Earlier today, Elisabeth shared with you a Slate story that questioned whether United Artists photoshopped a picture of Claus von Stauffenberg so that it would look more like Tom Cruise when they were promoting the casting of the actor in Bryan Singer’s Valkyrie. That post is over here. Read it. Love it. Investigate! In the same Slate story, however, they talk a bit about Mission Impossible 4. There’s been rumblings recently of a new Mission Impossible — how Cruise and Paramount’s Sumner Redstone wined and dined one another — leading many to believe they may patch things up and move forward on a sequel. Wonderful. Fabulous. Let’s hold hands.

Not so fast. Slate says Paramount offered Cruise the chance to produce the sequel (they have to since it’s in his contract), but not star in it. Not star? Cruise? No way. And that’s exactly what happened: Cruise turned down their offer. Now, says Slate, Paramount may hold off on making a new Mission Impossible until their contract with Cruise’s production company expires. This will then free them up to go out, cast some hot young stud as the new Ethan Hunt (or some other random Hunt-type dude), and continue along with a fairly popular action franchise.

But should they?

The buzzing murmur for Sin City 2 has been going on for eons now, making fans die a slow death in anxious anticipation. And, for most of that time, Angelina Jolie’s name has been in the mix. Back in 2006, Rosario Dawson said that Robert Rodriguez was putting the whole thing on hold due to Jolie’s pregnancy. Since then, the project has remained in limbo — a will they or won’t they cycle that doesn’t look like it will wrap up any time soon.

But now MTV has talked to Jolie about the potential project while discussing her new film, Wanted. Will she take on Ava Lord in A Dame to Kill For? “I don’t know. I found the first Sin City impressive, but I don’t know what they’re going to do with the next one to make [it] as original as the first one.” Well, it’s more story on the folks of Sin City, so I imagine it will be a bunch of fresh chills and thrills in the same style — I’m not so sure what originality she’s hoping for.

Now, she did go on to say she would be curious if she was offered the role. I can’t tell if she’s being polite, or really interested. However, aside from her upcoming delivery and family tending, there’s not a lot on her plate, so I imagine it would be easy to slip another dose of Sin City in. Is it time for the Dame? And should Jolie be Ava Lord?

This is too good not to share. It’s no secret that I wasn’t pleased with the last round of Amelia pics that hit the net. Hilary Swank just looked goofy, and the images did nothing to drum up excitement. In fact, it did just the opposite. But man, the picture above, part of a slew that went up on Oh No They Didn’t, is definitely worth it.

Finally, we’ve got Swank in the flying ensemble! She’s got on the obligatory leather jacket, cap, and goggles, although the wardrobe gurus seem to have decided against Earhart’s oft-worn scarf, and selected a striped tie instead. But that’s not all. We know that it’s Richard Gere standing on the right, but do you recognize the woman on the left? I’ve loved her since Fire with Fire, but didn’t notice at first that the lady in red is, indeed, Virginia Madsen. Okay, I’m a bit more excited now.

You?

You might remember a new film I posted about last year called Son of Mourning. The film was set to star Joseph Cross (Running with Scissors) as a young man who goes to Florida to process his parent’s divorce. While there, he is mistaken for the Messiah, and has to decide what he wants with his new-found fame — to help himself out, or to help the world. Just to make things more interesting, the world is in the midst of an international climate crisis. Tim Curry, Heather Graham, and Barbara Hershey had also signed on for roles.

And now we’re getting some female Sopranos in the mix, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Both Lorraine Bracco and Jamie-Lynn Sigler have signed on to the indie satire. Bracco will play Cross’ soon-to-be-divorced mom, while Sigler will play his love interest. Originally, I’d imagined that Hershey and Curry will be the parents, but sadly, it looks like they might have left the project. (No!) The THR story only lists Graham, and the IMDb listing doesn’t mention Barbara Hershey and says that Curry is only a rumored addition. If any of you Mourning crew are reading, give us the low-down!