* Tommy Lee Jones has always been something of a throwback, a grizzled cowboy no matter what the role calls for. And looking at the films he's chosen to direct, they fit that his personality like a glove. So it's probably no surprise to learn he'll be writing and directing a remake of 1972's The Cowboys, which starred John Wayne as a rancher abandoned by his experienced ranch hands before the most important cattle drive of his life. Hiring untested schoolboys to take their place, they experience hardships, life lessons, and the constant threat of a scorned nemesis.
* Although Emma Watson and Bella Heathcote were reportedly up for the role, it's British actress Sophie Cookson who has landed the female lead in Matthew Vaughn's The Secret Service. Based on the comic by Kick-Ass creator Mark Millar, the film stars Colin Firth as a British super spy who must teach his nephew the ways of MI6 while on a dangerous mission. Cookson joins a cast that includes Samuel L. Jackson, Taron Egerton, and Michael Caine. Sorry Taylor Swift fans, but it seems as if you can't believe every tabloid spread. The Secret Service opens on November 14th 2014. [Variety]
* Ice Cube's angry Captain Dickson may have been the best thing about 21 Jump Street, which is really saying something, so it was unimaginable moving forward on a sequel without him. Fortunately it's not going to be an issue as THR says Cube will be joining Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill for 22 Jump Street, and hopefully he'll bring Korean Jesus with him. Plot details are still unknown for the June 13th 2014 release, but the bumbling undercover cops will be moving up to bust college crime.
