When I saw the name Weitz attached to a children’s story, I first thought New Line had finally had the stones to announce that filming would start on “The Subtle Knife,” meaning a continuation of the “The Golden Compass” trilogy. No such luck, however.

Instead we get something at least as good. It seems like forever since I’ve seen Salma Hayek in a movie. In fact, I can tell you the last day, and it was a true oddity. As fun as it was to see her with Penelope Cruz as two bank-robbing “Banditas,” that movie wore out its welcome fairly quickly even though I got it for free on DVD.

Now, however, she’s teaming up with one half of the “Pie” brothers, Paul (not Chris, note) Weitz, for something that sounds like a lot of fun. “Cirque du Freak” is apparently the first work in a series of children’s novels by Darren Shan titled, appropriately adequate, “The Saga of Darren Shan.”

In the flick, John C. Reilly (huzzah!) will play a vampire who drafts a 14-year-old to serve as his assistant. The youngun (Darren Shan, I would have to presume) turns into a half-vampire and becomes a catalyst in a battle amidst vampires and the rival Vampanese. And, perhaps most importantly, la bella Ms. Hayek, fresh off her maternity leave, will play Madame Truska, the bearded lady. whether anyone knows more about the plot for that than what little I do, please fill me in.

A fairly obscure British children’s novel being developed by a Weitz? Sounds like we’ve been down that road before, but without having any real knowledge of the source material I can only guess that one doesn’t have any of the religious baggage that doomed “The Golden Compass” out of the gate. Besides, anyone who’s been here before knows I’m a big fan of vampires, John C. Reilly and Salma Hayek, so whether you can get all three, I can only say bring it on!

Bale on the hunt for Depp?

With that news I have to say Michael Mann’s “Public Enemies” has just about shot to the top of the list for

coolest movies coming in 2009 (which, admittedly, isn’t all that lengthy just yet.)

With Johnny Depp already announced as John Dillinger in Mann’s pic about the FBI’s battle with the notorious American gangsters of the 1930s, now comes word Christian Bale will most likely join the hunt as FBI agent Melvin Purvis. I’m already behind today considering I agreed to let myself sleep in a few more hours than usual, so I’ll just let you all digest how cool that could be without any further comment.

Friday fun with pictures

Before I wrap things up with another plea that everyone go see “The Orphanage,” “Juno” (if you haven’t somehow already) or anything else that weekend except “The Bucket List,” here are a couple of fun pictures I came across that dawn.

The first is from the site Egotastic, which is rather singularly obsessed with pictures of women in (and sometimes out of, don’t say I didn’t warn you) bikinis. that however, which came under the headline “Natalie Portman has big fake breasts,” is a picture of her from Wong Kar Wai’s “My Blueberry Nights,” which I’ll probably never get to see before it hits DVD. Staring at Ms. Portman’s new additions (which Egotastic says aren’t really breast implants) is Norah Jones, whether I’m not mistaken. Enjoy, and to find more, visit here.h

Tom Hanks had already generated some needed good karma from me with his great performance in that year in “Charlie Wilson’s War,” but now he’s definitely back on my good side thanks to his choice of attire for the London premiere of that flick Wednesday night. Revealing himself to be, as all good folks should, a football fan, Hanks donned an Aston Villa scarf to show his support for the Birmingham squad. How much of a fan he really is, who knows, but it’s hard to argue with his quote from the red carpet: “Anybody can root for Chelsea for god’s sake!” Now, whether you’d just show some love for the MLS too, thereupon I’d really be happy. Peace out.

Original post by Reel Fanatic