Birds of a Feather: Elijah Wood and Robin Williams are in talks to reprise their roles as Mumble and Ramon in Happy Feet 2, the sequel to the Oscar-winning Happy Feet. Mumble, if you don’t remember, is the plucky penguin who can’t sing but loves to dance. Ramon is the manic jokester with hairy little arms. Director George Miller has also returned to the sequel. Since the original was buoyed by penguin-mania in 2007, we’re guessing Miller is figuring out a way to make sure this one rides a similar wave. So, vampire penguins! [HR]
In the Banks: According to Michael Ausiello over at EW, Elizabeth Banks is headed to 30 Rock to play Jack Donaghy’s latest fling. She’ll follow Julianne Moore, who kicks off an arc this week as Jack’s high-school crush. Jack should make sure he keeps both women away from Tracy. We hear he has a way with the ladies. [Ausiello/EW]
Balls and Chains: VH1 has heretofore been silent in the world of housewife-related reality shows. No more! Yesterday the channel picked up Basketball Wives, an eight-episode half-hour series that will focus on the wives and girlfriends of current and former NBA-ers Shaquille O’Neal, Eric Williams, Antoine Walker, Jermaine O’Neal, and Udonis Haslem. Golf Wives probably would have been much more entertaining. [HR]
Two White Males: Frank Langella has joined Liam Neeson, January Jones, and Diane Kruger in Unknown White Male, a thriller from Dark Castle films. The movie will focus on a man (Neeson) who awakens from a coma to find that someone else has assumed his identity. Langella will play the man’s friend who helps him reclaim his identity and shows him how to use a cell phone. [Variety]
Hey, Fela: Steve McQueen has signed on to direct Fela, a feature film based on the life of Fela Kuti. McQueen will write the script for the Focus Features film and base it on Michael Veal’s book Fela: The Life and Times of an African Musical Icon. The film has no connection to the Broadway musical Fela!, except that it too will feature fantastic asses. [Variety]
