Anticipation for some films burns like a white hot ember, while others inspire a resounding "meh!". Empire Movie News has posted that the prequel to 2006's Smokin' Aces -- which was written and directed by Joe Carnahan -- is moving forward. As Carnahan posted on his official site, "Finally, some actual Smokin' Aces news. Universal has officially greenlit the prequel and we are underway. Cameos will abound. Trust me."

Smokin' Aces told the story of Buddy Israel, (Jeremy Piven) a coked up Vegas performer who is about to testify against the mob. Once the news of the one million dollar contract on Buddy's head hits the streets, pretty much everyone in the western hemisphere who knows how to use a gun is out to blow him away. Since the original film took an "everybody dies" approach, the prequel seems like the smart way to go, though it remains to be seen how many members of the original (and pretty damn impressive) cast will be coming back. The Empire article suggests that the prequel might go straight to DVD, but time will tell.

Personally I find myself in the "meh" category. The original was a staccato barrage of violence that tried to be Pulp Fiction for people with short attention spans. Given the facts that the original currently has a 27% rotten rating at Rottentomatoes.com and that it pulled in a mere $35 million during its theatrical run, I can't imagine too many folks are salivating in anticipation of the further adventures of Buddy Israel and the many people who want him dead. What do we think, people? Does the world need a Smokin' Aces prequel?

You'd think that being married to Madonna, Guy Ritchie would have picked up on the value of occasionally reinventing oneself. But no, he keeps making the same movie, the same ultra-cool exercises in British gangster violence and stylish criminal shenanigans, and RockNRolla is the latest entry. Then again, the one time he did try something different, the result was Swept Away, so maybe he's wise to stay in his comfort zone.

At any rate, RockNRolla inspires strong feelings of "meh" in me. It's not nearly as clever, funny, or stylish as Snatch or Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, though the accents are a lot less indecipherable this time around, so that's nice. It's also not as good as Gangster No. 1 or Sexy Beast or many of the other gritty British gangster capers that have come around in the last several years. It feels like a rerun -- which isn't necessarily a bad thing, after all. People watch reruns all the time.

Our narrator is Archie (Mark Strong), who works as the calm, suave right-hand man to Lenny (Tom Wilkinson), the most powerful money-lender and underworld boss in London. Half the city's councilors, judges, and cops are in Lenny's pocket, and he has leveraged this influence into a massive fortune in real estate.

Lenny is not a figure to be messed with, but the Russians don't know that. A new mover and shaker named Uri (Karel Roden) has come to town to strike a deal with Lenny -- it involves paying Lenny to bribe city officials to get a construction project underway -- and he's a formidable figure himself. Lenny is old school; Uri is dangerously modern.

While my favorite part of For Your Consideration is Marilyn Hack's plastic surgery, I also love that dreaded morning when the Oscar nominations get announced. Some actors wait anxiously to hear their name announced, while others, thinking they're totally off the Academy's radar, get nods while they're snoozing. Then, to add insult to injury, the losers get tracked down for embarrassing meltdowns and awkwardness on television. It's not quite that bad in real life, but as I read the reactions of those who received Golden Globe nominations, that movie keeps popping up in my head. So, check out these reactions, courtesy of Variety:

Dudes Chewing on Their Nails Hoping to Get Nominations: Jeremy Piven & Focus Features
"I got a call around 5:30, but I was up, believe it or not." -- Piven

"I was sitting here at Focus with about 35 very happy colleagues." -- FF head James Schamus on leading the studio nominations.

Those Who Prepared Speeches: Joe Wright, Atonement & Brad Bird, Ratatouille

"I think we were, as a team, very passionate about the film and story. I don't think we looked up from the little world we created around ourselves." "You need to make all actors feel loved, respected, and supported. That applies to the 12-year-old Saoirse Ronan or a slightly-older Vanessa Redgrave. Acting is an exposing and vulnerable job. You need to make them feel safe." -- Wright -- Extra props given for use of "slightly older."

