Sweep of the Day: Scarlett Johansson in Heist Film, Joust Optioned From Chicago’s Midway Games

MTV on Tuesday scooped that Scarlett Johansson, who admittedly is one of my favorite women in Hollywood, will be starring in a new diamond heist film called “Brilliance” from Samuel Bayer.

Bayer, who directed Justin Timberlake’s “What Goes Around… Comes Around” music video, says filming will begin this winter. I have embedded the video with the trio below.


My original, old-school Ms. Pac-Man arcade machine is one of my proudest and most frivolous material possessions.

Though Ms. Pac-Man from Midway Games in Chicago isn’t getting its day in Hollywood any time soon, it’s sweet nonetheless that Joust from the same game maker is en route.

CP Productions, which is the new production banner from Michael Cerenzie and Christine Peters, has optioned the arcade game Joust, which debuted in 1982. To play, “players control a knight on a flying ostrich who combats flying buzzards”.

Why only make loot on TV ads when you can hawk yourself on Amazon.com, too?

Bloomberg said on Tuesday that NBC Universal began selling TV shows for download at Amazon.com just days after ending a similar deal with Apple. NBC shows available on “Amazon Unbox” include “The Office,” “Heroes” and “30 Rock”.

Will Harry Potter Die?

With “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” opening in theaters and IMAX on July 11, MTV has assembled a panel of experts from the Web, the wizard rock scene and a Harry Potter-centric library to answer this burning question:

“Will Harry die?”

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” which is the final Harry Potter book from J. K. Rowling, is expected in stores on July 21.

My interview with IMAX Filmed President Greg Foster on converting the finale of “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” into IMAX 3D will appear in print and online in Time Out Chicago on July 12.

First Photo Released From 2008 Film ‘Where the Wild Things Are’

MTV has published a first-look still photo from the upcoming film “Where the Wild Things Are,” which is being adapted from the beloved children’s book by Maurice Sendak of the same name.


Currently in post-production, the film is scheduled to be released on Oct. 3, 2008 with Forest Whitaker, Catherine Keener, Catherine O’Hara and Paul Dano.

It is directed by Spike Jonze (“Being John Malkovich” and “Adaptation”). This is the film’s description from IMDb:

Max, a mischievous little boy, creates his own world: a forest inhabited by fabulous wild creatures who crown Max as their ruler.