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Posters: One for the Steven Soderbergh-directed drama "Erin Brockovich," starring Julia Roberts. Also one for the courtroom drama "Rules of Engagement." Directed by William Friedkin ("The Exorcist"), this film stars Tommy Lee Jones, Samuel L. Jackson, Kim Delaney and Ben Kingsley.

Phone Booth: Will Smith is in talks to step inside Fox 2000's "Phone Booth" and grab the starring role. The picture is a thriller about a man who answers a random call at a phone booth and winds up the target of a sniper. According to Variety, Fox hopes to shoot before Smith starts work on the Muhammad Ali biopic. No director is currently attached.

Superman Lives: Oliver Stone ("Any Given Sunday") is circling Warner Bros.' "Superman." The new script by Bill Wisher ("T2") that has received thumbs-up from the studio has garnered the interest of the filmmaker. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the project is taking a different approach to the material - sans the tights and more "Matrix"-like.

Conspiracy: Rachael Leigh Cook ("She's All That") has signed to star in the love triangle thriller "Conspiracy," slated to begin shooting in May. The story begins when a young man is found bruised, beaten and stumbling down a secluded road. As the police try to work out what happened, the convoluted relationship between Cook's character and her two young suitors gradually emerges. Variety reports that Jay Lowi will direct the indie project from a script by Jeffrey Lieber.

Captain Corelli's Mandolin: Penelope Cruz ("All About My Mother") will join Nicolas Cage in the epic World War II romance "Captain Corelli's Mandolin." John Madden ("Shakespeare in Love") is directing the movie, which is based on Louis de Bernieres' bestselling novel set during the Italian occupation of the Greek island of Cephalonia. Cruz will play Pelagia, the Greek girl who wins the love of the soft-hearted Italian commander Corelli. Variety reports that shooting starts May 22 in Greece.

Ghost World: Steve Buscemi and Brad Renfro ("Apt Pupil") are set to star in United Artists' dark comedy "Ghost World" for director Terry Zwigoff ("Crumb"). Written by Zwigoff and Daniel Clowes from the latter's comic novella, "Ghost" tells the story of high school best friends (Thora Birch and Scarlett Johansson) whose lives take different directions as they get older. Buscemi plays a pathetic loser without a date since high school who is befriended by Birch. Renfro will portray an obnoxious slacker whom the girls have a crush on. According to The Hollywood Reporter, shooting is slated to begin next month.

Howard Hughes Biopic: The long-in-development biopic of billionaire tycoon Howard Hughes, which Michael Mann will direct with Leonardo DiCaprio starring, has landed a home at New Line Cinema. The news comes on the heels of Mann's commitment to helm another biopic, that of Muhammad Ali for Columbia Pictures. That project may start shooting as soon as July. Mann and DiCaprio had been looking to work together since the duo tried unsuccessfully to collaborate on a biopic of Hollywood legend James Dean years earlier. About a year ago, the duo began developing the Hughes project at Mann's Disney-based Forward Pass. Mann commissioned John Logan ("Any Given Sunday") to write the script. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the project will focus on Hughes' early years as a businessman, aviator and movie producer.

Doctor Strange: Writer-director Chuck Russell ("The Mask") has come aboard to develop Columbia Pictures' live-action film "Doctor Strange, Master of the Mystic Arts," based on the Marvel Comics superhero. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the comic book series, created by Stan Lee and developed by artist Steve Ditko, tells the story of a greedy and materialistic surgeon who injures his hands in a car accident. In an effort to heal them, Dr. Stephen Strange seeks out a powerful magician in the Far East. After learning to set aside his selfishness, Strange becomes the magician's apprentice, which puts him at odds with Baron Mordo, an earlier evil apprentice. In time, Strange becomes the Sorcerer Supreme, setting up headquarters in New York's Greenwich Village, where he guards Earth from supernatural forces and Mordo's determination to destroy him.

Traffic: Harrison Ford has abruptly dropped out of "Traffic" a week after he committed to star in the Steven Soderbergh-directed film. Sources close to the actor said he will opt to star in an action film instead.. The start date for the near-$40 million-budgeted film was set for April 2. According to The Hollywood Reporter, some of the actors said to be interested in the role include Al Pacino, Kevin Costner and Tommy Lee Jones.

