Today's Film News: Mel's Back!

By Katey Rich

Having his name associated mainly with The Passion of the Christ and an unfortunate DUI arrest is clearly wearing on Mel Gibson. He's taken on his first acting role since 2002, reports Variety, signing on to star in Edge of Darkness. The movie is an adaptation of a six-hour BBC miniseries, and the series helmer Martin Campbell has signed on to direct the film. The Departed team of screenwriter William Monahan and producer Graham King are also on board.

Steven Soderbergh may be poised to blow up big on the Riviera once again with the premiere of his The Argentine and Guerrilla double-feature next month, but after that he'll be heading back to his low-budget roots. He'll direct The Girlfriend Experience for Magnolia/HDNet, part of the six-picture deal he signed to make low-budget films that would be simultaneously released in theatres and on-demand. Variety writes that Brian Koppelman and David Levien are the screenwriters, but much of the script leaves room for improvisation, as was the case with Soderbergh's earlier HDNet film, Bubble.

Tom Wolfe's novel I Am Charlotte Simmons, which purported to expose modern life in college, will head to the screen as an adaptation directed by Liz Friedlander (Take the Lead). The Hollywood Reporter writes that John Watson will pen the adaptation. This will be the first of Wolfe's novels turned into a film since Bonfire of the Vanities.

And finally, the child actors who played the leads in the original Race to Witch Mountain, now adults, will have parts in Disney's remake of the 1970's movie. Kim Richards and Ike Eisenmann have both signed on for small roles in the film, according to the Reporter. Cheech Marin, Tom Everett Scott, Chris Marquette and Billy Brown have also joined the cast.