Ridley Scott Picks Up 'Fae'; Dexter Fletcher Lands Freddie Mercury Biopic; 'Fifty Shades of Grey' Adds Callum Rennie

* Ridley Scott probably isn't the guy you'd associate with YA novels, but he's apparently found one he really digs. He's picked up the rights to produce Fae, the first in a trilogy (duh, aren't they all?) of novels by  C.J. Abedi, and basically it sounds like every other book in the genre outside of The Hunger Games. The story follows Caroline Ellis, a "descendant of Virginia Dare, the first child born in the lost colony of Roanoke, and unaware of her birthright as the heir to the throne of the Light Fae, it isn't until Caroline begins a tumultuous relationship with Devilyn Reilly that the truth of her heritage is revealed." The book is apparently quite the Twitter and Facebook phenomenon, and a best-seller in digital media, although I've never heard of it before. [Deadline]

* The long-developing biopic on Queen frontman Freddie Mercury has finally come together. Once with Sacha Baron Cohen attached, who would have been perfect in my humble opinion, Ben Whishaw took on the role recently, and now the film has a director. Actor-turned-director Dexter Fletcher (Wild Bill) will be at the helm of Peter Morgan's script, which follows the band from their early days all the way to the Live Aid concert in 1985. Fletcher is already meeting with the band to get a feel for his approach, and one thing they won't be covering is Mercury's later illness and death in 1991. Filming is set to begin next year.  [Deadline]

* Callum Keith Rennie (Battlestar Galactica) will play Anastasia Steele's stepfather Ray Steele in Fifty Shades of Grey. The film has nearly completed casting at this point with Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Marcia Gay Harden, Jennifer Ehle, Victor Rasuk, Luke Grimes, Max Martini, Dylan Neal, Rita Ora, and Eloise Mumford. Sam Taylor-Johnson is directing the film for release on February 13th 2015.

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Imogen Poots Joins 'Squirrel to the Nuts'; Sacha Baron Cohen Exits Freddie Mercury Biopic

* Although he hasn't had a feature film since 2001's The Cat's Meow, Peter Bogdanovich is still facing a lot of trouble in putting together his latest film, the screwball comedy Squirrel to the Nuts (or She's Funny That Way). With Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbach producing, everything seemed to be on the right track with Owen Wilson and Brie Larson starring, but now the latter has dropped out for unknown reasons, only to be replaced by Fright Night and Need for Speed star, Imogen Poots. Wilson plays an married Broadway director, with Poots as the prostitute-turned-actress who gets a career boost when he becomes smitten with her. Jennifer Aniston, Richard Lewis, and Cybil Shepard co-star, with production currently underway in New York. [TheWrap]

* The long-developing Freddie Mercury biopic Sacha Baron Cohen has been attached to has hit a major stumbling block, as the actor has dropped out of the film after a dispute with Queen. The legendary rock band Mercury was the frontman for has the final say on the approach taken with the film, and they wanted a PG-rated version that centered on the band, whereas Cohen was looking for a gritty, adult take centered on the rocker. Without Cohen on board it's tough to imagine who else would be open to taking the role, and share the obvious physical similarities. The project was still a long ways off, anyhow, as a director had yet to be found. David Fincher, Stephen Frears, and Tom Hooper's names had surfaced to helm, with Peter Morgan (The Queen) presumably still on board to pen the script. [Deadline]

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Tom Hooper could direct Sacha Baron Cohen in Freddie Mercury biopic

It's been a couple of years since we started to hear about Sacha Baron Cohen starring in a biopic on Queen frontman, Freddie Mercury. Written by Frost/Nixon scribe Peter Morgan, the film has been kicking around ever since without a director. Stephen Frears was said to be the top contender just last year, but now Deadline hears that Cohen's Les Miserables director, Tom Hooper, may take on the job.

Hooper obviously knows Cohen's vocal talent, so this could be a perfect match. No offers have been made yet, but it would be interesting to see if Hooper has him perform the songs live on set as in Les Miserables. The story is said to begin in 1970 during Queen's formation, then conclude around 1985's Live Aid concert. Mercury would soon after be diagnosed with AIDS, succumbing to the disease in 1991.

The plan by producers seems to be to find U.K. directors for the project, which is probably a smart move in chronicling the London performer's career.

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