considering how well John Adams did, I wouldn't be surprised if Bacon grabs Booth's role for himself. There's a fair likeness.

Plus: Ex-Boston Legal star Rhona Mitra is heading to Separation City, and the ever lovely Beth Grant is dabbing in Extract.

In one corner, we have Toni Collette and Philip Seymour Hoffman (doesn't that sound good already?). The Hollywood Reporter posts that PSH has just signed his voice up to star opposite Collette in Mary and Max, a claymation project from Down Under. Sort of like a claymation version of Love Letters, the film focuses on two penpals who foster a friendship over 20 years while one lives in Australia and the other in the US. I don't know if this is a tale of classic pen to paper, or something a little more modern with late-night Internet session while one goes to bed and the other rises. To make things even more interesting -- it's the feature debut for Harvie Krumpet Oscar winners Adam Elliot and Melanie Coombs.

In the other corner, there's one of the strangest couplings I've read in a while -- Helen Hunt and Liev Schreiber. Variety reports the pair are starring in a new drama called Every Day. What's weird -- they're playing a "couple whose marriage is strained to the breaking point." Nip/Tuck's Richard Levine will make his feature directorial debut with the film, which starts production in New York this month. I don't know why, but this pairing just seems really strange. They're not far off in age, so who knows?

Weigh in below: Which pair do you want to see more?

There's a new biopic finally gaining steam that hasn't been mentioned on Cinematical before -- HBO's Temple Grandin project. Back in August, Claire Danes signed on, and now The Hollywood Reporter posts that David Strathairn, Julia Ormond, and Catherine O'Hara have joined the cast.

Temple Grandin is a 61-year-old woman with autism known to be one of the leading voices in autism advocacy. As a child, she was derided by her classmates for being different -- nicknamed "tape recorder" because of her tendency to repeat things numerous times. But bursting out of that, Grandin went to college and eventually earned a PhD in animal science, ultimately becoming an advocate of humane slaughterhouses as well -- an ideal candidate to show both the struggles and successes that can come from autism.

A passion project that's been in the works for almost a decade, filming begins this month in Austin with Danes playing Grandin, while Strathairn plays her university science teacher, Ormond will play her mother, and O'Hara, her aunt. It's a great story to see come to fruition, and with this cast, I'm hoping for good things -- Danes breaking out of that older seductress habit, O'Hara getting a chance to be serious. Ormond is good and, well, Strathairn always ups the ante. Thoughts?

Oh yes, we're getting more Cats & Dogs, and this time around, the film will be led by the nipply Robin (Chris O'Donnell) and the largest smile of innocence -- 30 Rock's Jack McBrayer. The Hollywood Reporter posts that both actors have picked up leads in the next installment -- Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore. Get the pun? It's so Bondish. I wonder if the feline will be accompanied by abrocats.

Anyhow, in this installment, the felines and canines continue to battle for control of Earth, but that's all we're getting. The IMDb says the two actors will play "Shane" and "Chuck," but that's it. That being said, it's not too hard to imagine McBrayer's role in this, if he continues with the soft, goofy innocence.

Still, I just can't get behind this premise. I mean, between Bengals that act like dogs and could lay the smackdown, and laser cats, those dogs would be TOAST. Easily. Well, maybe that super-scary dog would level the playing field...

Love her, hate her, envy her or worship her, fact is Megan Fox sells sex with the best of them. She may not be in line for an Oscar nod anytime soon, but she knows what her greatest assets are and is more than willing to flaunt the hell out of them if it means another starring role in a big Hollywood film. And that's what we're here to talk about (I think), as Now Magazine claims Fox has nabbed a lead role in the big-screen comic adaptation of Fathom -- and, luckily, this is one role where clothes are definitely optional.

In Fathom (which has been in development for some time, and is now apparently over at Fox Atomic), Fox would play Aspen Matthews, an amnesiac girl who's discovered and adopted by a naval officer vacationing on a cruise line out at sea. Eventually we learn Aspen isn't just some regular girl, but instead a member of a race of aquatic humanoids called the Blue who, somehow, can control water. So she's not a mermaid, and this isn't a remake of Splash (though I think I'd like to see a remake of Splash, maybe ...), but like any comic, it has its good guys, its villains, its intrigue and its adventure. And if Fox can film the whole thing half naked, then it's also a big box office draw.

More on this project as it develops. Who's up for a little underwater action with Ms. Fox?



[Thanks Cinemablend and IESB]

I'm finally writing a post here that my sister will read. You see, she adores Russell Brand almost as much as Brand adores Cinematical and Scott Weinberg (see image above as proof of this fact). Maybe even more, because unlike most Americans, she was avidly following his British career via his podcast and BBC America. There have been many humbling moments in my Cinematical salad days, but none quite so humiliating as when I told her Brand was in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. "I know. I followed the filming on his podcast." At least Weinberg promptly humiliated her by getting all cozy with her favorite Englishman.

As my sister wasn't one of the casting directors for Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Brand had to make an audition tape to convince them of his weirdly-coiffed worthiness. In honor of its DVD release, MTV has the exclusive, and I've embedded it below for your viewing pleasure. And if you're like my sibling and can't get enough, I've also included the karaoke version of his in-film music video, Infant Sorrow.

5-1 my sister writes "I've already seen both of those videos" in the comments. Hopefully, you'll be more appreciative.

