The drama looks like an interesting adventure. After losing his Tom Hanks in the attacks on the World Trade Center, a young boy is convinced that his father left a hidden message for him somewhere in New York City. He explores the five boroughs in search of a lock that fits the key his dad left behind, and moves past his complicated feelings of loss to see that there is more to the world around him. It also looks emotionally draining. He was such a fun dad.

Production is beginning sooner than anticipated with cameras rolling in London this May. He also has high praise for the director, certain that what they are putting together is next level film-making.

“The whole film has been pre-vised and figured out, it’s fuckin’ awesome. I mean, unlike anything you’ve seen in space. It’s just great. He’s a privilege to work with—he’s a real visionary.

“We’re using technology that’s never seen before. This film will be more immersive, I believe, than anything you’ve seen before. You will really feel like you are in space. It will not be an objective view of space, it will be an immersive view of space. And you know as you say, with Children of Men, he loves these long shots. It’s gonna be a really bold, bold film.”

He also revealed that the film will not be shot in 3D, but rather converted in the post process. That’s bad though, right?? Please learn from Clash Of The Titans’ example. If you really want to earn higher ticket prices, you need to commit to the gimmick from day one.

“The plot focuses on Oskar Schell, a nine-year-old boy from Manhattan whose father died on 9/11. Two years later, the boy discovers a key belonging to his father, which sends him on a search through the city.”

The article doesn’t say what parts the new cast additions Jeffrey Wright and Viola Davis are going to be playing, but they’re joining Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, and John Goodman along with child actor Thomas Horn.

I haven’t read the book yet, but my impression is it’s a bit of a weeper, so we’ll probably be seeing lots of Oscar buzz for this, especially considering the involvement of screenwriter Eric Roth, he of Forrest Gump and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Plus if “the 9/11 movie” doesn’t at least get a Best Picture nomination, don’t the terrorists win, or something? (via The Playlist)

Now, he’s racked up roles in Red State, The Artist, Thicker, and as of today, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. He’ll join Sandra Bullock, Tom Hanks, and whiz kid Thomas Horn in the story about a boy who pieces together a mystery about his father after losing him on 9/11. Goodman will play the doorman to the boy’s building who plays a crucial role in the boy’s story. Apparently the kid can’t open heavy doors. (THR)

Clooney is set to appear alongside Sandra Bullock in Gravity, a film following the plight of two astronauts who find themselves stranded among the stars after an asteroid cripples their space station and kills their entire team in the process. Clooney, who will play the leader of the decimated astro-squad, snagged the role after Robert Downey Jr. dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. Bullock’s character, a mother determined to get back to her children on earth, will reportedl drive much of the film’s plot.

Alfonso Cuaron will direct the Warner Bros/Legendary Pictures flick. Production is set to begin between April and May of next year, provided that an asteroid hasn’t collided with the planet and destroyed all life by that point. (Deadline)

What is a luck break, Alex? 12-year old Thomas Horn made headlines after winning $31,000 on “Jeopardy!” Not only did he get to make small talk with Alex Trebek, but that appearance has now lead to his casting in Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close. He’ll join the Tom Hanks/Sandra Bullock drama as a young boy who loses his father in the World Trade Center collapse on September 11th, 2001. He finds a key in his father’s belongings and sets forth to discover what it unlocks. Oh God, please don’t let it be a gun.

Good for Horn, though. It’s got to feel pretty good at any age to have such a whirlwind life. To think, one minute you’re winning on “Jeopardy!,” the next you have a successful film career. Sorry, “Weird” Al. (Deadline)

Man, Alfonso Cuaron is having a bitch of a time finding someone to star in his Gravity movie. Angelina passed on it twice, Scarlett Johannson and Blake Lively were rumored to be in contention, and then it was announced that Natalie Portman was in talks for the role. Well, she passed. Now Universal is trying their damndest to woo Sandra Bullock for the part. If you ask me, Bullock should pass as well. She doesn’t need to be caught in the center of a widely-publicized story about how she was second banana to a few younger women. That’s so last year.

If Bullock does indeed pass, they should just go with Olivia Munn. She’s already got the helmet and everything.

(THR)

_{I’m a serious actress, now!}

Well folks, it’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for. Sandra Bullock (Demolition Man, Speed 2: Cruise Control) is considering a role in a film about the Holocaust.

EW says Screen Gems is offering her the lead in a movie called Never Forget. It’s based on a documentary called On Moral Grounds in which a woman sets out to reimburse Holocaust survivors swindled out of life insurance policies by a European company.

