So we can cover as many films as possible, we thought we'd give you these quick updates on some of today's smaller film announcements...
Katherine Brooks (Waking Madison) has signed up to direct Freak, based on the life of jockey, Julie Krone. Brooks also wrote the script, based on Krone's autobigraphy, which details how she became the first (and still only) woman to win a Triple Crown race and also the female female jockey indicted in to National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Production is due to begin on the movie next April. (Source: Variety)
Dreamworks has hired Invictus and Sherlock Holmes screenwriter Anthony Peckham to write Deep Sea Cowboys, based on the true-life tale of a salvage crew trying to save a capsized Japanese cargo ship. Interestingly it seems the film will play out in real-time, concentrating on how a tightknit crew races to save the ship's dangerous cargo and claim its reward. Deep Sea Cowboys will be adapted from a Wired article by Joshua Davis. (Source: THR)
Producer Ryan Kavanaugh has confirmed that casting is underway of the planned reboot of The Crow franchise. When asked about casting plans, he says, "We’re looking. We’re in discussions… I think it’s something cool, we’re approaching it differently. It’s really a whole relaunch of the franchise, much more of a dark superhero type. It will be an actor you’ve heard of, yes. We’re not ruling anything out. We’re looking at both, with the very well known and the 'very talented but they may not be quite there yet'.” Although that covers just about everyone in Hollywood, Kavanuagh says that while the film doesn't have the greenlight yet, he expects everything to come together in the next few months. (Source: io9)
Emily Watson, David Wenham and Hugo Weaving have all signed up for Oranges and Sunshine, which is due to be the directorial debut of Jim Loach. The film is based on the true story of Margaret Humphreys, a social worker from Nottingham who uncovered a scandal surrounding the forced migration of children from across the U.K. to Australia. (Source: Variety)