Ryan Murphy – the man behind TV’s Glee and American Horror Story – is returning to horror with plans to pen a new sci-fi project that is being set up at Sony Pictures, to be co-written by Brian Miller.

For those of you who sat through 2010′s Eat, Pray, Love, you know just how horrifying a Murphy chiller can be. With Miller having written last year’s found footage shocker Apollo 18,  the untitled project – for which details are firmly under wraps – will follow Murphy’s next scheduled release, an adaptation of Larry Kramer’s AIDS centric play, The Normal Heart.

Should anyone still have reservations for the film’s potential, the news that it is to be co-produced by Drive’s John Palermo (alongside Murphy) goes some way to readdressing the project’s cool quotient.

Variety had this one first.

Glee creator Ryan Murphy is no stranger to The Rocky Horror Show. Having just finished work on an episode of his hit show that pays homage to the classic, putting the ‘time warp’ in the capable hands of William McKinley High School’s Glee Club, Murphy has been approached by Fox 2000 regarding a remake of the cult hit (via Deadline).

The Rocky Horror Show – which still enjoys sell-out screenings thirty-five years after its initial release – has grossed north of £100 million to date, making it the longest running theatrical release of all time and ripe for a re-imagining. Responsible for launching Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick to fame, the musical has quite the legacy.

Murphy, whose Eat Pray Love is still finding an audience in cinemas, is already committed to an adaptation of Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart and an untitled romantic comedy for Sony Pictures Entertainment – for which he was paid $5 million to write and direct – that will reunite him with Julia Roberts.

Should Murphy take The Rocky Horror Show under his experienced wing, the phenomenon may well be in good hands. To be certain, however, we will have to wait until October 26th when the relevant episode of Glee jumps to the left, then takes a step to the right etc.

So readers, let’s do the time warp again?!

Eat Pray Love – in case you are unfamiliar with the phenomenon – follows Julia Roberts’ Liz as she embarks on a quest to find balance in her life following a messy divorce.

Finding solace in the Italian language, the teachings of a boyfriend’s guru and the prophecy she once received from a Balinese medicine man, she sets off on a year-long trip that will teach her pleasure in Italy, spirituality in India, and a means to balance the two in Indonesia.

Based on the esteemed novel by Elizabeth Gilbert, the story has already accumulated a considerable fanbase around the world – the book has been a mainstay on the New York Times Bestseller list for an incredible 187 weeks. Humbling, funny and achingly honest, Gilbert chronicles her recovery, new-found indulgences and burgeoning spirituality in a way that is compelling while, at times miraculously, never hokey.

I cannot say I have ever ascribed to the often recited ‘the book is better’ mantra which reliably haunts the release of any adaptation; I can appreciate the strengths of the Harry Potter movies and was lost in awe at Peter Jackson’s foray into Middle Earth. However, while scenes and chapters can generally be added or discarded without jeopardising narrative integrity, there is one thing a successful adaptation must never lose in translation: theme.

You might not have expected this to be a problem for a movie which, like its authored forebear, bears its themes in the title. However, Ryan Murphy (complete with his trademark cheese – for better or worse) has nevertheless confused the message which Gilbert travelled the globe to realise.

Amidst all of the food-porn, postcard-perfect locations and bumper-sticker philosophy, Eat Pray Love never really emanates the desperation, heart or wonder that radiated from the source novel in such abundance – resulting in a surprisingly hollow experience. With the movie telling audiences they can’t be happy without another half – the creator of Glee has not only confused Gilbert’s conclusion, but inverted it.

That said, the movie succeeds on a number of levels. Taken on its own, Eat Pray Love boasts an astonishing central performance from Julia Roberts. Her Liz is relatable, intriguing and enigmatic – the perfect throughline for a movie constantly in flux as it uproots from one culture to another. The supporting performances are similarly competent; Richard Jenkins’ Richard from Texas and Javier Bardem’s love interest providing perfect foils for Roberts’ earnest, if sometimes cringe-worthy, musings. It also has some heartfelt and moving moments, with the portion set in Rome escaping relatively unscathed compared to other sections of the narrative.

