Although there’s definitive movement afoot regarding a possible end to the WGA strike, for fans of a positive dead TV show there plus have been talks of a different kind going on that could generate something unbelievably cool (or perhaps incredibly disappointing, but here’s hoping not.)

According to E!’s Kristin Vine, who rarely gets things wrong, Jason Bateman, who has been talking up that rather amazing possibility nonstop, has revealed that “AD” gurus Mitchell Hurwitz and Ron Howard have launched the project with new vigor and contacted all the major cast members to measure their interest in a flick.

“I can confirm that a round of sniffing has started,” Bateman says. “Any talk is targeting a poststrike situation, of course. I think, as always, that it’s a question of whether the humans with the money are willing to give our leader, Mitch Hurwitz, what he deserves for his participation. And I can speak for the cast when I say our fingers are crossed.”

How she knows that I have no concept, but Vine plus claims that Universal is very interested in backing that whether it ever comes together. And, since Jeffrey Tambor is about to have his second post-”AD” sitcom, “The Captain,” cancelled very quickly (I predict, anyway) and none of the “AD” cast members except Bateman can seem to find good movies to star in, I’d imagine everyone would be eager to get going on that as soon as possible.

Even with all that buzz that is still just a rumor, but here’s hoping it becomes a very welcome reality.

Is “Dr. Parnassus” alive and well?

Speaking of rumors, I’ve heard a lot of them about how Heath Ledger’s death will impact Terry Gilliam’s “The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus,” but have tried to stay away from them until something official is announced.

The craziest concept I’ve heard is that, since Ledger’s character had the ability to convert himself with different appearances as he went down the different paths in Dr. Parnassus’ contraption, a variety of

actors could be used to augment what they were able to shoot with the late Mr. Ledger.

That would indeed be a crazy kind of tribute, but later today we may get to have some kind of official word. Though it’s not live yet, a Web site for the movie is set to go on line later today, so visit here and see whether it actually does, and whether it offers any more clues about that rather murky mess.

Finally, a biopic I can get behind

Maybe it’s considering he grew up in Maryland or just considering the Muppets are so friggin cool, but for whatever reason I’ve always had an inordinate amount of love for Jim Henson and just about everything he put his hands on.

And now he’s about to get the proper tribute he definitely deserves. Empire Film Group, Inc. has acquired the motion picture production and distribution rights to Henson, an original screenplay by Robert D. Slane that chronicles the life and achievements of the Muppets creator. Empire has pegged the film for production in late summer with a $30 million budget.

None of that can be called poor news, but who would you pick to play the puppetmaster? For my money there couldn’t be a better choice than Jeff Daniels. What do you think?

A teaser for M. Night’s “Happening”

Even though “The Village” and even moreso “Lady in the Water” can easily find homes on any list of the worst movies I’ve ever seen, I’m still holding out hope for a M. Night Shymalan comeback with “The Happening.” As you can see from that teaser, there’s some pretty creepy stuff going on in the flick set for release that summer. Enjoy, and have a perfectly bearable Tuesday. And, of course, whether you live in a Super Tuesday state, vote (as I’m going to do for Barack Obama as soon as I wrap that up)! Peace out.

Original post by Reel Fanatic