- If it’s hard to keep a good woman down, imagine how hard it is to stop a “Wonder Woman.” Answer: Really hard. When Joss Whedon’s pitch for a new big screen version was treated with all the respect of a Joss Whedon project, David E. Kelly stepped in and took it to TV … where everyone initially passed on it as well. But it all worked out when Kelly remembered that NBC is still technically in existence. That’s right, the people who brought you “The Cape” are going to bring you “Wonder Woman.” I wonder if they’ll rename it “Bracelets” or just “Boobs.”
- Speaking of where movie and TV news intersect: Steven Spielberg is getting his motorcycle ready and is loading it on the ramp backed up to the ocean. Why? I can only assume that the new hour-long musical drama (called “Smash”) he dreamed up and will be producing for (you guessed it) NBC may represent the actual moment that this nation’s passion for musical dramas jumps the shark. I was going to make a Jaws joke here, but let’s keep that good movie away from this bad idea.
- When I heard Will Smith was spearheading the attempt to rework the musical Annie into a vehicle for his hair-whipping daughter Willow to star in, I thought: this is the continuation of his plan to have his offspring inherit the world. Then I heard Jay-Z was in talks to redo all the music for it, and I thought: “Well, if we have to cede the world to the seed of Smith in order to get a Jay-Z musical, I think I’m good with that.” Sorry future generations who will inevitably bow before Jaden and Willow as though they were royalty, but I need me a Jay-Z musical version of Annie.
Cutting Room provides breaking local and national movie news … complete with added sarcasm. Send any relevant information to {encode=”film@thereader.com” title=”film@thereader.com”}. Check out Ryan on the radio on CD 105.9 (Fridays at around 7:30 a.m.), on his blog at thereader.com/film/C19 and on Twitter (twitter.com/thereaderfilm).