BBC - Movies -news article - High Noon

		Samurai Batman Christopher Nolan's Batman 5 is shaping up nicely, with The Last Samurai star Ken Watanabe inking to appear as "immortal strategic mastermind" Ra's Al Ghul. At least that's what it says here. Uncle High Noon must have got his meths confused with mouthwash (again) last week, cos we thought Liam Neeson was playing the Batman-bashing meanie, but, um, apparently not. Instead, he's playing Henri Ducard, mentor to Bruce Wayne/aka Batman (Christian Bale). Shooting starts next month, with Katie Holmes, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine rounding out the cast.

		Every Dogg Has His Day Starsky & Hutch star and sometime rapper Snoop Dogg is joining Adam Sandler in comedy remake The Longest Yard. "You can't go wrong when Adam writes a part for you!" he told BBCi FILMS. "I play a wide receiver and I play football in real life so it's right up my alley. It's a cool little funny movie, a great remake, and I'm looking forward to doing it. We've been wanting to work together for a long time." Snoop, as we suppose his mother calls him, is also hoping to broaden his range with a bloody drama. "I'm really looking forward to doing this serial killer movie," he said. "I play a womaniser. I seduce women and once I get them back to my apartment, I kill them. Yeah I'm going to make it. It's in my mind right now." Okaaaaay.

		Sinking Ship The Perfect Storm director Wolfgang Petersen is producing a remake of disaster 'classic' The Poseidon Adventure. "We can make this a very scary movie, and a lot of fun," he told Variety. The 1972 original, which saw Gene Hackman escaping from an upturned oceanliner, kickstarted the 70s disaster movie cycle. Now that is scary.

		Snow Joke John Cusack and Billy Bob Thornton are rekindling their Pushing Tin acquaintance, with The Ice Harvest. The black comedy is about two hustlers who make a living ripping off strip joints and massage parlours. Their latest con gets complicated when they end up stuck because of a snowstorm. Monica Bellucci is set to sign to play a club owner, while Analyze That helmer Harold Ramis will direct. He said, "It was time for me to make a dark picture for a change." Or, indeed, a good one.

		Cannes Can The Cannes Film Festival is jazzing itself up, after criticisms of last year's event (which, hey, we enjoyed). The awards ceremony will be a day earlier than usual, on Saturday May 22, and complemented with a fireworks display, big party, and world premiere of a to-be-announced film (perhaps Kill Bill: Volume Two from jury president Quentin Tarantino?). Sunday night will be devoted to a gala screening of the Palme d'Or winner.

		Ice Berg Very Bad Things director Peter Berg is gettin' down wit da kids, directing Hip-Hop Cops. The thriller, about an NYPD unit which exclusively investigates rap-related crime, is pitched as Training Day meets MTV. Which is, frankly, a little worrying.