At 140 minutes, though, the film is too long, with characters coming and going (which gives this true story a strangely staged feel – as though they are serving some intricate ‘plot’), sudden changes in location and an overuse of voice-over; the film often lacks momentum, particularly in the beginning before the quest has even begun.

While it is easy to see why Murphy has left so much in (you must empathise with Liz before she embarks on her no-expenses-spared world trip or not at all), his reluctance to cut scenes leads to eventual disengagement due to ass-cramp – a failing no amount of montages can remedy.

Considering it was the movie’s first Florence + the Machine infused trailer that spurred me into reading the book, it seems strange to criticise the film for failing to move or inspire me the same way its source material did. While it took me a while to accept the books inherent mysticism, the spirituality is undeservedly diluted for cinema audiences, the dialing down of the story’s Pray element resulting in an unforgivably forgettable experience while inadvertently sullying the numerous teachings in their uncontextualised brevity.

This, however, is a review of the film itself. Excellent casting, bright and evanescent visuals, and an assortment of consistently outstanding performances go some way to offset the bloated pace, botched cameos and indulgent direction. This is by no means a bad movie, it just isn’t a particularly great movie either.

With more sight-seeing than soul-searching, Ryan Murphy’s Eat Pray Love is regardless a feel-good film with enough substance to keep the majority entertained while Julia Roberts eats, prays and loves.  While the story’s inherent spiritualism may prove too much for some, Eat Pray Love promises witty and intelligent, if indulgent, entertainment for anyone willing to give it a go.  For maximum appreciation, however, and a better understanding of this incredible true story, let the movie wait for a week and treat yourself to one of the most incredible memoirs this decade has to offer.

Last night, London’s Leicester Square saw the UK premiere of Julia Roberts’ new movie, Eat Pray Love which is based on the book by Elizabeth Gilbert.

Our friends from Upbeat were on the red carpet for the Premiere and we get to hear from Roberts and her co-stars which include Richard Jenkins, the producer, Dede Gardner, director, Ryan Murphy and the Author of the book on which the movie is based, Elizabeth Gilbert.

Eat Pray Love is released in UK cinemas this Friday, 24th September.

As always, we were on the red carpet to and you can keep track of our live updates by following our @HeyUGuysLive Twitter account.

The Expendables has topped the US box office in it’s opening weekend, taking an estimated $35M, surpassing all expectations, while proving these actions stars aren’t past their prime quite yet.

Ryan Murphy’s romantic comedy, featuring Julia Roberts and Javier Bardem, landed in second place with a solid $27.7M, while the buddy action-thriller The Other Guys slipped down to third, taking roughly $18M.

Christopher Nolan’s psychological thriller held strong at fourth place, taking $11.4M, benefiting from positive word-of-mouth and repeated viewings. Edgar Wright’s long-awaited, and highly anticipated, Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World landed at fifth, opening to an extremely disappointing $10.5. Perhaps making it one of the year’s most anticipated failures?

Rounding off the top ten were Despicable Me ($6.7M), Step Up 3D ($6.6M), Salt ($6.4), Dinner For Schmucks ($6.3) and Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore ($4M).

Figures provided by BoxOfficeMojo.

You may want to mark this one as pure speculation, but it is being suggested by MTV today that James Franco (Pineapple Express) might appear in The Twilight Saga’s Breaking Dawn. Franco, whose 127 Hours has been garnering buzz among test-screen audiences, arrived at an interview with Esquire cradling a book. When quizzed, the actor reluctantly identified the novel as the first in Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series claiming

“It’s for a project.”

The likelihood that he meant that particular project is debatable, Franco’s reps being unavailable to confirm or deny the story before MTV went to press.

His insistence that the project was “way off”, however, seem to rule out Breaking Dawn as the movie in question.

All that can be safely inferred at this point is that Franco has read the first book, he said of it

“It’s crazy how much sexual tension there is, It just builds and builds. I mean it never stops. It’s sort of explosive by the end. Crazy. Like they’ll blow up with it. And of course, they don’t. Which is the point too, I guess.”

