The Trouble with Harry
With Warner Bros. anointing Chris
Columbus (Mrs. Doubtfire) as the director of Harry Potter and
the Sorcerer's Stone, one passed-over contender could be feeling
less than celebratory. Brad Silberling (City of Angels) was
approached by studio execs more than two years ago, but after
J.K. Rowling's series began appearing on the best-seller lists,
bigger names like Steven Spielberg expressed interest. Still,
Silberling wasn't completely dismissed: With Spielberg possibly
on board for the first Potter, the young director was considered
for a sequel. But now that Columbus has won the honor,
Silberling may be moving on with Warner Bros.' family drama
Baby's in Black, in which Susan Sarandon is expected to star.
Silberling won't comment, but a source close to him says he is
''devastated.... He saw the whole movie so vividly in his head.''
(Additional reporting by Jeff Jensen)
Curveball
Looks like the busiest actor on the planet, Keanu
Reeves, is about to take on another project. Now that Columbia
has put Andrew Bergman's political satire The Ottoman Empireinto turnaround, Reeves is circling Hardball: A Season in the
Projects, a drama for director Brian Robbins. Based on Daniel
Coyle's nonfiction book about his experience coaching baseball
in Chicago's inner city, Hardball has been in development since
1994, and was going to be Robbins' follow-up to Varsity Bluesuntil casting issues fouled things up. Robbins, who went on to
direct Ready to Rumble, hopes to return
to Hardball this summer, catching Reeves, who just wrapped Sam
Raimi's The Gift, after he completes the romantic drama Sweet
November and before he begins filming The Matrix 2 and 3back-to-back in Australia.
