INDUSTRY NEWS

Wednesday, March 10 2010 08:41

JOHN KRASINSKI CLOSER TO PLAYING CAPTAIN AMERICA: The odds of John Krasinski playing Captain American on the big screen are increasing. Several weeks after his initial screen test was reported, sources are saying he's the "favorite" to get the part. Sources told Fox411, "John has read 4 times and is doing screen tests. He has screen tested 2 times so far. It's very likely that he will be the new Captain America."

ROBERT DE NIRO TO PLAY VINCE LOMBARDI: Robert De Niro will reportedly star as legendary coach Vince Lombardi in the feature film Lombardi. Variety reports that Eric Roth has signed on to pen the script, which will chronicle the coach's career during the years he transformed the Green Bay Packers from the worst team in the NLF into five-time champs.

QUENTIN TARANTINO SUED: A man is suing Quentin Tarantino, claiming that the director stole his idea for Kill Bill. TMZ.com reports that Dannez Hunter says in 1999 he submitted a treatment to Miramax about a fictional character named Ren and eventually Miramax, Harvey Weinstein and Tarantino ripped off his work, including the "concept/character name Ren." Some of the ideas he claims were stolen include Ren witnessing her mother's sadistic murder and the knife through the mother's abdomen. He also says that he applied for a job at Miramax but "was never given a return phone call, as numerous similar situated less qualified Jewish and White people were bestowed job after job after job."

NBC RENEWS MISS UNIVERSE: NBC has renewed its deal with Donald Trump and the Miss Universe organization to air the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants for three more years beginning in 2011. The announcement comes a week after TLC said it would not renew its telecast deal with the veteran Miss America organization.

LIV TYLER STARRING IN 'THE LEDGE': Liv Tyler and Patrick Wilson will star in the upcoming suspense film The Ledge. The Hollywood Reporter announced that the stars join Terrence Howard and Charlie Hunnam in the story of a man (Hunnam) standing on a high-rise ledge who insists he must jump by noon as the policeman below (Howard) tries to manage the situation.