He’s in high demand currently thanks to The Social Network‘s Oscar nomination, the advance Girl With The Dragon Tattoo buzz, and the World’s Best Dad coffee mug he was given last Father’s Day. James Cameron was previously interested but was lured away by Fox when they promised to donate money to his beloved ocean in exchange for an Avatar 2 & 3. Next, Paul Greengrass was in the mix until he opted to do Memphis from his own script.

Now Fincher is the candidate, but that could just as easily go away due to his schedule with Dragon Tattoo sequels and 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. Should he not work out, I’ll take one for the team and do it. You’ve convinced me to direct this sweeping, epic, historical drama starring one of the biggest celebrities in the world. It may require a little on the job training, but I’m willing to learn. Get me an agent and then talk to them regarding payment. Then look for Wookie Johnson’s Cleopatra in theaters. I’d like to get a Christmas release date if at all possible. (Deadline)

That “may” is for real though, so it doesn’t mean this is going to happen for sure. Greengrass is in high demand these days despite last year’s big financial flop Th Green Zone, and has been previously attached to stuff like a 3D movie about Cleopatra starring Angelina Jolie, an aborted Jimi Hendrix biopic, Fantastic Voyage and Treasure Island. It’d be pretty cool to see a version of Fantastic Voyage in which the tiny ship gets hijacked by Islamic terrorists, but Memphis sounds like it would be a good movie too.

As far as casting is concerned, it’s all speculation at this point. Some are saying that Greengrass’s choice to play Hendrix, Anthony Mackie, might also make a good MLK, although that seems a bit tenuous. Did you know that Martin Luther King used to say “‘scuse me while I kiss this guy” at some of his speeches as a joke? (IndieWire)

Deadline

It is perhaps for this reason that the name of James Cameron as director hasn’t come up in recent musings. Though he has proven to carry the Midas touch with big-budget fare such as this, Greengrass’ name indicates that the powers that be might be more interested in a grittier, more story-driven (and cheaper) take, rather than one that relies on spectacle and blue people. His resume includes the two lauded Bourne installments, as well as the divisive United 93, and less-lauded Green Zone. The Greengrass rumors alone are enough to get many to declare that the 3-D novelty has worn off, and that even aspiring 3-D blockbusters will require a story as compelling as the effects. The source material for the project, the unfortunately named Cleopatra: The Life by Stacy Schiff, has already garnered a Pulitzer, so those in line for a Yogi Bear 3-D redux had best brace for disappointment.

That said, don’t think that this won’t be a tentpole release for Sony. With the time and effort they’ve put into this project, regardless of the director, they have every intention of making this appointment viewing for just about everyone in the world with functioning eyes. And just because this epic will have “grit,” don’t be surprised to hear a funny Jewish accent from a CGI snake. I think Andy Serkis is available.

Deadline, you so crazy. You’s gettin’ everyone’s nipples hard. The outlet is reporting that James Cameron is flirting with the possibility of directing a 3D Cleopatra epic for Sony starring Angelina Jolie:

"The talks are serious but by no means conclusive yet. Amy Pascal decided to fast-track its PG-13 and 3D Cleopatra project after screenwriter Bran Helgeland wrote what was is being described as a ‘brilliant script deserving of epic treatment’ all about ‘what the Romans took from Egypt’. Pascal is hoping for a start date in 2011 but has acknowledged that "it won’t be cheap" and is calling this her Gone With The Wind epic."

That all sounds well and good, but how feasible is it? Cameron needs a minimum of a decade to prep even the making of a sandwich, and Sony wants to get this thing going in a matter of months. Also, where does that leave the state of Avatar 2 and all of the Avatards already pining for its release? I’m putting this one in the "Gee We’d Sure Like This To Happen" bin.

Oscar winning producer Scott Rudin has set his sights on Angelina Jolie for an upcoming adaptation of Cleopatra: A Life. Like the book by Stacy Schiff, the film promises to be a detailed look at one of antiquity’s most famous women.

If the project comes together, it will not be Jolie’s first foray into the ancient world. In 2004, she starred as the mother of Alexander the Great in Oliver Stone’s critical and box-office flop, Alexander. Seeing as how that outing went over like a led zeppelin, why not give Angelina another shot? While we’re at it, get Kevin Coster on the phone. I’ve got a special effects-laden post-apocalyptic love story I’d like him to direct. I hope he can keep it under budget. (First Showing)