The Dhs400 million shoot for ‘Arabian Nights’ has been delayed until the autumn to avoid the gruelling UAE summer heat.

The film, which will feature actors Sir Anthony Hopkins, Zac Efron and WWE wrestler Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, will now go ahead in October after its Abu Dhabi producers warned the director that filming in the summer could be disastrous.

“They do not understand what the conditions are like here,” said Akram Sabry, general manager of Sky Events Management, which is producing the film.

“I told them that it’s not like in America. Temperatures here reach 45 degrees or more. They would not be able to film.”

Sabry said that pre-production work has now been completed and Hollywood director, Chuck Russell, will be flying into Abu Dhabi in two weeks to oversee the work.

“His crew has already been here and we wor­ked out the pap­er­work,” said Sabry. Despite delays, final filming approval has been granted by twofour54, the Abu Dhabi media hub that is overseeing the project. The film is based on the classic Arab tale about a princess who wins her freedom by telling fantastic tales of Sinbad, Aladdin and other characters. Filming will take place in the desert and Abu Dhabi’s Emirates Palace hotel will also be used.

It is hoped the film will be released in late 2014.

Source: 7 Days

Zac Efron and Marcia Gay Harden have joined the cast of “Parkland,” the indie drama about the assassination of John F. Kennedy that will mark the directorial debut of scribe Peter Landesman.
Efron will portray Dr. Charles Carrico, a surgeon at Parkland Memorial Hospital, where Kennedy was rushed on Nov. 22, 1963, and later pronounced dead. Harden has signed on to play the part of emergency room nurse Doris Mae Nelson.

Paul Giamatti, Billy Bob Thornton and Jacki Weaver came onboard the project during AFM in late October.

Source: Variety

Imogen Poots is the latest to sign on to ensemble romantic comedy “Are We Officially Dating?”, reports Deadline. Zac Efron and Miles Teller are already on board playing two of three best friends in New York who make a pledge to give up on relationships, just as they each begin to fall in love. Presumably Poots will play one of the young ladies. “True Blood”‘s Deborah Ann Woll is also attached to play one of the guys’ ex-wife in the film to be directed this month in New York by Tom Gormican.

Source: Deadline

Harrison Ford and Zac Efron are in negotiations to topline the thriller “You Belong To Me,” for director Rob Reiner, a person familiar with the project told TheWrap.

Richard Lewis, Alan Greisman and Mark Damon are producing the film, which is aiming for a March 2013 start date. The film is being presented to buyers at this week’s American Film Market in Santa Monica by Foresight Unlimited.

Ford would play a psychiatrist who has a difficult time after one of his female patients commits suicide. He ends up bonding with her brother James (Efron). But things become more difficult when he lets James into his life and James begins seducing his wife and daughter. The project is described along the lines of “Cape Fear.”

Reiner has directed a wide range of films, including “This Is Spinal Tap” and “When Harry Met Sally.” Greisman is Reiner’s producing partner.

The duo have worked on scores of films together, including “Flipped” and “The Bucket List.” Damon is handling some of the hottest films at the AFM, including “And So It Goes” with Michael Douglas and Diane Keaton, which Reiner, Damon and Greisman are producing.

Source: TheWrap

Are We Officially Dating? has snagged Zac Efron as one of the leads. The screenplay made the 2010 Blacklist (an annual ‘best of’ list that shines the spotlight on the best un-produced screenplays) and will be directed by writer Tom Gormican.

The Hollywood Reporter says filming’s expected to begin later this year.

Commenting on the romantic comedy, producer Justin Nappi stated: “Are We Officially Dating? is a story about timing and your 20s and just how difficult it can be. We’re thrilled to be teaming with Tom Gormican on his relatable script, which will resonate with a large audience.”

The official synopsis [courtesy of the Blacklist]: “A dating movie told from the male perspective about the lengths men will go through to avoid being officially in a relationship.”

Efron’s currently keeping busy on the festival circuit, with both At Any Price and The Paperboy screening at festivals.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, At Any Price is set to premiere at the 39th Telluride Film Festival.

A number of films will head directly to Telluride from their world premieres at the concurrent Venice Film Festival: Xavier Giannoli’s comedy Superstar, which looks at what happens when a man suddenly becomes famous; Ariel Vroman’s The Iceman, a dramatic feature in which Michael Shannon plays the real-life Mafia assassin Richard Kuklinski; Ramin Bahrani’s At Any Price, in which Dennis Quaid and Zac Efron play a father and son brought together to defend their family farm; Stories We Tell, a documentary in which actress-director Sarah Polley explores her family’s secrets; and Wadjda, the first feature from Haifaa Al Mansour, a female director overcoming the odds in her native Saudi Arabia to tell the story of a young girl who wants a bike.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter