Curious what Emile Hirsch is looking at for his next role?

Well, Variety has the answer, if you are curious (like me):

Emile Hirsch is taking a walk on the dark side for his next project.

The "Milk" thesp has signed on to star in the sci-fi pic "The Darkest Hour" for New Regency and Summit Entertainment.

The $40 million apocalyptic thriller revolves around a group of young adults struggling to survive in Russia after an alien invasion. Hirsch, who most recently starred in "Taking Woodstock," nabbed the lead, which had been a coveted role among younger thesps.

Chris Gorak ("Right at Your Door") will helm the pic, which begins lensing in Moscow in June. Les Bohem and Jon Spaihts penned the screenplay, which is described as in the vein of "28 Days Later."

Timur Bekmambetov is producing alongside Tom Jacobson.

Summit will distribute Stateside, and New Regency and Fox Intl. will handle overseas.

-Thoughts?

Emile Hirsch brainstorming on an "age appropriate" modern day version of Hamlet?

Seems as much (it's also been a day for remake news it seems), if this piece in Variety is to be believed:
Overture Films is developing a modern-day adaptation of "Hamlet" to star Emile Hirsch. "Twilight" helmer Catherine Hardwicke is on board to direct, with Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen producing.
Ron Nyswaner ("Philadelphia," "The Painted Veil") is adapting the Shakespeare story into a tale set in contempo America.
Jinks and Cohen credited Hirsch with coming up with the idea for the modernized version. The producers noted that there hasn't been a movie version with an appropriately aged actor playing the role. Overture said it hopes to have a finished script in the coming months, with principal photography commencing soon thereafter.
Hirsch previously worked with Jinks and Cohen on "Milk" and with Hardwicke on "Lords of Dogtown."
"Hamlet" has been adapted numerous times for the screen, including Laurence Olivier's 1948 version, which won the best picture Oscar.
Other notable "Hamlet" pics include a 1969 version directed by Tony Richardson and starring Nicol Williamson, Franco Zeffirelli's 1990 film starring Mel Gibson and Kenneth Branagh's 1996 version.
-This has huge potential if it comes together properly, but that's a big if...what do you think?

This week is a rough one for DVD Lovers...

Indeed, the only film I can muster any kind of enthusiasm for was barely released in theaters and is seen as a rather large failure. It is however, my PICK OF THE WEEK. It's:
Killshot
It seemed like this film sat on the shelf forever, and it almost never got released. It finally did come out for a few weeks and it was nowhere near as bad a thriller (or a film) as most films that sit unreleased as long as this one did tend to be. All of the cast do a decent enough job, with Mickey Rourke, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Thomas Jane, Diane Lane, and Rosario Dawson giving this more star power than many wide releases. Throw in fair direction by John Maddon and this is a better film than you might expect.
-The only other major release is New In Town, and Renee Zellweger did nothing for her sagging career with this limp romantic comedy.
-Worth a small note is the direct to DVD release of Powder Blue, an ensemble drama ala Crash which was notable when it was first announced for featuring a Jessica Biel nude scene. If that's your sole reason for looking up a movie, this is one to take a look at, though it also has Forest Whitaker, Ray Liotta, Patrick Swayze, Lisa Kudrow, and Kris Kristofferson to boot.
-My Vintage pick this week is an early Emile Hirsch film called The Mudge Boy. This tale of an outsider dealing with loneliness and the death of his mother in an odd way features a fantastic performance by Hirsch and sublime work by Richard Jenkins as his confused father. Check it out, it's a great little film.
-What will you be watching on DVD this week?