A teaser trailer for Steven Spielberg's eagerly awaited War of the Worlds adaptation has been posted online. The Paramount Pictures-DreamWorks co-production stars Tom Cruise and will arrive in cinemas next summer. Meanwhile, Tim Burton fans can enjoy the first trailer of his upcoming Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which stars Johnny Depp and will open through Warner Bros next year. See the bottom of the article for links to the trailers.
Matthew Vaughn, whose UK crime thriller Layer Cake is stirring up plenty of interest Stateside, is in talks to direct The Man From U.N.C.L.E. According to reports, Warner Bros is lining up the adaptation of the hit TV espionage series, which starred Robert Vaughn and David McCallum as international agents fighting the evil organisation T.H.R.U.S.H.
Safety Last, Harold Lloyd's classic 1923 comedy, is to be adapted by Columbia and Hollywood producer Mark Gordon. No cast or director has been announced for the project so far. Screendaily.com says Sony Pictures Releasing bought the US theatrical rights to virtually the entire Lloyd library earlier this year and will begin showcasing restored versions next year.
Alec Baldwin, who earned an Oscar nomination last season for his role as a mean casino manager in The Cooler, has joined MGM's basketball project Street. Baldwin will play a down-at-heel coach who is given the chance of reviving an NBA team. The Hollywood Reporter says the actor has also signed on to the remake of the 1977 comedy Fun With Dick and Jane, which stars Jim Carrey and Tea Leoni.
Brian Cox will voice Aslan the lion in the upcoming adaptation of CS Lewis's Narnia Chronicles. Cult film website Ain't It Cool News adds that the picture, which is being shot in New Zealand by Shrek director Andrew Adamson, will open in US cinemas on December 9 2005.