Fantastic Four: Seems like Roger Donaldson ("Dante's Peak") might have signed on to helm the "Fantastic Four" project, according to a Variety article. Last year, Raja Gosnell ("Never Been Kissed") was reported as the frontrunner for the director's chair. Thanks to Stax.

Bridget Jones' Diary: Renee Zellweger ("Jerry Maguire") will star in the upcoming comedy "Bridget Jones' Diary," an adaptation of the Helen Fielding bestseller about a single girl in her 30s. Zellweger is working with a dialogue coach to play the role with a British accent. Variety reports that the Working Title picture will be directed by Sharon Maguire from a screenplay by Richard Curtis ("Notting Hill"), Helen Fielding and Andrew Davies.

Chocolat: Johnny Depp ("Sleepy Hollow") is set to star opposite Juliette Binoche in Miramax Films' romantic comedy "Chocolat," for director Lasse Hallström ("The Cider House Rules"). Depp and Binoche will team in the tale of a woman who opens a chocolate shop that has a liberating effect on the mind-set of the locals. Robert Nelson Jacob adapted the best-selling novel by Joanne Harris. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the pic is slated to begin shooting this fall.

A Beautiful Mind: Robert Redford has committed to direct the biopic feature "A Beautiful Mind." Tom Cruise is in talks to star in the potential Oscar-worthy role. The project, based on Sylvia Nassar's book, tells the true story of John Forbes Nash Jr., a mathematical genius with matinee-idol looks who suffered from schizophrenia but miraculously recovered and later received a Nobel Prize. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Redford is in negotiations for a possible fall start on "Mind."

Enigma: Kate Winslet is in negotiations to star in Intermedia Films' historical drama "Enigma" for director Michael Apted. Winslet plays the lead female role in "Enigma," based on Robert Harris' best-selling novel of the same name and set in Britain's historical code-breaking country house Bletchly Park. The script by Tom Stoppard and Hannah Weg cq tells the story of a brilliant young man (Scott) who races against time to break a German code and solve a mystery. According to The Hollywood Reporter, shooting is slated to begin in London this spring with Dougray Scott and Saffron Burrows also starring.

Champs: Renny Harlin and Sylvester Stallone ("Cliffhanger") may reteam on the Stallone-penned action vehicle "Champs" for Franchise Pictures, according to The Hollywood Report. The tentatively titled "Champs" has been described as "Rocky" at an open-wheel auto racetrack. "It's the most brilliant screenplay since 'Rocky,' " Franchise topper Elie Samaha said. The project, which sources indicated is budgeted at more than $70 million, is targeted for an early July start.

Morton Orwell: Sylvester Stallone (again) is set to star as a criminal on the run in an upcoming thriller from the indie production house Seven Arts International. In "Morton Orwell" (otherwise known as "Confidence"), Stallone takes the title role of a suave and sophisticated bank robber, chased by both an FBI agent and a sworn enemy, and manipulated, it seems, by a rogue intelligence officer. The fast-paced screenplay by Simon Davis Barry, which keeps Orwell always one step ahead of the game, made the project one of the bigger buzzes being parlayed at last year's film markets. Variety reports that a female lead, playing Orwell's love interest, has yet to be cast.

Harry Potter: Steven Spielberg will not direct the first installment of a feature franchise based on the hugely popular "Harry Potter" children's books. Spielberg didn't say exactly what his next project would be.. When it comes to who will direct Potter, Warners is mute. However, Variety reports that the list of would-be directors includes Brad Silberling ("City of Angels"), Jonathan Demme ("Beloved"), Chris Columbus ("Bicentennial Man"), Mike Newell ("Pushing Tin"), Rob Reiner ("The Story of Us") and Tim Robbins ("Cradle Will Rock"). Warner Bros. is eyeing "Potter" as the tentpole release for summer 2001.

Jumanji 2: Director Ken Ralston has exited Columbia Pictures' long-in-the works sequel, citing creative differences with the studio. The project, which still could start shooting in the fall as planned, would have marked the visual effects guru's directorial debut. According to The Hollywood Reporter, scribes Jonathan Hensleigh and David Ward took passes at the script, which will go through further tweaking before the cameras roll.

Queen of the Damned: Wes Bentley ("American Beauty") is circling Warner Bros. vampire drama "Queen of the Damned," based on the novel by Anne Rice. Bentley would play Lestat (the same character Tom Cruise portrayed in "Interview With the Vampire"). According to The Hollywood Reporter, "Damned" follows Lestat as he becomes a rock star whose music wakes up the Queen of all vampires. In the process, a young woman who works as a vampire hunter falls in love with him.

