Renee Zellwegger Seeks 'The Whole Truth'; Martin Sheen Joins Howard Hughes Biopic

* While another Bridget Jones film seems a ways off, Renee Zellwegger has found something to fill the time. She'll join Daniel Craig in The Whole Truth, a courtroom thriller from Frozen River director, Courtney Hunt. That's about all we know about the film at this point, but this will be Zellwegger's first big screen role since 2010's My Own Love Song....which nobody saw. [Variety]

* Hard to believe, but Martin Sheen and Warren Beatty will work together fro the first time on the latter's upcoming Howard Hughes biopic. The untitled film, which Beatty wrote, directed, and will star in, also features Annette Bening, Alden Ehrenreich, Lily Collins, and Matthew Broderick in a story centered on Hughes' assistant and his love interest, which may develop into a love triangle. [Deadline]

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Warren Beatty's Howard Hughes Film Underway; Alden Ehrenreich, Lily Collins Join Cast

For years, Hollywood royalty Warren Beatty has been trying to put together a biopic on Howard Hughes and not having much in the way of good luck. At one point the film looked to be coming together with Beatty writing, directing, and starring as the reclusive billionaire, but as he struggled to secure financing the project vanished into limbo. A few days ago, word started to leak that it may be back on, and now we know it's actually begun shooting. That sneaky Beatty!

Deadline reports that the film is now underway, with Alden Ehrenreich (Beautiful Creatures) and Lily Collins (Mirror Mirror) coming aboard to star. Collins replaces Felicity Jones, who was attached some time ago. Beatty's wife Annette Bening and Matthew Broderick are expected to appear, and there's some hope that Jack Nicholson can be lured in for a role.

The story doesn't seem to have a lot to do with Hughes, though. Instead, it focuses on Hughes' assistant (Ehrenreich) and his love interest, played by Collins. In the past we've also heard the plot could unfold mostly in flashback as Hughes recounts the love affair he had with a younger woman, presumably Collins' character. So we could be looking at a love triangle here, which would instantly set it apart from 2004's The Aviator.

Brett Ratner (!!!) is producing, along with New Regency who picked up the film a couple of years back. Beatty has already shot some footage but there's no word on when this is expected to be completed or hit theaters. Chances are Beatty will be keeping it close to the vest.

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Felicity Jones to star in Warren Beatty's Howard Hughes biopic

Of the latest crop of leading ladies that have emerged in the last year or so, my favorite right now is Felicity Jones. I think her performance in Like Crazy trumps Elizabeth Olsen's breakout, and she has more range than Brit Marling. She has a hell of a future ahead of her, and it looks like people are starting to take notice.

Jones has locked up the female lead in Warren Beatty's upcoming biopic, which he'll produce, direct, and star in. But don't look at this as just another version of The Aviator. Beatty's version will deal with an affair Hughes had with a young woman while in the later years of his life. It's expected that Jones will play this lover of his. The question is who is going to be Hughes as a young man?

That's the cool part. Justin Timberlake and the suddenly popular Alden Ehrenreich(Tetro) are being looked at the for the role. Owen Wilson, Alec Baldwin, Jack Nicholson, and Annette Bening(of course) are also circling parts. Biopics have been boring the crap out of me lately, but this one looks like it may have some juice.

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Warren Beatty's secret project is a Howard Hughes movie; Alec Baldwin, Jack Nicholson, Andrew Garfield to star?

Just a couple of days ago we learned that Warren Beatty was putting together some sort of comedy film for Paramount, which would see him returning to the writing/directing bit for the first time since 1998. It would also mark his return to acting since  2001's Town and Country, but nobody knew what the film would actually be. Showbiz411 was the first to get the scoop, and it looks like Beatty is putting together a potentially huge project centered around reclusive millionaire Howard Hughes.

It's been about seven years since the last great Hughes film, Martin Scorsese's The Aviator(2007's The Hoax was ok), which I personally am still crazy about. Beatty's movie doesn't appear to be a straight up biopic, focusing on an affair he had later in life with a much younger woman. Beatty will play the older Hughes, and according to Deadline he's gathering a remarkable cast. Jack Nicholson, Andrew Garfield, Beatty's wife Annette Bening, Alec Baldwin, Evan Rachel Wood, Shia Labeouf, and Rooney Mara are all said to be meeting for roles right now. Supposedly the story will also take place partially in flashback, calling for someone to play a younger version of Hughes. That sounds like Garfield's bit already, doesn't it? It better not be Labeouf, that's all I'm going to say. Doesn't really sound like a comedy, does it?

Beatty's been planning this film for more than two decades, with a script having been hammered out by his Ishtar colleague, Elaine May. I'm assuming some rewrites will be in order it having sat on the shelf for so long, but this is definitely sounding like a film to watch.

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