4.5.07: Theron up Whitewater without a paddle

Theron tempted to go Whitewater rafting, Christmas Story director dead at 67, O'Toole has Christmas spirit, and more

Theron embroiled in Whitewater scandal with Haggis

After working together on In the Valley of Elah, Charlize Theron and writer/director Paul Haggis may reteam for a biopic of Susan McDougal, the friend of the Clintons who refused to testify against the president and first lady during the Whitewater hearings. More at Dark Horizons.

Christmas Story director Bob Clark dead at 67

Bob Clark, the director of such cult classics as A Christmas Story and Porky’s, died along with his 22 year old son Ariel Hanrath-Clark in a car crash Wednesday in the Pacific Palisades. Clark was 67. More at Yahoo. Also be sure to check out Glenn Kenny's remembrance of the director here.

O’Toole helps paint a portrait of Kinkade for Lionsgate

Peter O’Toole isn’t retiring quite yet. The eight-time Oscar nominee will star in The Christmas Cottage, a biopic of the life of American painter Thomas Kinkade, whose painting inspired the film’s title. O’Toole will play Glen Weissler, one of Kinkade’s mentors in film film, which will be directed by Michael Campus and will start shooting in late April. More at the Hollywood Reporter.

Scorsese has a Cannes do attitude

Martin Scorsese will be the guest of honor at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, where he will also premiere his latest documentary about the Rolling Stones among other duties. New Line also plans to make a big splash at the festival by showing selected clips from The Golden Compass, the Nicole Kidman-Daniel Craig fantasy film. Other films that will actually premiere at the festival include The Yards’ director James Gray’s We Own the Night starring Mark Wahlberg and Joaquin Phoenix and the Coen Brothers’ No Country for Old Men, starring Tommy Lee Jones. More at Variety.

Darabont Walks off King grand slam

Frank Darabont looks like he will be adapting his fourth Stephen King work, The Long Walk, after he finishes an adaptation of King’s The Mist. More at Cinematical.

A real tease at Cameron’s Avatar poster

Ain’t It Cool News believes they have the first look at James Cameron’s Avatar teaser poster here.

Henson and Walden invite Gorey’s Guest to Fox

The Jim Henson Co. will team up with Walden Media and Fox to bring an adaptation of Edward Gorey’s The Doubtful Guest, about a family terrorized by an unwelcome guest, to the bigscreen. Brad Peyton will direct the film from a script by Matthew Huffman based on the darkly humorous story of Gorey’s. More at The Hollywood Reporter.

Krumholtz gets a Raw deal with Apatow twofer

David Krumholtz will star in two musically themed comedies for producer Judd Apatow, signing on for a supporting role in the Jake Kasdan-directed Sony mockumentary Walk Hard, and taking a starring role in Attorneys at Raw, a Universal comedy about two rising attorneys who would prefer a career in rap music. Krumholtz pitched the latter himself. More at The Hollywood Reporter.

Friedlander tips his cap to Murphy’s Starship Dave

30 Rock star Judah Friedlander will jump on the Eddie Murphy comedy Starship Dave for director Brian Robbins and Fox. Friedlander will play an engineer on a the ship that takes the form of Murphy’s body. More at The Hollywood Reporter.

Whishaw sees Star is rising for Campion

Perfume star Ben Whishaw will play poet John Keats in Bright Star, a romance from The Piano director Jane Campion. More at The Hollywood Reporter.

Larry the Cable Guy hooks up Witless Protection

Larry the Cable Guy has signed on to play a small-town sheriff in Witless Protection, which will also star Yaphet Kotto, Peter Stormare, Joe Mantegna, Eric Roberts and Ivana Milicevic. More at Variety.

-Stephen Saito