Wednesday news take – April 30, 2008

Ugly Betty goes ‘Invisible’
Television star America Ferrera is set to star in the lead role of “An Invisible Sign of My Own,” a film based on a novel by Aimee Bender, according to The Hollywood Reporter.   

Written by Michael Ellis and Pamela Falk, the film follows Ferrera as a 20-year-old who teaches math and helps her students get through their crises. Marilyn Agrelo, who celebrated a huge success with her documentary “Mad Hot Ballroom,” will direct the film.

Ferrera has been busy working on her role in TV’s successful “Ugly Betty,” for which she won a Golden Globe. Her first big role on the big screen was in “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants,” and she recently completed filming the sequel, due in theaters this summer. Ferrera can also currently be seen in “Under the Same Moon.”


‘Bad’ boy to board ‘Transformers 2’?
EW.com reported Tuesday that “Superbad” lead Jonah Hill is in talks to join Shia LaBeouf in Michael Bay’s “Transformers 2.” Hill is expected to do his routine and add a little bit of humor to the flick.

Hill can currently be seen in the Judd Apatow-produced “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.” He’s also filming “This Side of the Truth” for Ricky Gervais, in which he will star opposite Tina Fey and Jennifer Garner.   

Jonah babbling nonsense alongside battling robots? Bring it on! “Transformers 2” will head into production later this summer.


Martin Cambell to helm spy thriller
According to Variety, Martin Campbell will be directing a spy thriller developed by “24” co-creator Joel Surnow. United Artists and Lakeshore Entertainment have teamed up to produce the flick.

No plot details have been released yet, but Surnow is expected to write the script with “24” buddy Michael Loceff. Early rumors also point to a possible casting of Tom Cruise in the lead. Cruise partially owns UA.

Campbell most recently directed the James Bond adventure “Casino Royale.” He has several projects in development, including “36” and “Unstoppable.” His directing credits also include “GoldenEye” and “The Mask of Zorro.”


‘Blindness’ to open Cannes film fest
Yep, nobody saw this coming. Variety announced Tuesday that director Fernando Meirelles’ mystery drama “Blindness” will open the 61st edition of the Cannes Film Festival on May 14, 2008.

A couple of weeks ago we reported about the interesting trailer for the film, in which an epidemic of blindness descends upon a city without warning. The film is based on a novel by Nobel Prize winner Jose Saramago, and stars Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo.

Those not lucky enough to enjoy the film in Cannes will have to wait for the official U.S. release on Oct. 3, 2008. Meirelles also directed “City of God” and “The Constant Gardener.”

Check out the trailer HERE.