Never Forget? That’s only slightly better than calling it Holocaust Movie. But even so, I’m sure Sandra’s likable, girl-next door qualities will really shine through in a film that deals with the deaths of millions of people. After all, you just can’t help but fall in love with her smile. Plus, maybe Matthew McConaughey can play the wacky boyfriend, or something. (EW via Cinema Blend)

Tom Hanks is considered one of the "nicest" guys in Hollywood. Sandra Bullock has the same "nice guy" image, but with a vaginal twist. Now comes word the pair may star in Stephen Daldry’s Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, thereby creating an overwhelming pile of nice-ness unlike anything the world has ever seen.

As if that wasn’t nice enough, Eric Roth is adapting the script, which tells the story of a young boy who lost his father on September 11th. Terrorist attacks aren’t very nice, but considering Roth also adapted the screenplay for a little movie called Forrest Gump, this film will probably be oozing with so much niceness that I’ll have to punch my grandma in the face just to even things out.

I love you, Nana. (First Showing)

Five years after striking indie cinema gold with Little Miss Sunshine, Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris look like they’ll finally step behind the camera again. The duo have been attempting to bring Tom Perrotta’s novel "The Abstinence Teacher" to screens since 2006 but, after multiple setbacks, it was believed the project was dead.

Production Weekly has reported the project is back from the grave with the news that Sandra Bullock and Steve Carell are attached to star. Bullock will play the sex-ed teacher at odds with conservative community members, and Carell will play the born-again soccer coach she finds herself falling for. I’m not sure what wacky circumstance will cause them to pretend to be married, but this is a Sandra Bullock movie. It’s bound to be a plot-point.

OMG! Did you see that Sandra Bullock and Scarlett Johansson made out at the MTV Movie Awards!?! I was all like WTF? Then I was LMAO! And then I farted.

If it was 1994, I guess this would have been shocking. But it’s 2010, and thanks in no small part to MTV, our society has been desensitized to the point where Sandra would need to pull out a strap-on for anyone to bat an eye.

In a world where hardcore lesbian pornography is only a "redtube" away, is this sort of "stunt" really necessary?

Tune in next week for another minute with Andy Rooney.

Watch Sandra Bullock and Scarlett Johansson lock lips (not the good kind) after the jump (at the 4 minute mark).

^{"Kali ma… Kali ma… Kali ma, shakthi deh!"}

Sandra Bullock‘s trophy case is growing decreasingly impressive. The Oscar-winner is slated to receive the MTV Generation Award at tonight’s Movie Awards, and picked up a "Troops Choice Entertainer Of the Year Award" at Spike TV Guy’s Choice Awards last night.

"Let’s be honest here, just for a moment. We’re all going to be honest, right?" Bullock quipped. "Did I win this for being entertainer of the year, or did I win this because of the spectacular I.E.D. explosion that became my personal life?" This drew a hearty laugh for Sgt. First Class Santiago. And then a low, nervous laugh as his fingers absent-mindedly stroked the plastic where his thigh used to be.

Ms. Bullock looked stunning in a tight black leather Elie Saab knee-length dress, Casadei heels and lack of forehead tattoos. (E! Online)

Who would have thought The Fuhrer is such big fan of Sandy’s? (Vulture)

Here are today’s links.

_{Movie Stars Most Likely to Get Naked (Moviefone)}

_{U.S. Pole Dance Champ Crowned (Asylum)}

_{Security to Keep Women from Tiger (PopEater)}

_{Relationship Translator (HolyTaco)}

_{Birdemic Director on Public Access TV (FilmDrunk)}

_{Superhero Fails Never Get Old (Unreality)}

_{Erin Andrews Shows Off Her Naughty Moves (TotalProSports)}

_{A Guide to Things Named "Ice" (Maxim)}

_{World’s Best Butter Sculptures (Smosh)}

_{Miley Cyrus Pleasure a Leprechaun (CelebJihad)}

_{Duance Ludwig is Going to Be Out For a While (CagePotato)}

_{Top 5 Black Female Leading Roles (Pajiba)}

_{Evan and Gareth: Threeway (Atom)}

_{Best Drunk Food Recipes (MadeMan)}

_{Johnson and Busch: A Rivalry in the Making (AllLeftTurns)}

_{Epic Boobs Girl Found! (RegretfulMorning)}

Today we pit our top contenders for the Best Actress Oscar in the metaphorical pudding pool for a bikini-clad, chocolate-treat-slathered Battle Royale from which only one shall emerge the victor.  As if that imagery wasn’t disgusting (and sexy) enough, consider that this year’s top dogs form an unholy three-way culled from the deepest depths of lesbian porno hell: Front runners Meryl Streep (Julie & Julia) and Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side) along with our dark horse (did I just write that?) Gabourey Sibide (Precious: Based on the Novel bla bla bla bla bla). 

