the industry

Warner Bros. Is Playing With Legos

Lego Land: Warner Bros. has acquired the rights for, and is moving forward with, a live-action/CGI-hybrid full-length feature Legos film. There are no plot details, of course — that stuff can get hashed out later! — but the general direction will be a movie that “centers on the subject of childlike imaginations and examines themes of creativity and teamwork.” Yes, another poorly thought-out toy adaptation — but considering someone out there is making a View-Master movie, this is relative genius. Also, White Stripes for the soundtrack? [HR]

Another Version of Diary: David Mamet will write and direct a new feature-film version of The Diary of Anne Frank. The movie will be based on the original source material, Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich’s stage version, and Mamet’s own interpretation. Oscar voters, commence salivation. [Variety]

Ed Helms, Man of Mystery: Ed Helms will star in Central Intelligence, his second post-Hangover lead role (the other being Cedar Rapids.) This time Helms plays an accountant who enters the world of international espionage after reconnecting with an old friend on Facebook. We’re assuming he doesn’t just do the accounting work for the international spies, ’cause that’d be kind of boring. [Variety]

New and Improved MTV: MTV has announced a bunch of new shows under its new, “diversified” programming ethos. That includes the scripted Hard Times, from David “Son of Jeffrey” Katzenberg, about a late bloomer trying to make his way though high school; American Idiots, from producer Ashton Kutcher, featuring dudes who will re-create viral videos for cash; Downtown Girls, a reality show about a group of twentysomethings in New York, Including a “whip-smart vlogger/blogger”; and Megadrive, a reality show following host Johnny Pemberton as he attempts all manners of extreme transportation. Hey, can someone tell the guys at MTV that “diversified” doesn’t mean “more annoying”? [HR]

Hudson Miracle: Ernie Hudson will join the cast of Heroes for its upcoming fourth season, as Captain Lubbock, a Baltimore detective on the hunt for one of the characters. Hopefully that character is the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man. [HR]

Sinful: Lifetime is producing a four-hour mini-series based on Robin Wasserman’s Seven Deadly Sins novels (yes, there are seven; yes, each named after a sin). The plot revolves around Harper, a high-school queen bee taken down by a transfer student who steals her boyfriend and tries to seduce “handsome French teacher Mr. Powell”; also, Harper is the prime suspect in a murder being investigated by the town sheriff, who is sleeping with Harper’s father and must blah blah blah uncover every dark secret and lie. A whole bunch of non-famous, presumably very good-looking people will star. [HR]

Warner Bros. Is Playing With Legos