Youth Without Youth And The Temple Of Doom

UA are bidding for Francis Frod Copolla's Youth Without Youth - yet another shrewd move on Cruise/Wagner's part. This will win them kudos and, as the film only had a $5 million budget, they would have got it cheap.

According to one exec who saw the film, it was like "an arty Raiders of the Lost Ark" - but if that doesn't sound bad enough, check out Variety's plot summary:

...a 70-year-old who is struck by lightning and suddenly gets younger and more brilliant. His quest: to understand the origin of language and consciousness. By movie's end, he and the love of his life... are literally speaking in tongues.

Tim Roth is playing the 70-year old man, at least when 'younger and more brilliant'; Alexandra Maria Lara the love of his life.

ReUnited Artists

The Cruise/Wagner UA have greenlit their sophomore effort, and it looks like a doozy. As yet untitled, the film is a World War 2 thriller with a screenplay by Christopher McQuarrie - and is to be directed by Brian Singer. Round up The Usual Suspects indeed.

Apparently, Singer and McQuarrie went directly to Cruise and Wagner who stumped up the bucks without missing a heartbeat. Wise.

Of course, this stalls Singer's Harvey Milk biopic The Mayor of Castro Street, as well as his Superman Returns sequel - perhaps even killing it outright. Only time will tell, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Warners appoint a different director to Superman now.

Singer's Football Wives pilot is well underway, however, and should air later this year.