Today's Film News: Wimps Will Inherit The Earth

By Katey Rich

Finally, Hollywood is realizing that the reign of the superhero is finished, and it's time for the wimps to shine! The Hollywood Reporter tells us that Fox 2000 will adapt the book series Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Jeff Kinney's bestselling series about ordinary middle schooler Greg Heffley. The studio has the rights to all five existing books, three of which are not yet available. Are we set for movie franchises about children who don't even have magical powers?

Well, there will still be plenty of super-powered kids for the time being, at least. Freddie Highmore has signed on to provide the title character's voice in Astro Boy, the Warner Bros. adaptation of the manga TV series. Astro Boy isn't exactly a kid but a robot, created by a scientist in an attempt to replace his dead son. The original A.I.? Astro Boy is set to be released sometime next year.

Over a month after Sundance ended, Magnolia has picked up the rights to what The Hollywood Reporter calls one of the festival's "most buzzworthy" films. Bigger, Faster, Stronger is Christopher Bell's documentary about the current steroid scandals in professional sports. He also draws on his own personal experience, having had two brothers take steroids. Somehow, Bell also managed to interview Barry Bonds for the doc. Magnolia plans to release the film later this year.

And finally, it's a slow news day! But the trailers for summer movies are coming fast and furious, and two high-profile comedies have new or extended trailers up online. First up is Step Brothers, re-teaming Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly as adult slackers whose parents marry. Then we have Get Smart, the take on the 60's spy comedy starring Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway. The first Get Smart trailer looked a little iffy, but this one plays out the gags a little longer and reveals the comedic talent of The Rock of all people. Call me childish, but seeing a guy get a document stapled to his forehead is damn funny.