An inspired piece of casting for Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix will see Vera Drake star Imelda Staunton slip into the robes of Dark Arts professor Delores Umbridge. Staunton, who’s in Emma Thompson’s new child frightener Nanny McPhee, hasn’t seen a script yet as the film isn’t slated to arrive in cinemas until June 2007. The geek-wizard’s fifth outing will be directed by Scouser David Yates, whose past credits include Fiona Phillips: Bodyshape Workout and Everyday Pilates With Fern Britton. We’re expecting Advanced Tae-Bo With Dumbledore around Christmas time!
From the Sahara to the Amazon: Breck Eisner, director of Matthew McConaughey’s globe-trotting buddy romp, is now in the chair to remake the 1954 slime-monster classic Creature From The Black Lagoon. The original, about a scientific expedition that travels up the Amazon and encounters a freaky man-fish, echoed King Kong with its creepy inter-species attraction vibe. After falling for the fiancée of one of the team, the mysterious gill monster emerges from the murky depths to kidnap her. No word yet on casting or whether the piscine humanoid will be a Jar Jar Binksian creation or a man in a fish suit.
Tony Scott has temporarily removed himself from remake duties on The Warriors to return to Déjà Vu! Smarting from Domino’s box-office rejection, Scott’s back on board on the Denzel Washington action thriller now that the production can continue in New Orleans. Scott had jumped ship after Hurricane Katrina’s devastation looked like it would force the production to change locations. You couldn’t make this stuff up, could you?
