Tradecraft: Playing Catch-Up

Sidney Bristow, Producer

Alias star Jennifer Garner has started her own production company with partner Juliana Janes and signed a first look deal with Warner Bros., according to Variety. "To start with, we'll develop material as potential starring vehicles for me," Garner said. "I'd have to be pretty passionate about something to commit to the project if I wasn't intending to be in it." Accordingly, the actress's Vandalia Films' initial slate is pretty heavy on romantic comedies, but does boast one title of interest to spy fans: an adaptation of Queen & Country vets Anthony Johnston (also responsible for the Alex Rider comics) and Mike Hawthorne's graphic novel Three Days In Europe. While the genre is more caper than spy, it's a great comic, and the comedic romantic adventure is also good middle ground for Garner somewhere between Alias and 13 Going On 30. Hugh Jackman is set to be her co-star.
(Via Michael May's Adventureblog)

(Film) Executive Actions

Film exec Charles Segars has taken action by acquiring Gary Grossman's trilogy of novels about DIA (and later Secret Service) agent Scott Roarke. "The books in the deal include Executive Actions, Executive Treason and an upcoming third novel in the series," reports Variety. The Manchurian-esque first novel follows Roarke's attempts to thwart a long-term sleeper agent eying the Presidency of the United States.

DreamWorks Eyes Real-Life Spy Thriller

The newly redesigned Hollywood Reporter reveals that DreamWorks is in negotiations to acquire a new CIA thriller from World Trade Center screenwriter Andrea Berloff. In keeping with its cloak-and-dagger themes, little is known about the project except that it's "based on the true story of two spies in the upper levels of the intelligence agency."

Acker's a Doll Now

Aintitcool reports that Angel co-star Amy Acker has joined the cast of Joss Whedon's upcoming Fox secret agent show, Dollhouse. Acker is no stranger to spy TV, her villainous Kelly Peyton was one of the highlights of Alias' final season. Dollhouse stars Eliza Dushku as a secret agent whose mind is wiped clean after each mission in order to create a whole new identity. Dushku, however, starts slowly gaining consciousness of her world and her confusing place in it.

More Austin Powers Rumors

Aintitcool also ran a story recently citing a Boston.com article as saying that a fourth Austin Powers movie was closer than thought to being a reality. According to the report, the script is finished and a leading lady has even already been cast: supermodel Gisele Bundchen. Previous rumors had hinted at a scenario focusing on Dr. Evil and his band of baddies rather than Austin. Even though the original was fairly brilliant, after two mediocre sequels I can't really get too excited over the prospect of more Mike Meyers spy shenanigans. The one upside, however, is that a new Powers title is sure to get studios sifting though their back catalogs for legit groovy Sixties spy movies to put on DVD around the time of its release, and that's really worth it right there! It was Goldmember, after all, that originally coaxed the Flint movies out of Fox, along with Fathom and Modesty Blaise...