While Universal execs are eager to lure Foster back to the project (they could offer her more money, a new script, or a different start date), she has her heart set on directing Claire Danes in ''Flora Plum,'' which would make her unavailable for a full year. And the prospect of recasting the role -- Helen Hunt, Angelina Jolie, Cate Blanchett, Calista Flockhart, and Gillian Anderson are favorites of casting directors and Internet speculation -- is a gamble. ''Jodie is synonymous with the part,'' says the head of a rival major studio. ''I don't think I would do it [now]. It's too much risk on a costly investment.'' Foster's costar Anthony Hopkins, meanwhile, likes the script and is willing to join on if a suitable deal can be made. But you can expect that any such signing will cost Universal more than some fava beans and a nice chianti.
Read the complete story in the Jan. 14 issue of Entertainment Weekly.
(Additional reporting by Judith I. Brennan, Jeff Jensen, and Tricia Johnson)
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