"One of the messages of the film that most critics understood was that it wasn't anti-critic, but was saying if you're a critic or artist, don't get far away from what you love, and if, as a director, if you're focused on box office or awards and not the film itself, you'll take your eye off the ball." "And most importantly, this nomination shouldn't be taken as an endorsement for rats cooking our meals for us." -- Bird

Lads and Ladies with a Little Bit of Cockiness: Craig Zadan, Hairspray & Julie Taymor, Across the Universe

"It's so interesting that a couple of years ago we were accused of bringing the musical back with Chicago, and now you have this year with Sweeney Todd, Hairspray, and Across the Universe. There was no musical for so many years, and we're so proud of what Chicago has done for the musical." -- Zadan

"It's tremendous as we weren't on the pundits lists and didn't have big ads. I feel, in a way, that we were the engine that could. People vote from their heart, and I feel very gratified." -- Taymor

More About that Damned Strike: Piven, again! & Russ Smith, Juno

"I don't know about whether or not I'll be attending because to be honest with you, I don't know a lot about the rules and limitations of what is happening. I need to look into it. Writers are kind of these unsung heroes... I hope they get what they deserve, and I'll do anything I can to help that." -- Piven

"Our hope is that there's gonna be some sort of dispensation. Every day we're hoping they work something out, but we'll have to see." -- Smith -- In other words: please end the strike, I want my big moment!!

First came Jeremy Piven, who signed onto Chappelle's Show writer Neal Brennan's The Goods: The Don Ready Story back in August. While it sounds like something Will Ferrell would head, he's just producing the film, which has Piven playing "a used-car liquidator hired to save a struggling dealership during a Fourth of July weekend sale." The pot was sweetened last month when Ving Rhames also signed on, as well as Anchorman co-star David Koechner. But what used car scenario is complete without the female guns?

The Hollywood Reporter has posted that Kathryn Hahn has been tapped to play the lone woman in Don Ready's (Piven) team of used-car liquidators. In fact, THR describes them as "mercenary car salesman," which should be interesting for the comedy, unless the use of "mercenary" was just an outbreak of writer flair. Aside from playing Lily Lebowski on Crossing Jordan for the past six years, Hahn has appeared in her share of cinematic comedy, which includes, not surprisingly, a role in Anchorman. With Ferrell producing, and Koechner and Hahn signed on, which Anchorman member will be next? There's a heck of a lot of great names to choose from -- Paul Rudd, Steve Carell, Fred Willard, Chris Parnell, Fred Armisen, Seth Rogen, Danny Trejo...

You aren't anybody unless you're famous enough for rival biopics. I hope you all celebrated the holiday yesterday by watching both Gérard Depardieu and Georges Corraface in their respective, rival Columbus films. Coming in the future, we may also get competing movies about Harvey Milk, Philip K. Dick, Sammy Davis, Jr. and now Pablo Escobar. We've long followed news regarding Joe Carnahan's movie about the Colombian drug lord, who will be played there by Javier Bardem, but now Variety reports another Escobar pic in the works. This one will be produced by Oliver Stone, directed by Antoine Fuqua and is simply titled Escobar. It's based on the book "Mi Hermano Pablo", written by the cocaine king's brother, Roberto Escobar Gaviria, who worked as accountant and confidant to Pablo.

So, this looks like it will be more of a life-encompassing biopic. It also appears to be going into production ahead of Carnahan's film, Killing Pablo, since Carnahan is first working on White Jazz while Escobar is fully financed and ready to begin shooting in Colombia and Puerto Rico in early 2008. All that needs finishing is the script rewrite, which is being done by David McKenna, who already wrote a bit about Escobar in his screenplay for Blow (he was played by Cliff Curtis). Variety doesn't mention who Stone and Fuqua have or are casting in the title role of their film, which means it may not be secure. I'm sure some people would like to see Adrian Grenier play the part, as he does via his character Vinnie Chase on the show Entourage, but that would actually be a terrible idea. Personally, I'd like them to go back to Curtis, but for a long-term biopic they'll likely want someone younger, as well as someone more familiar to audiences.

I also wish that Stone was directing this himself -- even if he really annoyed the heck out of me recently -- because he seems to know the territory. And because he thanked "Ari Gold" (Jeremy Piven's character on Entourage) when talking to Variety about the project. But he should do just fine overseeing Fuqua's direction, a job he's sharing with former Malcolm in the Middle older brother Justin Berfield, Jason Felts and James Reach.

I don't know why I think of Ving Rhames as a tough guy dramatic actor first and a comedic actor second. Even his most iconic role, as Marcellus Wallace in Pulp Fiction, was simply a straight-played comic part. Throughout his career he's been in a lot of comedies, from the truly awful (Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot) to the near-perfect (Out of Sight). But I guess lately, aside from the recent I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, he's been pigeon-holed as best-suited for crime thrillers, prison dramas and well-produced horror films, with an occasional fun action pic like the Mission:Impossible movies. Personally, I'd love him to do another movie that mixes all those genres with a touch of comedy, a la the guilty pleasure Con-Air, but I'll settle for just a comedy. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Rhames has signed on to Paramount Vantage's The Goods: The Don Ready Story, which Monika told us recently will star Jeremy Piven as a used car salesman. Also joining the cast is Anchorman's David Koechner.

