Today's Film News: More Dinner, More Movies

By Katey Rich

Theatres offering high-end menus and other plushy comforts are nothing new-- our Andreas Fuchs has been covering a number of them all over the country in his "Dinner at the Movies" series in Film Journal. But now those 300 or so high-end theatres will be getting company, Variety reports. A group of investors will be opening Village Roadshow Gold Class Cinemas across the country in affluent suburbs, modeled on the deluxe cinemas Village Roadshow operates in Australia. Tickets will cost as much as $35 and valet parking, a cocktail bar and reclining seats will all be part of the package. Meals will be served as well, with sushi and wine replacing popcorn and Coke. For the time being we'll all pretend there is no looming recession that could possibly get in the way of this plan.

In casting news, Elizabeth Banks, known for comedic roles in movies like The 40-Year  Old Virgin and Wet Hot American Summer, is joining the cast of Oliver Stone's W, a biopic about the current president. Banks will be playing First Lady Laura Bush, though most of the movie reportedly takes place before Bush took office. Josh Brolin, currently doing his best imitation of 1970s San Francisco politician Dan White, will play George W. Bush.

Sadly, Anthony Minghella died before finishing his planned segment for I Love You, New York, an episodic feature consisting of a series of short films by famous filmmakers about the city. Now The Hollywood Reporter has announced that Shekhar Kapur, known for directing the commanding Cate Blanchett in the two Elizabeth pictures, will helm the script Minghella had already written. It looks as if Minghella's last film will be the HBO movie The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, set for broadcast later this year.

And finally, the dream of two more film students just came true. Variety reports that DreamWorks has bought the rights to the spec script Imaginary Friends, a fantasy adventure with no other plot details available. The lucky writers are Cornelius Uliano and Bryan Schulz, both of whom graduated from the Brooks Institute of Photography in California within the last three years. Uliano appears to be younger than I am. Let the resentment begin!