* The surging Elle Fanning, who had a banner 2011 I might add, is set to star in an adaptation of Kevin Henkes' young adult novel, Olive's Ocean. The story centers on a teen who goes on "summer of soul searching after discovering that a classmate who recently died in a tragic accident had secretly hoped to become her friend." There are two major roles in the film, that of Martha Boyle and Olive Barstow, and it's unclear which part Fanning will be playing. I'm assuming it will be Martha, who comes to discover that she and Olive share a secret that binds them together. Christina Hammonds Reed will write the script, but there are no details on a start date. [Deadline]
* So far, the combination of directors Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden are batting 1.000. They burst onto the scene with Half Nelson in 2006, then followed it up with Sugar and the underrated It's Kind of a Funny Story. Now they're hoping to find even greater success with Jake Gyllenhaal, as the actor is set to co-star in Mississippi Grind. The film follows a struggling gambler facing mounting debt, who teams up with a gambling addict(Gyllenhaal) to try and change his luck by going on a road trip with plans of winning back everything he lost. The search is now on for who will take the lead, described as a plum role for an actor in their forties. As usual, Fleck and Boden will be directing based on their own screenplay. [THR]
* Of all the comedies I'm looking forward to next year, The F Word has to be at the top of the list. Starring Zoe Kazan and Daniel Radcliffe the film has the former Harry Potter star as a guy who enters into a platonic relationship with a girl he's in love with. Adam Driver(Girls) joined the cast a couple of weeks ago, and now today sees the addition of Rafe Spall(Prometheus) and Megan Park(Charlie Bartlett). Michael Dowse(Goon) will direct, with filming to take place soon in Toronto. [THR]
