* Jennifer Connelly has been out of the spotlight for awhile, even though she's continued to have strong performances in films like The Dilemma and Virginia. But with Darren Aronofsky's Noah on the way, she's definitely stepping back into roles that people will actually have a chance to see. She'll next join the cast of Winter's Tale, the directorial debut of superstar scribe/producer Akiva Goldsman. Based on Mark Helprin's acclaimed fantasy novel, the story follows a petty thief(Colin Farrell) who falls in love with the terminally ill daughter(Jessica Brown Findlay) of a millionaire(William Hurt) while breaking into their home. Connelly will play the girl's mother, with Matt Bomer, Lucy Griffiths, and Eva Marie Saint co-starring. Russell Crowe and Will Smith are in line for cameos. [Deadline]
* Ben Affleck and the gritty, hard-scrabble crime novels of Dennis Lehane have proven to be a successful mix in the past with Gone Baby Gone, so it's no surprise the director is looking to go to the well one more time. Affleck is in talks to write, produce, direct, and star in the author's latest book, Live By Night. You might recall that Leonardo DiCaprio was attached to it back in April, but he'll instead produce through his Appian Way shingle. Set in Prohibition-era Boston, the story follows Joe Coughlin, the son of a police officer who embarks on career in organized crime that takes him from his hometown to Tampa to Cuba. Affleck has a ton of projects on the backburner, so it's hard to tell where exactly this one will fit in, but it sounds great already and certainly right in his wheelhouse. [Deadline]
* In the works since freaking 2010, Warner Bros. has finally given the green light to Grudge Match, the boxing comedy that will star Sylvester "Rocky" Stallone and Robert "Raging Bull"De Niro as two aging fighters who plan one final fight to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their first epic clash. But since somebody has to under the age of 100 in this thing, Kevin Hart has been added as the fight's promoter. Directed by Peter Segal(The Longest Yard) and written by Entourage creator Doug Ellin, I'm getting a Great White Hype vibe off of this one. That's a good thing, by the way. Think of how awesome the marketing for this film will be! [Deadline]
