the industry

Jessica Biel Books a Seat on the Invisible Jet

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Biel Lassos Justice?: Jessica Biel is in negotiations to join Warner Bros. multi-superhero epic Justice League of America in the iconic role of Wonder Woman, thus guaranteeing that the target audience will stay home in droves, waiting for the JPEGs to turn up online. [Variety]

Eastwood, Damon Factor Into Mandela Film: Clint Eastwood may direct The Human Factor, fact-based drama about the historic Rugby World Cup in 1995, the first year South Africa was permitted to rejoin the competition after the fall of apartheid. Matt Damon is in early talks to come aboard as the captain of the rugby team, joining Morgan Freeman, who is already signed to play Nelson Mandela. Sheesh, if this deal comes together, can’t we just go ahead and have the 2009 Oscars now? [Variety]

Spacey Demands Recount: Kevin Spacey joins the cast of HBO Films’ Recount in the role of Ron Klain, Al Gore’s former chief of staff and one of the attorneys who led the challenge against the disputed Florida voting results in the 2000 presidential election. We were sort of hoping for casting that might lean more toward farce, like, say, Cheri Oteri as Katherine Harris. [Variety]

Paulson Shows Spirit: In a bid to remind audiences that she wasn’t annoying before Studio 60, Sarah Paulson joins Frank Miller’s directorial debut, Will Eisner’s The Spirit, as the true love of the hero (Gabriel Macht), who is tempted by femmes fatales Eva Mendes and Scarlett Johansson. [HR]

Khan Rested, Ready to Funk This: Chaka Khan returns with her first solo album in more than a decade when Funk This drops today. She has already promised to retire from R&B if she doesn’t outsell Jody Watley this week. [Billboard]

Jessica Biel Books a Seat on the Invisible Jet