BBC - Films -news article - High Noon

		Potente Pursued By Creep The Bourne Identity star Franka Potente has signed up for intriguing-sounding Brit horror pic Creep. The $5.6 million pic is about a woman trapped in London's Underground who uncovers a warren of secret tunnels. The only thing stopping her enjoying her find is a mysterious assailant. The horror pic has been written, and will be directed, by first-timer Chris Smith. Potente will follow Creep with Bourne Identity sequel The Bourne Supremacy.

		Look Hughes Talking Character actor - that's our way of saying you probably won't know him - Edward Herrmann has filmed his role in Martin Scorsese's Howard Hughes biopic The Aviator. Unsurprisingly, Herrmann says he had a great time hanging with the film's star, Leonardo DiCaprio. "Leo and his posse! I enjoyed that very much," Herrmann tells High Noon. "I just think he's smart as hell. I think he's wonderful as Howard Hughes. In my scene with him, I was very intrigued by what he was doing because Hughes is an enigma and is so hard to fathom, and it's so hard to follow his processes. Leo did that beautifully." The Aviator co-stars Kate Beckinsale, Cate Blanchett, and Gwen Stefani, and will be released here in 2005.

		The Horror! The Horror? Adaptation. duo Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman are to team up again - for a horror movie. The Hollywood Reporter reveals that Kaufman will pen the pic, with Jonze again set to direct. The pair first worked together on 1999's Being John Malkovich. No details are known about the horror pic, but given Kaufman's quirky take on everything he writes, we should expect something slightly more cerebral than Freddy Vs. Jason.

		Dear Wendy Takes Pill Jamie Bell's co-star in the currently shooting Dear Wendy will be newcomer Alison Pill. The American actor will play a loner female friend of Bell's character, a teenager who befriends a pistol (yes, a pistol) in Danish director Thomas Vinterberg's drama about the perils of guns. Pill will soon be seen in acclaimed American indie drama Pieces Of April.

		Black In The Black Critically acclaimed Jack Black comedy (you read that right) School Of Rock was the number one film in the States at the weekend, taking an impressive $20.2 million. The comedy is - unsurprisingly - the biggest hit for director Richard Linklater, whose only previous flirtation with success was Dazed & Confused. The Denzel Washington thriller Out Of Time was second with $17 million, with The Rock actioner The Rundown in bronze position. School Of Rock sees Black play a down-on-his-luck rock star who fakes his way into a substitute teacher position at a posh school. Hilarity ensues (no, really), as you'll see when the film hits the UK in February 2004.

		Indies Go Oscar Wild UK distributors are squaring up to the Oscars. In a scene reminiscent of an Ealing comedy, Pathe, Momentum and Optimum are vowing to ignore the Academy's recent decision to outlaw the use of 'screeners'. A screener is industry speak for the DVDs and tapes which distributors send out to Academy members. They're particularly useful for the promotion of small movies which aren't seen by large numbers of people. Canadian director Norman Jewison has also penned a letter stating his opposition to the move, which would inevitably help the large studios.

		Rothschild Makes Sperm Count Hannah Rothschild will direct the high-concept comedy Gene Machine. Variety reports that the film is "about a man whose student career as a prolific sperm donor comes back to haunt him 20 years later". Rothschild - the 41-year-old daughter of filthy rich financier Jacob Rothschild - has previously made documentaries for the BBC, and will make her feature debut on the Ridley Scott-backed comedy.

		Mad Max... "Crazy" Mel It's being reported that independent distributor Newmarket has made a formal bid to distribute Mel Gibson's controversial movie The Passion in the United States. The news comes as the major Hollywood studios keep their distance from the project. A top Hollywood producer quoted in Newsweek says: "People think Mel's crazy now." Ouch. Newsweek reports that studios are scared of being on the receiving end of protests, hate mail and boycotts if they back the film, about the last 12 hours of the life of Jesus. The magazine quotes an unnamed studio head as saying: "It's not worth the aggravation. Even if it makes money, it's not going to be Titanic." Gibson's camp refused to comment on the situation.

		Bring Me The Head Of Saddam Hussein! Bruce Willis is still offering a $1 million reward to anyone who captures Saddam Hussein. Willis has just returned from a visit to Iraq, where he 'entertained' US forces. On his return to the US, Brucie confirmed his Saddam bounty, telling Fox News: "They'll get it. Fortunately, and maybe unfortunately, the military themselves are unable to collect on that. But if it does happen through military sources, I intend to donate the money to either a school or a hospital."