12.24.08: Disney abandons Narnia, a look inside James Cameron's closet, and (a bit) more

Movie news of note is slowing to a pre-holiday trickle, so pardon the meager helpings...

From the "things that will never, ever happen" department – "Gilligan’s Island Creator Wants Michael Cera To Play Gilligan in Movie Adaptation."  He also wants Beyoncé to play Ginger.  Says the 92-year old Sherwood Schwartz, "There isn't anyone sexier than Beyoncé! Except for that vixen, Veronica Lake. But she's been ignoring my telegrams." Preston Sturges is in post-mortem talks to write/direct.

DISNEY EXITS THE NARNIA BUSINESS

Disney has seen a future of diminishing returns and elected to bid a hearty adieu to the Narnia franchise, which was last unleashed upon the world earlier this year in the form of the underperforming Prince Caspian. Production company Walden Media will attempt to get third installment The Voyage of the Dawn Treader off the ground anyway, but face something of an uphill battle, finance-wise. (THR)

ODDS AND ENDS

• Any bit of hard news that escapes from the notoriously secretive James Cameron is worth noting, even if this official behind-the-scenes still from Avatar might as well be from any film he's directed in the past 20 years.

• CGI guinea pigs take on live action bad guys in über-producer Jerry Bruckheimer's G-Force. Sam Rockwell, Penelope Cruz, Steve Buscemi and Nicolas Cage voice the lead rodents, while the always fabulous Bill Nighy plays an evil billionaire industrialist. USA Today has the first pictures.

• Continuity geeks, rejoice – Bruce Boxleitner, the original Tron in TRON, will return for TR2N. (Coming Soon)

Comments

[Kristyn]

That is actually a good pick for Gilligan, if you ask me!

[alex]

I saw fifteen minutes of Avatar footage at a secret screening and it was the most awesome jaw dropping footage I have ever seen. This is going to be the new Star Wars.