After a year of Sin City lasso-lobbing and Fantastic Four forcefield creation, it seems Jessica Alba won’t be sliding into a pair of genie slippers for I Dream Of Jeannie.
Alba’s name had been attached to Gurinder Chadha’s big-screen update of the camp ’60s TV sitcom in the role made famous by Barbara Eden. But, as she explains, “I just signed on to an independent called Awake for Miramax.” So no chance whatsoever that she’ll be popping out of a genie lamp in the near future? “Not that I know of!” the actress coyly replied.
On to Awake then, which marks the directorial debut of Joby Harold, working from his own screenplay. The story centres on a young man undergoing open-heart surgery while his failed anaesthetic leaves him awake during the procedure, but paralyzed and unable to tell his doctors.
And who’s the unlucky chap on the operating table? That would be Hayden Christensen, with Alba on board as his distraught wife. Sigourney Weaver has also signed up for the film.
If you ask us, it sounds just cuckoo enough to be ace. Keep an eye on TotalFilm.com for future updates.