* One other franchise film left reeling in the wake of Paul Walker's death was Agent 47, a reboot/sequel of 2007's Hitman. Rupert Friend came aboard to play the titular bar-coded mercenary, and now Spock himself, Zachary Quinto, has joined the cast. Directed by Alexsander Bach with a script by Skip Woods and Michael Finch, the video game adaptation is expected to get in front of cameras next month. [Deadline]
* While we wait to see if Forest Whitaker will direct a Waiting to Exhale sequel, his last trip behind the camera was 2004's Katie Holmes comedy, First Daughter. Remember that? Yeah, that was Whitaker. But now he's moving forward with a project that's real and happening, as he'll adapt, direct, and star in The Shack, an adaptation of William P. Young's novel. The story centers on "a man whose youngest daughter is abducted during a family vacation, with evidence found in an abandoned shack leading authorities to believe she was murdered. Four years later, the man receives a note, apparently from God, inviting him back to the shack and, against his better judgement, he accepts the invitation and finds something there that will change his life forever."
Jessica Alba will play one of The Wright Girls in the upcoming comedy directed by Entourage star, Kevin Connolly. Based on the Japanese film, 2LDK, the film follows "costars of a past-its-prime sitcom who are roommates in real life. They go from best friends to worst enemies over the course of a single night when they realize they are both up for the same lead role in a big movie." Andy Fickman had been slated to direct at one point, and Gemma Arterton and Megan Fox were attached but neither seems to be involved any longer. [Variety]
