For those who don’t remember or are too young and busy to visit ephemeral mid-80′s action romances, Romancing the Stone, which followed a romance novelist (Katleen Turner in the original) and a mercenary (Michael Douglas in the original) as they scramble around the jungle in familia Indiana Jones fashion until they fall in love.

The only thing to like about this possible remake is that the original featured Danny DeVito, who could very easily step right back into the same role, considering he doesn’t appear to have aged a day since 1984.

Beyond that, I don’t think we’ll get a lot of support for an Ugly Truth reunion on this website, so let’s put a provisional approval on this in the hopes that Katherine Heigl (improbably) gets topless, or Gerard Butler chops her head off in 300 fashion.

It’s your move, Sean Penn.

In the film, which is based on a book by Noah Boyd and adapted by Hanna Weg, Jerry Butler will play a retired cop who has found a quiet existence as a bricklayer when he gets pulled back into the realm of good guys and bad guys after some mobsters pull off a series of kidnappings. He will be teamed up with a yet uncast female lead, so it remains to be seen if this project will serve as a film version of a derivative SVU episode or something a little more substantive. At the very least, he’s back in action.

Despite the unfortunately punny title, Playing the Field has some things going for it, not least of which is the cast, which added the likes of Catherine Zeta-Jones and Judy Greer to existing players Gerard Butler, Dennis Quaid, Jessica Biel, and Uma Thurman. Damn! There’s some good-lookin’ folk in this soccer dramedy.

The movie centers on Butler, who plays a troubled former soccer player who attempts to redeem himself by coaching his son’s soccer team, which seems to be ground zero for hot soccer moms, including Biel, Thurman, and Greer. Needless to say, his dalliances get create some tenions on his path to redemption. Quaid plays another handsome soccer coach, meaning that these kids’ games probably turn into hot orgies of the wealthy by halftime.

That said, the script is currently undergoing revisions by Stuart Bloomberg, who has shown a deft hand with Keeping the Faith and The Kids Are All Right. So it might not just be about good-looking older people banging. But if it is, that’s okay too. (LA Times)

“This big-screen version will be an origin story, showing how ex-Spec Ops mercenary Bodie and counter-terrorism detective Doyle unite to work for covert UK security unit CI5.”

The studio, Lionsgate UK, is reportedly courting Tom Hardy, Gerard Butler and Jason Statham to play the secret agents, while Liam Neeson and Gary Oldman are being sought to play their boss. It’s too bad they’re not all going to be in the movie – maybe if they’re all interested they’ll have to fight each other for roles. Judging by the list of actors being talked to, this looks to be an action movie in the vein of the recent “older action” movies The Expendables and RED. So tell your parents to be on the lookout for The Professionals. (via Deadline)

In the film, known cat-milker Quaid (see photo) and Butler will play rival soccer coaches in the suburbs. There’s no word whether they will compete off the field for the affections of Uma Thurman or Jessica Biel, but it’s reported that Thurman’s character gets tingly in the pants for Gerard Butler.

Muccino is known for having directed Seven Pounds and The Pursuit Of Happyness. And while his spelling sucks, he does have at least one okay film under his belt. And Dennis Quaid likes those odds! (Blackfilm)

The film stars Gerard Butler as a pee-wee soccer coach lothario, acting as the coach to finally spend quality time with his son, but really to spend quality time with hot soccer moms. Of course, I don’t know that I’d want to date a woman who’s screaming, “put my son on the field you f*cking piece of shit! He’s way better than that waste of space Bergman. He’s picking his nose on the field, for god sake. Are you blind?” But I digress.

Thurman will play the sexy Hollywood version of a soccer mom (I guess we have Sarah Palin, but blood libels are also a turn-off), while Biel stars as Butler’s ex-wife. Playing The Field is helmed by Italian director Gabriele Muccino (The Pursuit of Happyness) and written by Robbie Fox (So I Married an Axe Murderer). The whistle will blow on filming very soon. (Collider)

Butler will also serve as executive producer of the film, which begins filming in October. No word on who is being considered for the role of Moriarty, but there are no shortage of young actors who fit the bill. As for the choice of Butler for Hesson, I view it to be a small tragedy that at no point was Keanu Reeves discussed in the mentor role. Full circle and whatnot. (Deadline)

Director: F. Gary Gray

Cast: Gerard Butler, Jamie Foxx, Leslie Bibb

Synopsis: An everyman takes justice into his own hands when one of the murderers of his wife and daughter goes free after a plea bargain.  He sets his sights on tormenting the prosecuting lawyer that enabled this.

Release Date: Octboer 16, 2009

The new trailer for Gamer, Neveldine & Taylor’s answer to Running Man, Death Race and The Matrix is out now.  The film stars Gerard Butler as a death row inmate named Kabel, who’s become an unwitting pawn in a multi-player simulation game called "Slayers," created by evil genius Michael C. Hall (TV’s Dexter).  We know where this is going, but Neveldine/Taylor always seem to find a way to increase the A.D.D. appeal in ways never thought possible.  The film also stars Amber Valetta, Ludacris, John Leguizmo and Terry Crews (The Expendables & Terminator Salvation).  

Check it out after the jump if you’re still even reading this.

 
Gamer Movie Trailer – Watch more Funny Videos

Crank writing/directing duo Neveldine & Taylor’s next movie (shot prior to Crank: High Voltage) is a futuristic thriller called Gamer, and features everyone’s favorite Spartan Gerard Butler as a "star player" in a game called "Slayers," in which humans – like Butler – control other humans in online gaming environments.  Such a meta-actioner.  A metactioner.  I just coined it.  Send me money!!!

Royalties aside, I think the new interactive poster for the film is worth showing you guys.  You can move your mouse over Butler’s face and, instead of drawing a mustache like normal, you get to peel away layers to show the mastermind controlling him in the film.  Actually, he doesn’t look super authoritarian, so maybe he’s more of a middle managemind.

Get to playing with Butler’s face after the jump

Gamer is set for a September 9th, 2009 release. Find out even more at the official site.

Directors: Mark Neveldine/Brian Taylor

Cast: Gerard Butler, Milo Ventimiglia, Alison Lohman, Michael C. Hall, Efren Ramirez, Terry Crews

Synopsis: Set in a future-world where humans can control other humans in mass-scale, multi-player online gaming environments, a star player (Butler) from a game called "Slayers" looks to regain his independence while taking down the game’s mastermind (Hall).

(Formerly known as Citizen Game).