When you go to the Fandango page for Jack Black and Michael Cera's Year One there's a small box where they list "Similar Movies You Might Like." Now, this box assumes that you like the movie whose page you're on. Considering that most people who go to Fandango haven't even seen the movie they're looking up yet, it's a strange feature. In this context, they're more like recommendations for movies you should stay home and watch instead of the movie you're about to buy tickets for. Dear God, how I wish I'd taken that little box's advice.

Tags: David Cross, Jack Black, Mel Brooks, Michael Cera, Monty Python, Paul Rudd, Year One

What do you get when you take Jack Black, The Bourne Identity, and a couple of pretty talented comedy writers? About what you'd expect, really. The Hollywood Reporter announced today that Black was teaming up with Kung Fu Panda writers Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger for an untitled, live-action, action-comedy at Universal. Described as a comedic The Bourne Identity, the project, which was picked up as a pitch for a seven-figure deal, will see Black as an American who finds himself washed up the shores of Cuba with no idea of who he is and how he got there. He comes to the conclusion that he must be a superspy, though in reality he is far from one.

Tags: Bourne Identity, Jack Black, Kung Fu Panda

If we look carefully at the movie trends of 2008, it's not hard to make a few predictions for the year ahead. Sure, some of these may seem kind of crazy, or maybe they sound flat-out impossible. But just remember these seven words: Steven Soderbergh to direct Cleopatra rock musical. Anything can happen, so get in on the ground floor of these predictions while you can!

Tags: Jack Black, James Cameron, predictions, Scarlett Johansson, Steven Soderbergh, Will Ferrell, Woody Allen

I am officially declaring today Talking Animals Day. Among the other gabby movie animals in the news today, it seems hungry bears have also stumbled into today's headlines in a big way: pop culture's oldest, Yogi Bear, and newest, Po, will both be heading to the big screen. True, we reported back in August that DreamWorks Animation was planning a sequel to the overwhelmingly successful Kung Fu Panda, but it was announced today that both Jack Black and Angelina Jolie among other original cast members, would be coming back. The original film's writers Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger have also signed on for the sequel, which will be directed by the original's head of story, Jennifer Yuh Nelson. The sequel, to be released in 2011, will follow panda bear Po, the world's biggest kung fu fan, as he continues his journey as the chosen one who fulfills an ancient prophecy while mastering the art of kung fu. And also, no doubt, eating all of Monkey's cookies along the way.

Tags: Angelina Jolie, cartoon, Jack Black, Kung Fu Panda, movie, remake, Yogi Bear

Welcome to today's episode of "When Keepin' It Fake Goes Bad!" News item: Using the patented New Yorker magazine "It's satire, folks!" excuse wasn't enough to keep Dreamworks from getting into hot water over its movie-within-a-movie website for Simple Jack. Simple Jack is a feature within Ben Stiller's upcoming war-and-blackface satire, Tropic Thunder, wherein Stiller's character, Tugg Speedman, attempts to win an Oscar by playing a mentally challenged man. The marketing folks at Dreamworks thought it would be a great idea to publicize the film-within-a-film by making a fake website for it. After all, it worked for their other film-within-a-film, Satan's Alley, as well as for Kirk Lazarus, the actor played by Robert Downey Jr. in Thunder. With Simple Jack, however, Dreamworks' marketing team got their pictures hung up on the jackass wall. Apparently nobody at the studio thought anyone would be offended by Simple Jack's tagline: "Once upon a time, there was a retard." They wuz WRONG! Folks got upset, and the website for Simple Jack got Simply Canned.

Tags: Ben Stiller, Jack Black, mentally retarded, Robert Downey Jr., Simple Jack, Tropic Thunder

I have yet to form an opinion about whether or not I'm excited that there's a School of Rock sequel in the works, so let's hash it out together, shall we?

Tags: Chuck & Buck, Guitar Hero, Jack Black, Joan Cusack, Mike White, School of Rock, Stevie Nicks, The Butterfly Effect, The Good Girl

Jack Black is about to be a Yahoo. Well, more of one than normal, anyway. 20th Century Fox is moving forward with production on a version of Gulliver's Travels, and it will be the actor's next project. Fox's take will be a modern version, with Black playing the title character Lemuel Gulliver as a travel writer who, on an assignment to the Bermuda Triangle, suddenly finds himself a giant among men when he washes ashore on the hidden island of Lilliput, home to a population of industrious, yet tiny, people. Which, being a girl over 6 feet tall, is kind of how I feel on the elevator every day.

Tags: Gulliver's Travels, Jack Black, remake

Disney's in the news today. Variety reports that the Mouse went to China recently and came back with a deal for "rights in all territories" for a new family-friendly pic. Not to be outdone by DreamWorks and Jack Black's admittedly impressive kung fu, Disney will offer its own panda fare to satisfy your "aww, isn't that sweet" tooth. The live-action Touch of the Panda is the story of an orphaned boy who rescues a young panda. Did I say "sweet"? Your overpriced theater Milk Duds will taste like lemons and battery acid by comparison!

Tags: Disney, Jack Black, Kung Fu Panda, Night at the Museum, Science Fair, Touch of the Panda