Chick 1 says:
A few days ago I reported that Robert Downey Jr had dropped out of the scifi-western Cowboys & Aliens due to a scheduling conflict with the Sherlock Holmes sequel. His replacement has been announced and it is…. (drum roll)… Daniel Craig. I’m a fan of Daniel Craig’s. I had never been a huge fan of the James Bond series but Craig & director Martin Campbell won me over when they rebooted with Casino Royale &, in my opinion, Quantum of Solace was even better. But I’m not sure how this will work with Cowboys & Aliens. Craig always seems very stern & broody, which has worked for him but it seems that this project might require a sense of humor that is more in line with Downey’s persona. I’m certainly willing to give Craig the benefit of the doubt and see what he turns out. Also, I’m willing to trust Jon Favreau who has proved himself a capable director. Cowboys & Aliens is due to be released in 2011.
Spiderman 4 is not happening. Director Sam Raimi has left the project and the franchise and as a result, so has Tobey Maguire et al. Sony and Columbia plan to reboot the series, sending Peter Parker back to high school. There’s a nice article about these developments over at 
New News: And from the yummy department, there’s a new rumor that George Clooney has expressed an interest in picking up the abandoned Jack Ryan franchise with himself in the lead and is looking for a writer. I personally don’t think the franchise has ever reached its full potential even with the rather large collection of dashing men to play Ryan. Alec Baldwin was my favorite Jack, in one of his few good guy roles, and The Hunt for Red October was a fantastic movie. I didn’t think any of the following movies were as good. I certainly like Harrison Ford in the role but always missed Baldwin. I have recently watched Patriot Games on TV several times and the movie & Ford’s Jack are growing on me. Sum of All Fears was, in my opinion, mediocre. Sorry, Ben. But I think Clooney could have what it takes. He’s the proper age; no more youthful Ryans, he can act, and he can carry intensity. We’ll see about the action. I hope this is one rumor that proves true.
Old News: I’ve mentioned my excitement over the upcoming sequel to Emma Thompson’s Nanny McPhee 
New & Old News: Struggling to get on its feet is an on again/off again Robin Hood production called Nottingham that has the potential to be awesome if it can get its act together. It currently has Ridley Scott attached to direct and his old pal Russell Crowe to star. There was a rumor circulating for a while that Crowe would actually play both Robin Hood and the Sherriff of Nottingham but the movie is apparently moving in a more traditional direction now with Crowe only playing the hero. 
of Iron Man 2. We’ve already discussed the replacement of Terrence Howard with Don Cheadle 
