News: Robert De Niro

De Niro’s concentration on comedy in recent years has been depressing for fans of his earlier work, so this week’s The Good Shepherd – which he directed as well as cameos in – has been something of a relief even if it isn’t as good as it should have been. Thankfully, with loads of films in the pipeline, quite a few are set to involve straight acting for a change.

Next up is an adaptation of the Neil Gaiman fantasy novel Stardust, with a supremely impressive cast that includes the likes of Peter O’Toole, Ian McKellen, Rupert Everett, Ricky Gervais, Sienna Miller, Michelle Pfeiffer and Clare Danes. Then there’s New Orleans, a thriller about police corruption, with De Niro investigating with the help of his new partner, played by rapper 50 Cent, before hooking up with the rather more talented George Clooney for the crime drama 36.

Then it’s back to comedy for Hollywood expose What Just Happened?, based on the book by Heat and Fight Club producer Art Linson (who also wrote the screenplay), with De Niro playing a film producer having a tough time getting funding, with co-stars including the likes of Bruce Willis, Sean Penn and John Turturro. After that it’s more drama, starring alongside his erstwhile Taxi Driver co-star Jodie Foster for her latest directorial effort, Sugarland, about two lawyers fighting to end the exploitation of migrant sugar labourers.

Then more drama – and a return to familiar territory – for The Winter of Frankie Machine, with De Niro playing a retired mob hit man, lured back into his former profession for one last hit. Finally, he’s set to star as the husband of Meryl Streep female President of the United States in the political comedy First Man, which sounds promising – as does the computer game version of Heat, assuming De Niro, Al Pacino and Val Kilmer all sign on to do voice duties, as they’re currently only in negotiations.

News: Andy Garcia

After cropping up in this week’s crime caper Smokin’ Aces, Garcia will be continuing in his favourite genre – albeit in a somewhat more experimental manner – with his next outing, playing the wonderfully classically-named criminal character “Fingers” in the odd-sounding The Air That I Breathe (see here for more).

Then, due out in June, he’ll be returning to his sleazy role for the third Danny Ocean movie, Ocean’s Thirteen, alongside many of the A-listers of the previous two outings, including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Elliott Gould and Don Cheadle, as well as newcomer to the series Al Pacino, with whom he last appeared in 1990’s frequently underrated The Godfather: Part III.

Finally, he”ll be opting for a change of pace – but an equally star-studded list of co-stars – for The Last Full Measure, based on the true story of a group of Vietnam veterans who campaigned to have their long-dead comrade’s heroism recognised by the United States Congress. Robert Duvall, Laurence Fishburne, Morgan Freeman and Bruce Willis will make up the rest of the cast, so it should be good stuff.

News: Justin Long

Accepted‘s Justin Long – probably best known to date as Britney Spears’ boyfriend in the dire Crossroads or Linsay Lohan’s bloke in the not quite as awful Herbie: Fully Loaded – is a bit of a workaholic. Already completed is Idiocracy, for director Mike Judge (the creator of Beavis and Butthead and King of the Hill), with Long in a relatively small role alongside Luke Wilson, who plays a bog-standard American frozen for 500 years, awaking to find himself the most intelligent person in the country, and Long is currently filming alongside Bruce Willis in Die Hard 4.

Long will also be taking the lead in Patriotville, as a lone guy fighting against his small town’s plan to build a casino on their historic battlefield, and voice the title character alongside in animated comedy The Tale of Despereaux forMike Johnson, co-director of Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride. Considering Long will be the lead alongside a voice cast that includes Robbie Coltrane, Dustin Hoffman, Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver and William H Macy, it could yet prove to be the film that puts him firmly on the map. Shame we won’t see his face, really…