If you're not so thrilled with the peeks of Hilary Swank as Amelia Earhart, or her collection of more recent comedic fare, read on -- the Oscar-winning actress is taking another trip into the realm of the serious. Variety reports that Swank is going to star in a new film called Betty Anne Waters.

Based on a true story, Swank gets to be a high school dropout who is convinced that her brother has been wrongfully convicted of murder. Rather than just whipping up buzz for her family member, she decides to take action. "In between raising kids and waiting tables, she worked her way through college and law school so she could represent her brother after he'd used up his attempts to appeal his conviction through public defenders." That's certainly one way to help!

While Swank's more recent interests haven't proved all that exciting, this project is sounding pretty intriguing. Added bonus: Tony Goldwyn, who's been busy lately directing TV episodes for shows like The L Word and Dexter, is directing the film. In fact, he's been working to get this made ever since the real story wrapped up in 2001 (on, of all days, September 11). At one point, Naomi Watts was attached, but now we get Swank.

Could this bring the actress Oscar #3?

Is Jack Black replacing Matt Damon in the Bourne franchise? Thankfully, no, however The Hollywood Reporter tells us the funnyman has teamed back up with Kung Fu Panda writers Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger for a live-action comedic take on The Bourne Identity. In the film, Black will play some dude who washes up on the shores of Cuba with no memory of who he is or how he got there. Of course, he automatically believes he's a superspy (thanks Hollywood!), though nothing could be further from the truth. Sounds like a funny premise -- but is Black the right one for the role?

Meanwhile, Sky High's plant-loving sidekick, Danielle Panabaker, is going back to school. According to The Hollywood Reporter, she'll star in Chuck Russell's upcoming sci-fi action film called Prodigy. Based on Dave Kalstein's book, the film focuses on an elite prep school that takes teaching to the extreme -- they make students into geniuses with a "drug-and-diet regimen." Panabaker will play the smartie daughter of a senator who questions the powers that be. This might be particularly bad for those powers since, as Publisher's Weekly describes it, the conditioning makes these kids "ninja-assassin geniuses."

Last but not least, there's the talented Michael Sheen. Putting aside retro politics and The Music Within, Variety reports that the actor has picked up two new gigs. First, there's Sam Jackson's Unthinkable, which dips into the ethics of torture and terrorism, and then comes a little Alice in Wonderland. Unfortunately, there's zip-all on who he's playing in these films. At least that leaves us free to speculate -- who on Earth will Sheen be in the world of Mad Hatters and White Rabbits?! Not Tweedledee and Tweedledum -- that's Matt Lucas, it seems.

Happy New Year to all my brothers and sisters. May 5769 kick a whole lot more ass than 5768. While over 98% of Hollywood takes the day off, here's what's happening:

Variety reports that Michael Bay has taken a page from Christopher Nolan and will shoot "at least three action set pieces" using IMAX cameras during Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Usually I'd reserve this spot for a Bay joke, but I truly think this is a great thing for a film like Transformers. The action scenes in the last one felt claustrophobic (especially toward the end), and so utilizing IMAX would allow Bay and Co. to open it up and really have fun with the thing. Visually, this could add a lot to the film. Hopefully they'll use it for some massive robot battle. Other films also mentioned in the article as possible contenders for a similar IMAX approach include Iron Man 2 and Y: The Last Man.

Looks like the old gang is making a play for Spider-Man 4 (and 5?), as Kirsten Dunst told MTV that she's "in" when asked whether she'd be returning to the mega-franchise as Peter Parker's old lady, Mary Jane. However, she did follow that up with "I'm not saying anything. I know there's rumors ..." -- which, in actor-speak, means "We're still negotiating and I'm not really allowed to open my big mouth." I'd expect a big announcement soon stating the return of Sam Raimi, Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst for a back-to-back shoot of Spider-Man 4 and 5.

Thomas Dekker (aka that dude who stars in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) is in talks to snag a lead role in MGM's remake of Fame, so says The Hollywood Reporter. The original 1980 film, which was nominated for six Oscars, follows several aspiring young performers and teachers at the prestigious New York Academy of Performing Arts. Considering the times we live in, I envision this update to feel like a mix between Step Up, You Got Served and American Idol: The Movie.

Much more after the jump ...

The wires (yes, I still think of them like that) were buzzing all weekend with MTV's big scoop -- that while Russell Crowe and Ridley Scott were out promoting Body of Lies, the network cornered them about the long-delayed Nottingham, Scott's revisionist Robin Hood story. There have been a lot of names attached to the role of Robin Hood, ranging from Christian Bale to newcomer Sam Riley.

Forget all of that because now, from Scott himself, comes the announcement that Crowe will be playing both roles. Mum on the details, the director would only say it was "a good old clever adjustment of characters. One becomes the other. It changes." I would take that to mean that the Sheriff of Nottingham becomes Robin Hood after having to steal from the poor one too many times ... or they're twins, which would be pretty lame, especially for Scott and Crowe.

But wait -- there's more! CHUD points out that in reading the original screenplay, they noticed the Sheriff was caught between a tyrant king and a less-than-heroic Robin Hood. Nothing in this script indicated the Sheriff and Robin Hood could be played by the same actor. Now, Brian Helgeland came in and did a rewrite, and much depends on that.

The medievalist in me suspects this is less shockingly revisionist than a return to the old medieval legends, where Robin Hood was merely an outlaw who beheaded people from time to time, not the Robin of Locksley we all know and love. It's a pretty flexible legend, and I'm very anxious to see what Scott does with it ... when it finally heads into production, that is.