Stitched In

This is a moral fable, of a sort.

When America Ferrera signed to star in Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants, she also signed an option for a sequel. Essentially, that means the producers can force her into making a second film. Now she's Ugly Betty, she's very popular and she's not really looking for a Sisterhood sequel.

The film's producers don't agree, they're exercising their option, and America is cornered. She's going to have to show up, or cough up. Of course, her new found fame is virually the entire reason this seuqel exists in the first place.

I'm thinking Ferrera will do the film, hardly invest herself in it, and pray that Ugly Betty maintains momentum - or, if she's smarter, she'll do the film, really do her best to turn in a blinding performance, and try to sign for some other, better films as soon as she can. That way, she's got a safety net for when Ugly Betty - maybe not quite as ridiculously repetitive as my US TV fave, House, but one tenth as well written and about one hundredth as interesting - inevitably falters.

Sanna Hamri is to direct these new travels of the Pants. She's a truly woeful music video director and, according to reviews, her feature debut Something New shows even less aptitude. Ken Kwapis directed the first Travelling Pants episode but he's doing okay, thank you, with the flattering cast and material of The Office and high-profile hype of License to Wed, so there's little wonder he's not coming back to play second fiddle to America Ferrera, freshly minted movie star.