News: Michel Gondry

The oddball French director behind the tip-top Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless mind and this week’s quirky The Science of Sleep has a fair few more, equally bizarre, projects in the pipeline.

Next up is the movie reference-laden Jack Black-starring comedy Be Kind Rewind, set in a video store run by one of Black’s friends where all the tapes get wiped by Black’s magnetised brain, forcing the pair to recreate such Hollywood classics as The Lion King, Robocop and Back to the Future for the shop’s clientelle. With co-stars including Mos Def, Danny Glover and Mia Farrow, it should prove at the very least interesting, much like Gondry’s other work, and with Black in the lead should prove another Eternal Sunshine-style hit.

After that it looks like a leap back into Gondry’s personal obsession of space, time and human perception for Master of Space and Time. Based on the novel of the same name by Rudy Rucker, it revolves around a couple of (as yet uncast) mad scientists who find a way to control – as if the title isn’t clue enough – space and time. rumours are circulating that Jack Black could again be set to star, but it’s still early days, and isn’t due until next year anyway. Could be fun, though…

News: David Bowie

This week’s The Prestige marks a long-overdue return to big screen acting for the near-legendary musician – his first since his hilarious cameo (as himself) in 2001’s Zoolander. As well as his recent appearance (again as himself)  in Ricky Gervais’ second series of Extras, he will soon be voicing a character for the SongeBob SquarePants kids’ cartoon (something he’s described as “The Holy Grail of animation gigs”).

Bowie has, however, already lent his considerable vocal talents to cult French director Luc Besson’s English language part-live action, part-animated childrens’ flick Arthur and the Minimoys. Bowie plays an evil creature in a magical realm (a bit like the camp 80s semi-classic Labyrinth) alongside Charlie and the Chocolate Factory‘s Freddie Highmore, as well as Mia Farrow, Snoop Dogg and Madonna. Set for release in the US in January, a UK date has yet to be confirmed.