MERYL STREEP

Let’s face it: All Meryl Streep needs to do to get nominated for an Oscar is show up on set. Hollywood’s grand dame has been nominated 16 times and already has two Shiny Gold Dudes for her prodigious award mantle. She could do a regional K-Mart commercial and still be the talk of awards season. She could do a one-line walk-on in a Larry the Cable Guy movie and sweep the Golden Globes. But that doesn’t necessarily guarantee her the Academy Award, does it?

PRO: Thanks to the Food Network, cooking shows are sizzlin’ hot (zing!).  So Streep’s turn as Julia Child was well-timed.  And while Julie & Julia probably won’t even rank in the legendary actress’ Top 10 performances, Streep has been getting deserved nods for revealing the depth and complexity hiding beneath the iconic chef’s apron (thank the gods that’s the only thing hidden beneath Julia Child’s apron that was revealed).

CON: Unfortunately Streep only accounts for half of Julie & Julia’s two-tittied titular characters.  And while her performance was impressive, it did not make up for the dreadful “Julie” segments.  Dear Hollywood: Bloggers do not make interesting fodder for movies.  See: Tucker Max’s I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell.  Okay, there is one exception to this rule — me — but that’s because I moonlight as a kung f ninja assassin for the Dutch government, not because I write snarky quips for the internetzes.  Believe me, there is nothing at all entertaining about me in my Ben and Jerry’s stained tighty-whities, typing rape jokes between sips of Steel Reserve; it’s just sad and pathetic.  And while the adorable Amy Adams did give the role of food blogger Julie Powell her all, she’s still the proverbial albatross around Meryl’s neck.

SANDRA BULLOCK:

When we look back on 2009, we will likely remember it as the Year of the Bullock.   After phoning in 2007’s dreadful Premonition, the actress seemingly disappeared, presumably banished to the same island where Ashley Judd forages for berries.  But last year Miss Congeniality came back with a vengeance and somehow managed to garner both a Razzie Nomination (for the abominable All About Steve) and an Oscar nomination in the same year.   Which raises an interesting question: Is it possible that Bullock might actually be both the best and worst actress of the year?

PRO:  Bullock seemed to take a shotgun approach to winning the Oscar.  If she stars in EVERY movie that comes out in a given year, she’s bound to win for something, right?  In all fairness, she did receive some good reviews for her work in The Blind Side, being called “unusually watchable” by one critic, “surprisingly pleasant” by another and “not at all making me want to jam a fork in my eye” by yet another (me).

CON:  This is Sandra Bullock we’re talking about.  She specializes in box office fluff aimed at eternally-single cat ladies — usually opposite some equally generic hunkbot actor e.g. Matthew McConaughey.  It seems silly handing her a Shiny Gold Dude for the achievement of merely being less bland than normal.   It’s like awarding vanilla the Creamy Award for Best Ice Cream.  Sure, it’s fine when it’s scooped onto a slice of pie, but it’s still no Chunky Monkey (the flavor du jour staining my tighty-whities).

GABOUREY SIBIDE

Not only does Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (pant… pant…) own the distinction of having the most annoying title, it was — along with The Blind Side and Paranormal Activity — one of the year’s notable sleeper hits.  But what most people don’t know is that it also provided one of 2009’s most popular Halloween costumes.  As a matter of fact I was at the DMV last week and even though Halloween has been over for months several of the employees were STILL wearing their Precious costumes.   Pretty impressive.  But was Gabourey Sibide’s performance equally impressive?

PRO: Sibide’s performance as the illiterate incest victim with a heart of gold was solid, if not mind-blowing.  But she does have a unique edge over her competition: Let’s face it, it’s not like Sibide’s going to be top-lining summer blockbusters next year.  She’s a morbidly obese African-American woman.  No one’s casting her opposite Brad Pitt in the next Doug Liman actioner.  Outside of the occasional Oprah Winfrey Network movie-of-the-week and Tyler Perry cameo, Precious may be her lone moment in the spotlight.  And I believe the Academy will reward her accordingly.  When she’s selling Mary Kay ten years from now at the very least she’ll have a Shiny Gold Dude by which to remember her Walhol-prescribed 15 minutes.

CON: She’s up against Meryl Streep.  Still, for the reason stated above I think Sibide will pull off the upset and take home the Oscar. Streep already has more Academy Awards that she knows what to do with and likely has not won her last.  But unless Martin Scorsese decides to adapt The Jeffersons for the big screen and hand-picks Sibide to be his Weezy, this will likely be her only grab for the gold.  She deserves it just as much as her competition, but the distinction will mean a lot more to her.  And I believe the Academy will recognize this fact and reward her accordingly. 

ADVANTAGE:  GABOREY SIBIDE