It wasn't mentioned what kind of characters Rhames and Koechner will be playing, but hopefully they're fellow used car salesmen working alongside Piven, who, more specifically, is a guy who must save the struggling dealership over a Fourth of July weekend. The most logical idea, though, is that whatever Rhames' role, he will be some combination of humor and muscle; the combination is one of the reasons that Rhames can do comedy and still retain his reputation as a bad ass, unlike some other people (please don't ever put Rhames in a babysitting comedy!). The comedy will be produced by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay via their new company Gary Sanchez Productions, along with Chris Henchy (Entourage) and Kevin Messick (A Lot Like Love). The script was written by Rick Stempson and Andy Stock, who also wrote the upcoming Seann William Scott movie Gary the Tennis Coach. It will be directed by Chappelle's Show actor/writer/director Neal Brennan.

Although he's spent the last four years co-starring on the television show Entourage, Jeremy Piven usually pops up in all sorts of movies. (Was Smokin' Aces part comedy?) Before that was Keeping Up with the Steins -- not so awesome -- but before that, well, he was in the well-beloved Old School. (Plus Weinberg tells me he's a scene-stealer in The Kingdom.) Now The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Piven will team up with School castmate Will Ferrell for a new comedy called The Goods: The Don Ready Story. Wait, before you imagine some Ricky Bobby or Ron Burgundy character, this flick ain't starring Ferrell -- it's all Piven's. This time around, Ferrell will stay behind the camera as producer under he and Adam McKay's Gary Sanchez Productions.

Ready will star Piven as "a used-car liquidator hired to save a struggling dealership during a Fourth of July weekend sale." Scribes Rick Stempson and Andy Stock wrote the script, but since their first project, Gary the Tennis Coach, doesn't come out until next year -- there's no telling how this will play out. The comedy will, however, be directed by Neal Brennan -- Half Baked writer and Chappelle's Show co-creator, which should mean good things for the flick. Now, considering the last handful of comedies to have names in the titles (many of which involved Ferrell), it'll be interesting to see which way this goes. While he's no stranger to comedy, Piven isn't so much of the strange and goofy. As long as this is nothing like Bruce Willis' Breakfast of Champions, we should be in good shape!

Slow bit by slow bit, the Weinstein Co.'s CG monster movie Igor is getting closer to the screens, but it's not without its share of excitement. Back in March, John Cusack replaced Christian Slater in the title role -- a move still good for the movie, but I can't help but mourn for Slater's participation -- I think his voice would've been great for a wacky scientist. Now we've got another main actor hitting the dust. Jeremy Piven is now out as Igor's nemesis, Schadenfreude, and flamboyant actor Eddie Izzard is in -- it's a pretty big shift in style, but I'm sure it will work just fine. The Hollywood Reporter tried to contact Piven's rep for word on why he left the project, but have yet to hear back.

Unsurprisingly, this change comes with some other news -- the film's producer, Exodus Film Group, has signed a deal for a series of comic books based on the film. This will include adaptations of the movie as well as prequels and sequels. Each series -- the film, prequel and sequel are set to come out starting in May or June of 2008, with the sets published in book form before the film's October 2008 release. If you want to catch up on the project, you can check out my post here, which gives a list of links dating back to 2005.

According to Variety, writer-producer-actor John Cusack has signed on to star in the upcoming dark political satire Brand Hauser: Stuff Happens for director Josh Seftel and Avi Lerner's Millennium Films. The versatile Cusack is also scripting the film with Bulworth co-writer Jeremy Pikser and author Mark Leyner, as well as producing with partner Grace Loh through their New Crime production company.

Cusack is set to play an undercover assassin in the film who's pretending to produce a big trade show in order to kill a Middle East oil minister. As he tries to pull off the job, complications (and I'm sure a little comedy) ensue including a wedding between a local pop star and a big-time political figure. Other actors already cast in the film include Hilary Duff (playing, one would assume, the pop star?) the lovely and talented Marisa Tomei and, of course, Cusak's sister Joan.

