* Last fall, David Slade decided that directing one YA flick in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse wasn't enough, and became set to helm Disney's adaptation of Ally Condie's sci-fi series, Matched. But a deal couldn't be struck, and now THR says G.I. Joe: Retaliation and Step Up 3 director Jon Chu is on board. The first of a trilogy, the story is set in a future society(aren't they all??) where all free choice has been removed, even who one can love. That is until a girl rebels against the system and falls in love with a man she's not supposed to be with. The script was written by Michelle and Kieran Mulroney (Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows), who obviously know a thing or two about franchises.
* Jeremy Renner's 2013 won't be feature quite the same number of blockbusters as last year, but it's still looking pretty strong. He'll be starring opposite Christian Bale and Bradley Cooper in David O. Russell's untitled Abscam flick, and now he's just added a new project to be directed by Michael Cuesta(12 and Holding). Renner will star in Kill the Messenger, based on the true story of journalist Gary Webb who was smeared by the government and ultimately committed suicide after he linked the CIA to a cocaine smuggling operation and a plot to arm Contra rebels in Nicaragua. The film is based on two books, Kill the Messenger: How the CIA’s Crack-Cocaine Controversy Destroyed Journalist Gary Webb, and Gary Webb's own Dark Alliance: The CIA, the Contras, and the Crack Cocaine Explosion. Peter Landesman (Parkland) will adapt the script, with production set to begin this summer. Finally, Renner is back to actually having a chance to act again. He hasn't really had to do it since The Town. [Deadline]
* You may or may not recall that last November we learned of a promising comedy titled The Other Woman, which was notable only in that Cameron Diaz and Kristen Wiig were circling the two lead roles. We didn't anything else about it until now, with Nick Cassavetes now in line to direct. Assuming Diaz comes aboard, she'll be reuniting with her My Sister's Keeper director, a possibility that doesn't excite me in the least. Written by Melissa Stack, the story follows a woman who realizes her boyfriend is actually married, then teams up with his wife to get revenge. Diaz and Wiig would make a pretty formidable comedic pair, but Cassavetes' films always lean towards the manipulative. Couldn't they find somebody else for this job? [Variety]
