The Bulletin: M. Night Shyamalan's Next

M. Night Shyamalan's next apocalyptic thriller, "The Happening," about a cataclysmic environmental crisis that positions man at war with nature, has been given a green light at 20th Century Fox, reports Variety. In January, executives in Hollywood weren't immediately in awe of the auteur's initial draft, so Shyamalan wrote a comprehensive revamp, per script notes, with a new title. Formerly known as "The Green Effect," "The Happening" will secure an R rating, Shyamalan's first. Sam Mercer and Berry Mendel ("The Sixth Sense") will produce with Shyamalan, and production will begin in Philadelphia in August with a budget of about $57 million. Shyamalan, the modern illusionist with a spooky gift (some say sixth sense, others say a routine) to rig, with expert and hypnotic stagecraft, a supernatural thriller with a profound revelation, could desperately use a rapturous hit in the wake of "Lady in the Water," an infamous miscalculation.

No More "Spider-Man" for Maguire
"It feels like a trilogy to me and it feels like the end," Tobey Maguire told Queensland, Australia's The Courier-Mail in response to a question about the actor's possible return for a fourth installment of "Spider-Man." "To me it seems like this is a natural point for the team to break up because we have a lot of story conclusions that were going along for the main characters for the first two movies and we kind of tie almost everything up for the third movie," Maguire said.

Snyder Throws a "Punch"
Zack Snyder ("300," "Dawn of the Dead") will develop "Sucker Punch," a bizarre thriller in which a young girl, in the captivity of a mental institution to undergo a lobotomy, devises an escape plan out of her own escapist imagination. reports The Hollywood Reporter. Snyder will co-write the script, an adaptation of the auteur's short story, with Steve Shibuya, produce with wife Deborah Snyder, a production partner in Zack's Cruel and Unusual Films, and possibly direct. Snyder's next, "Watchmen," an adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' graphic miniseries, will begin production in the summer.

Brosnan Joins Streep in "Mamma Mia!"
Pierce Brosnan will star with Meryl Streep in "Mamma Mia!," an adaptation of the phenomenal Broadway musical, for Universal Pictures, reports Variety. Brosnan has been cast as Sam, one of a trio of potential fathers to Sophie, a young woman about to declare "I do," but uncertain of the identity of her biological father. For Brosnan, the opportunity to sing such ABBA standards as "S.O.S." was irresistible. "I said yes right away because it meant working with Meryl Streep," Brosnan told Variety. "Secondly, I saw the show with my family in London, and found it just so wonderfully happy and joyful, and so pitched in time forever in the 1970s. What a kick in the pants, to be able to go off and spend time with Meryl on some Greek island, singing ABBA songs." Streep will star as Donna Sheridan, Sophie's mother. Phyllida Lloyd, director of the London and New York stage productions of "Mamma Mia!," will direct from Catherine Johnson's script. Judy Craymer of Littlestar, and Gary Goetzman and Tom Hanks of Playtone will produce. Rita Wilson, with ABBA's Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, will executive produce. Production will begin in June in London and Greece.

Borat's Sidekick Joins "Get Smart"
Ken Davitian ("Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan") will again star as a sidekick in "Get Smart" (June 20, 2008), an adaptation of Mel Brooks and Buck Henry's 1960s TV spoof, for director Peter Segal ("Anger Management," "50 First Dates") and Warner Bros. Pictures, reports The Hollywood Reporter. The actor, best known as Borat Sagdiyev's producer Azamat Bagatov, will star as an evil assistant in the terrorist organization KAOS. Davitian joins Alan Arkin, as the chief of CONTROL; Steve Carell, as the none-to-smart secret agent Maxwell Smart; Anne Hathaway, as Smart's partner Agent 99; Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson; and Terence Stamp, as the principal nemesis.

Old School Criminals
Shirley MacLaine and Olympia Dukakis will star in "Poor Things," a black comedy in which a pair of elderly criminals murder homeless men in order to collect life insurance policies, for director Ash Baron Cohen, reports Variety. MacLaine will produce with Rob Hickman. Production will begin in May.

Back Home With Burger
Rachel McAdams, Tim Robbins and Michael Pena will star in "The Return," in which a triad of American soldiers, out of Iraq and back in the U.S., unexpectedly bond on a road trip, for director Neil Burger ("The Illusionist") and Lionsgate, reports Variety. Burger co-wrote the script with Dirk Wittenborn. Brian Koppelman, David Levien and Rick Schwartz will produce, and Bill Block, Paul Hanson and Adam Merims will executive produce. Production begins in May.

Smith to Get "Cooked"
Will Smith will develop and possibly star in an adaptation of Jeff Henderson's autobiography "Cooked," about the former cocaine dealer's ascent to celebrity chef at Las Vegas' Cafe Bellagio, reports Variety. James Lassiter, Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Smith will produce for Columbia Pictures.

Surf's Up for McConaughey
Matthew McConaughey will star as a soulful surfer in an existential crisis in "Surfer, Dude," reports Variety. S.R. Bindler co-wrote the script with Cory Van Dyke and will direct. Gus and Mark Gustawes, Gary Goetzman, Tom Hanks and McConaughey will produce, and Dennis Weiss will executive produce. Production will begin in May.

Mark Your Calendar
Stephen Frears' "The Queen" with Helen Mirren will be available for rental April 24; "Catch and Release," with Jennifer Garner, Timothy Olyphant and Kevin Smith, May 8; "Black Snake Moan" with Samuel L. Jackson, Christina Ricci and Justin Timberlake, June 26; and "Arthur and the Invisibles," April 10 (From May 15).