What, no Jeremy Piven? I can't really believe Cusack would do a movie without him considering he's been in every one of Cusack's films (almost). Maybe its just an oversight? Or, maybe Piven is playing hard-to-get and channeling a little of his Ari Gold character from Entourage? We'll see. Needless to say, it's good to see Cusack returning to a genre and story that's similar to his great work as an assassin at his high school reunion in Grosse Pointe Blank -- a film he co-wrote as well. If Grosse Point Blank is any indication of what we can expect from Brand Hauser: Stuff Happens, I'll definitely be there to see it when it comes out. Still no word on a production schedule or a release date.

Odds and ends from Wednesday:

• After cracking us up as conniving Hollywood agent Ari Gold on HBO's Entourage, Jeremy Piven has signed on to play a conniving American diplomat in Peter Berg's The Kingdom. Pic, which already sports a dynamite cast of Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Chris Cooper and Jason Bateman, tells of a group of U.S. FBI agents who are sent to investigate the bombing of an American facility in the Middle East.
• Maverick Films is looking to lock and load after snatching up the spec script Shoot, written by Ron Krauss and Tom Hietter. Picture The Fast and the Furious, but with gunslingers instead of souped-up automobiles. Pic, which Krauss will also direct, revolves around the "underground world of contemporary gunslingers" and follows a young shooter on his quest to challenge the sport's undefeated champion.
• As we previously reported (without any official word), Zooey Deschanel is now confirmed to be taking on the role of Janis Joplin in Penelope Spheeris' upcoming biopic, Gospel According to Janis. Written by Spheeris and Brad Vanderburg, pic will focus on the period of time between Joplin first moving to California and her subsequent death eight years later. I've always thought Deschanel was a bit too "goth" looking to play Joplin, but she definitely has the gritty, indie part down. So, let's see what she does with it.

I wasn't a big fan of Joe Carnahan's Blood, Guts, Bullets and Octane, but the low-low-budget crime thriller was successful enough to land the guy a big-time studio gig. That project was Narc, which I dug quite a bit, to my pleasant surprise. (Hey, I'm a sucker for Ray Liotta's tough guy routine.) For a while there it looked like Carnahan was going to direct Mission: Impossible 3 for Paramount, but obviously that plan fell through.

The good news is that his latest flick, entitled Smokin' Aces, looks pretty darn wild. The teaser trailer kicks off with an amusing misdirection before settling into a mega-kinetic typhoon of mayhem, so why not check it out? (Frankly the flick looks a lot like last February's Running Scared, and that's just fine by me.)

Featuring the likes of Jeremy Piven, Ben Affleck, Ray Liotta (cool!), Ryan Reynolds, Andy Garcia, Peter Berg, Alicia Keys, Jason Bateman and the underrated Nestor Carbonell, Universal's Smokin' Aces is scheduled for a February 2007 release. Ack, February?

Harvey Keitel is apparently just like the characters he plays in the movies - irrational and slightly unhinged.  Keitel's ex-wife, Lorraine Bracco, just finished penning her autobiography entitled, On the Couch.  The book details some of the Pulp Fiction star's crazier outbursts.  For instance, he sent Lorraine's third husband, Edward James Olmos, a machete with a two-foot blade and got his nine year old daughter to tell Olmos, "Daddy said you'd know what to do with it because you're a Mexican."  I didn't know machetes were exclusively Mexican.  I think a clearer and more delicious message could have been sent via a two-foot burrito or a machete-shaped pinata.  Fun for the whole extended family!

In a special Hollywood episode of Little People, Small World, Jeremy Piven and Stephen Dorff butted heads at the NYC hot-spot Bungalow 8.  The boys were all hopped up on V.I.P. treatment and testosterone after attending a P.Diddy party and apparently were feeling quite combative.  Dorff ticked Piven off by skipping ahead of him in the bathroom line and then mouthed off about being entitled to do what he wants!  Then Piven said, "You're a has-been" to which Dorff retorted, "At least I am a movie star - you're only on TV!  Cable TV!".  Oh, snap!  Security separated the twosome before they could further dissect each other's resumes.  For the record, it's cooler to guest star on Father Dowling Mysteries than co-star on Ellen, and a toupee is never acceptable.  

Canadian couple, Ryan Reynolds and Alanis Morissette have officially ended their two year engagement.  If Reynolds wants to keep his relationship off the airwaves, he better steer clear of movie dates with forward women and doing anything ironic/not ironic at all.