* Carey Mulligan out, Rooney Mara in. Due to scheduling conflicts, Mulligan had to drop out of the upcoming romance film written and directed by Spike Jonze(Where the Wild Things Are). The still untitled project would feature a man who falls in love with a Siri-esque computer voice. Mara, who has moved from high profile director to high profile director, will join Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, and Samantha Morton. [Variety]
* Coming out of Sundance to mixed reviews but a lot of controversy, Spike Lee's Red Hook Summer has finally found a distributor and a release date. Variance Films, a newcomer on the scene, has picked up the rights with plans for a slow roll out beginning on August 10th. That means if it does well, expect to see it expand to greater territories. This is, unfortunately, par for the course even for a respected filmmaker like Lee, unless he's dabbling in mainstream stuff like Inside Man. The story follows an Atlanta teenager who heads to the Brooklyn borough to stay with his preacher uncle.
* Josh Duhamel is set to star Safe Haven, the latest, likely terrible, adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks novel. We learned last year that Lasse Hallstrom, who directed Dear John, based on another Sparks romance, will be behind the camera for this as well. The story follows a mysterious woman who arrives into a small North Carolina town(uggghhhh), and despite her stand offish demeanor, forges reluctant relationships with two very different men. Duhamel's character will be a widowed store owner with two children. The search for a female lead continues. [Variety]
