16. ELIZABETH BANKS

Over a few weeks this fall, Elizabeth Banks babysat Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott in Role Models; evinced Laura Bush’s quiet devotion to her hubby in Oliver Stone’s W.; and tackled her first title role, as an amateur porn star, in Zack and Miri Make a Porno — all with enviable ease. After years of thankless roles as The Girlfriend (to Ryan Reynolds, Mark Wahlberg, even a robot Eddie Murphy), the 34-year-old actress is finally Having Her Moment, even if she can’t quite make the poster for Zack and Miri. ”It’s a f—ing drawing of a girl,” Banks says with a full-bodied laugh. ”I can’t even get myself on the f—ing poster. What moment am I having?” We have a feeling, with her wide range and genuine charm, she’s going to be having plenty more chances to be front and center.

Clerks

Kevin Smith isn’t really a director you’d associate with sequels, and thus eyebrows were raised when he announced he was revisiting his debut film, Clerks, to find out what had happened to Randal and Dante since we met them last. Leaving a 12 year gap between the films, this gave Smith the space to build some genuine evolution into his characters, and he gladly took the chance to do so. And while the worldwide box office take of $26m may not raise eyebrows, set against the sizeable business it’s done on DVD and the low production budget, it’s proven to be a very profitable enterprise. More than that, though, Clerks II was a terrific sequel, and one that makes the rumours of a third movie later down the line very interesting indeed…

The Hollywood Reporter breaks the story today, speculating that there will indeed be a spaceship (which we could have figured, being a sci-fi flick), a $45 – $50 million budget, the biggest ever, and, the most significant, that the story will revolve around the relationship between a father and a son. Since Kevin often writes with specific actors in mind, we can’t help but wonder who he might already have planned for those two main roles.

Here’s the story:

Kevin Smith sets space comedy

Indie-film veteran eyes biggest budget yet

By Steven Zeitchik

Writer-director Kevin Smith is developing a futuristic outer space comedy.

The film will reference other sci-fi movies and revolves around a father-son relationship. Smith has nodded to the genre in his earlier work but never made a sci-fi film.

The indie-minded Smith is aiming for a budget in the $45 million-$50 million range, which would be his biggest. He again will produce with partner Scott Mosier via their View Askew banner.

Harvey and Bob Weinstein, with whom Smith has collaborated on most of his movies, could reteam with Smith on the film. Insiders said that TWC execs have read part of the script and are interested in making the movie. Smith has finished a first draft of the script, but the project will not move forward until after his next project, “Red State.” Smith will not be doing that with the Weinsteins but instead is seeking independent financing and a spring start date for his dramatic tale of a domestic terrorist in the Heartland.

The Weinstein Co. this month will release Smith’s Seth Rogen comedy “Zack and Miri Make a Porno.” That film, at about $25 million, had his biggest-budget to date, but Smith knows the sci-fi movie will be pricier.

“The moment someone steps out of the spaceship, it’s going to cost a little more,” he said.

Smith said he’s looking forward to exploring new character dynamics as well as outer space.

“All the relationships in the flicks I’ve done have been done before, have been either a guy falling for a girl or two dudes hanging out in a ‘bromantic’ comedy,” he said. “I wanted to explore a father and son.”

Though the article still has “Red State” next on the slate, we wouldn’t be surprised if this one wound up coming next, depending on how actors, schedules, and financing line up. We’ll be on top of this story and you’ll hear it first right here at News Askew.

More news later – By the way, TWO WEEKS until “Zack And Miri Make a Porno” takes over North America.