Film News: Foster and Gibson to Star in . . . The Beaver, Moneyball Gets Another At Bat, Blair Witch Anniversary

- Jodie Foster will direct Mel Gibson in The Beaver, his first starring film role since 2002's Signs. The Beaver centers on a "depressed man [Gibson] who finds solace in wearing a beaver handpuppet." Um, okay. In addition to directing duties, Foster will costar as the main character's wife. [Variety]

- Moneyball, starring Brad Pitt, is back on track after Columbia Pictures abruptly shut down production on the film in late June only days before shooting was set to begin. Steven Soderberg is off the project and will no longer write or direct the film. Aaron Sorkin has been tapped to draft a new script for the baseball drama, which tells the story of the Oakland Athletics' success in building a playoff-quality team with a small payroll. Pitt will play Oakland Athletics GM and former baseball player Billy Beane. [Hollywood Reporter]

- Speaking of Brad Pitt films, Variety has posted an interesting Q&A with Quentin Tarantino in which the filmaker talks about his upcoming movie Inglourious Basterds, studio pressures, some scenes that didn't make the final cut, and why he chose an A-list star for the lead. [Variety]

- Contrary to what Winona Ryder recently told the press, there are no plans for a Heathers sequel according to the film's director Michael Lehmann. [Movieline]

- July 16 is the 10th anniversary of the release of The Blair Witch Project. Entertainment Weekly has an new interview with the horror film's directors, Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez. Meanwhile, the rest of us are trying to figure out how the heck ten years have already gone by since this movie became a phenomenon . . . [Entertainment Weekly]

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Film News: Craig Make Take On Paranormal Foes; New Basterds Trailer; Heigl, Efron and Reynolds Tackle New Projects

- Daniel Craig in early talks to star in Dream House as a lead character that would be his biggest departure from "action hero" since taking on the iconic role of James Bond. Described as a psychological thriller, Dream House is about "a man who moves his family to an idyllic small town, only to find his house haunted by its former inhabitants, who were murdered there." [Hollywood Reporter]

- A new trailer for Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds is online for your Brad Pitt viewing enjoyment. Basterds is set to open in US theaters on August 21, 2009.

- Katherine Heigl will co-executive produce and star in the drama Life as We Know It. The Grey's Anatomy star will play one of "two single people who suddenly become caregivers to an orphaned girl after the parents, their mutual best friends, are killed in an accident." The drama is a change from the comedies such as Knocked Up and 27 Dresses that have turned Heigl into a box office draw. [Hollywood Reporter]

- Zac Efron continues to work on building a career outside of the High School Musical franchise with a new big screen project. Efron is partnering with Juno producers Mandate Pictures and will executive produce and star in a project currently described as a sexy thriller. [Entertainment Weekly]

- Fresh off of his box office successes with The Proposal and Wolverine, Ryan Reynolds has chosen his next career move -- an indie thriller titled Buried. Reynolds will star as a civilian contractor working in Iraq who is kidnapped. When he awakens, the character finds himself buried in a coffin in the desert with nothing but a cell phone, a candle and a knife. Production is set to begin this month in Barcelona. [Variety]

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