Prude & Prejudice

Apparently Keira Knightly got cheeky at the London premiere of the new P&P adaptation, which stars the ubiquitous Knightley as Lizzie Bennet. I don't have the exact quote but Miss Knightley apparently bragged to a reporter that if a guy brought his date to see the movie he was guaranteed to "get laid" afterwards. Minette Marrin of The Sunday Times (UK) imagines what Jane Austen would have to say about that. --Kim

More Buzz on Bee Season

Trent reports that Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal's mom Naomi Foner wrote the screenplay for Bee Season. We were excited to see that she also wrote a particular fave Running On Empty ('88) which of course featured our beloved River Phoenix. Her latest project is Grace, a Sandra Bullock vehicle about Peyton Place author Grace Metalious, which is scheduled for release in '06. (pic via Pink is the New Blog).--Kim

Forget Monopoly...

Just when I thought I was too old for board games... -- Amy

Whatever Happend To....?

Still waiting for the movie version of Rick Marin's Cad: Confessions of a Toxic Bachelor. Miramax had supposedly optioned the rights, and the author was working on a screenplay, but I've not heard any word that it's slated for production. If anyone knows definitive details, let us know. --Amy

Here's the Skinny...

Not exactly high-brow lit, but having recently read Carl Hiassen's bestseller Skinny Dip, I see that it's big-screen-bound thanks to Mike Nichols, who bought the screen rights last year and intends on directing the film. I've not found any info on who would play whom in this satiric tale of a conceited husband who throws his wife off a cruise ship. But if I was playing casting director, here's who I'd pick. -- Amy

A-hole biologist Chaz Perrone: Rob Lowe
His wife and unwitting victim, Joey Perrone: Naomi Watts
Joey's rugged-loner savior, Mick Stranahan: Harrison Ford
Corrupt businessman Red Hammernut: Albert Finney
Chaz's hairy bodyguard, Tool: Meatloaf
Chaz's indignant mistress, Rica: J.Lo

Ready to Book It

Cate Blanchett, Kate Winslett, and Halle Berry are "favourites" for roles in an adaptation of Small Island, reports Ireland On-Line. Meanwhile, The Book Standard has updates on the following book-to-film deals:

Billy Crudup will play "speed freak" Neal Cassady in Kerouac's On the Road. Scarlett Johannson and Chloë Sevigny are allegedly vying for the role of Jack's girlfriend.

Columbia Pictures owns the rights to Julie Powell's blog-turned-book chronicling her attempts to make every recipe in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

Everyone is talking about Angelina Jolie's role in an animated retelling of Beowulf. Joseph Fiennes, Anthony Hopkins, Robin Wright Penn, Crispin Glover, and John Malkovich are just a few of the other famous voices to be heard in this adaptation.--Kim

K-L-E-E-N-E-X

Here's the trailer for the adaptation of Myla Goldberg's Bee Season, which stars Richard Gere, Kate Bosworth, and Juliette Binoche. --Kim