· Jessica Biel will star with Nic Cage and Julianne Moore in Next, a sci-fi flick directed by Lee Tamahori, the gender-bendingest director this side of Larry Wachowski. Please refrain from even considering the awkwardness sure to plague the women's wardrobe trailer on that set, as you are much better than that. [Variety]
Mark Wahlberg will star in Paramount's Shooter as a marksman "living in self-exile in the Arkansas wilderness after causing the death of an innocent person — who is persuaded by his former associates that they need his help to prevent an assassination and who is subsequently double-crossed and framed for the presidential assassination he was trying to prevent." If the movie's source material weren't a novel written in 1993, we'd point out the striking similarities to this season's 24 plot. [THR]
Warner Bros. is ready to once again pimp out its tights-wearing duo of high-earning superwhores, solidifying plans for sequels to for Batman Begins and Superman Returns; directors Christopher Nolan and Bryan Singer are expected to return to shoot their respective superheroes. [Variety]
· NBC executives once again wake up to news that American Idol absolutely trounced the Olympics in the ratings. Just sleep in, guys, the pain will still be there when you get up. [THR]
Shockingly, Paramount's procession of late 2005 bombs (Elizabethtown, Aeon Flux, Get Rich or Die Tryin') was not great for Viacom's bottom line. [Variety]