Big Trouble: Barry Sonnenfeld ("Men in Black") will direct "Big Trouble" at the Walt Disney Co. Based on a novel by humorist Dave Barry, "Trouble'' is an ensemble comedy about how a bomb in a suitcase changes the lives of a divorced dad, an unhappy housewife, two teenagers, two hit men, two street thugs, two FBI men and a toad. The New York Times bestseller was adapted by Matt Stone and Rob Ramsey ("Life"). Variety reports that production is set to begin during the summer in Miami.

Ali: Michael Mann ("The Insider") has committed to direct Will Smith in Columbia Pictures' biopic "Ali." Written by Stephen Rivele and Christopher Wilkinson ("Nixon"), "Ali" follows the boxer's early days as Cassius Clay and his rise not only in sports but in politics. Ali was stripped of his heavyweight title after refusing on religious grounds to fight in the Vietnam War. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the script also depicts Ali's comeback battles against Joe Frazier and George Foreman. The project, eight years in the works, could start shooting as soon as July for release in summer 2001.

The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys: Jodie Foster will play a one-legged nun in "The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys," a drama slated for a March 1 start. The $15-20 million film revolves around a gang of Catholic school friends who are caught drawing an obscene comic book and rebel by planning a heist designed to make them local legends. Foster's character, Sister Ascension, will be a supporting player. Award-winning video and commercials director Peter Care will direct "Dangerous," which will also include animated sequences provided by Emmy award-winning director Todd McFarlane ("Spawn"). Variety reports that Jeff Stockwell and Michael Petroni adapted the screenplay rom the 1994 novel of the same name by Chris Fuhrman.

Planet of the Apes: Tim Burton is in final negotiations to take the helm of 20th Century Fox's "Planet of the Apes," an edgy remake of the 1968 classic. Burton emerged as the front-runner late last week for the long-in-development project, and the two sides have now agreed on all the major points of the contract, THR states. The deal is expected to be signed off today. Fox is targeting a July 4th 2001 release for the film, which means that the process of making the movie would have to begin immediately.

Steven Spielberg may soon announce plans for his next movie. Though Spielberg was adamant late last week he still hadn't decided, insiders said it's likely that his next film will be "Minority Report," and that he won't direct Harry Potter.. More >>>

One Too Many: Producer Doug Wick ("Stuart Little") and partner/wife Lucy Fisher are developing "One Too Many," a project inspired loosely by Columbia's 1940 romantic comedy "Too Many Husbands." According to The Hollywood Reporter, the writing team of David Diamond and David Weissman will be paid a high-six figure sum for creating an original romantic comedy using "Husbands" as a template.

Smoke and Mirrors: Initial Entertainment Group has acquired the rights to the script "Smoke and Mirrors" as a potential starring vehicle for Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Lee and Janet Scott Batchler ("Batman Forever") wrote this action-adventure script. The project could go into production as soon as year's end, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "Mirrors" is based on the true story of 19th century illusionist Jean Robert-Houdin and his pretty young sidekick, Collette, who are sent to Algeria by the French government to expose a religious sorcerer who is inciting an anti-colonial revolution.

Harvard Man: James Toback's semi-autobiographical feature film "Harvard Man" seems to be coming together after about five years in development with Sarah Michelle Gellar ("Buffy") slated to take one of the starring roles. Toback will direct from his script, which is a contemporary story based in part on his own 1960s misadventures, including an LSD overdose that occurred while he was a student at Harvard. The story also revolves around sex, philosophy and basketball game fixing. Gellar will star as a young Harvard philosophy professor who has an affair with a student basketball player, a role Toback once wanted Leonardo DiCaprio (pre-"Titanic") to play. According to The Hollywood Reporter, a spring start date is being eyed.

Dungeons & Dragons: DNDmovie.com has added 5 new promo pictures, including new shots of Thora Birch as Empress Savina, Jeremy Irons, Bruce Payne, and Richard O'Brien as the guildmaster of thieves. Click on the image above to check out the full-sized versions. Thanks to Donsimus.

The Sixth Day: A review of the Nov. 18th 1999 revised draft for the upcoming sci-fi/action flick "(On) The Sixth Day," starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Some spoilers are included. Thanks to Stax.

The Sixth Day - Script Review (Mixed/Negative)

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