Whether the ex-Harry Osborne intends on appearing in Breaking Dawn, he is genuinely considering writing a children’s book or whether he was researching vampires or teen hysteria for another project we can’t be sure, but with the films release date little over a year away we shouldn’t have to wait long to find out. However, with the entire existing cast signed to return, it is difficult to imaging which part Franco might play.

James Franco can next be seen alongside Julia Roberts in Eat Pray Love ahead of his starring role in Danny Boyle’s upcoming 127 Hours.

For our first look at Franco in the latter, click here.

In an interview with MTV, Ryan Murphy, the mastermind behind Fox’s hit show Glee, has confirmed his involvement in an adaptation of Larry Kramer’s play, The Normal Heart.

“I’m directing it from Larry Kramer’s beautiful script and we’re going to shoot that in June of next year,” Murphy was quoted as saying. “I think it’s an important story and I think Mark Ruffalo is just beyond brilliant so I’m very excited to be directing him.”

Mark Ruffalo, who confirmed his involvement a few weeks ago, will presumably play the lead role.

The synopsis of the play is detailed below:

The story of the play closely follows Kramer’s life, with Ned Weeks representing Kramer during the period in 1981 and 1982 when he co-founded the Gay Men’s Health Crisis. Other characters represent his brother Arthur Kramer and his other close associates.

Not much else is known about The Normal Heart. However, expect more details to be revealed when production starts next June.

As for Murphy’s involvement in the possible big-screen adaptation of Wicked, he’s not necessarily in talks yet. He said when asked about the project, “I think that show is about empowerment, which is what Glee and Eat Pray Love are about, so it would be an honour to be asked to direct the adaptation.”

Murphy’s latest directorial effort, Eat Pray Love, will open in UK cinemas on September 24.

Recently reported to be in the running for the film adaptation of the hit stage musical Wicked, and with his TV series Glee commissioned for a further two seasons,  Ryan Murphy finds himself a very busy man.

Even more so when news breaks today (via Deadline) that Sony pictures are offering Murphy a $5 million deal to write and direct a star vehicle for Julia Roberts, an actress who’s undoubtedly talented but a prospect that no longer seems to excite audiences.

Here’s how Deadline describe the film,

In the romantic comedy, Julia will play a working woman married to a stay-at-home husband. She loses her job, their roles are reversed, and she has to adjust to motherhood.

Plan B’s Brad Pitt and Dede Gardner, who have a hand in Eat Pray Love – the forthcoming film in which Murphy directed Roberts, are set to produce the new film alongside Murphy.

So the pair obviously like working together but with a release date not even yet set for the UK, and Robert’s failing to score at the box office it’s uncertain how Eat Pray Love and this future picture will fare.

As reported by Jenny Clayton.

Sony Pictures have just sent us this brand new HD trailer for Julia Roberts’ new movie, Eat Pray Love. If you want something vibrant and beautiful then this is the trailer for you. The movie is directed by Ryan Murphy and also stars Julia Roberts, James Franco, Richard Jenkins, Viola Davis, Billy Crudup, and Javier Bardem.

Synopsis: Liz Gilbert (Julia Roberts) had everything a modern woman is supposed to dream of having – a husband, a house, a successful career – yet like so many others, she found herself lost, confused, and searching for what she really wanted in life. Newly divorced and at a crossroads, Gilbert steps out of her comfort zone, risking everything to change her life, embarking on a journey around the world that becomes a quest for self-discovery.  In her travels, she discovers the true pleasure of nourishment by eating in Italy; the power of prayer in India, and, finally and unexpectedly, the inner peace and balance of true love in Bali.  Based upon the bestselling memoir by Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love proves that there really is more than one way to let yourself go and see the world.

Eat Pray Love is released in the UK 24th September. Check out the new trailer embedded below.

This movie title always gets me stumped, does it have commas in to make Eat, Pray, Love or is it plain and simple Eat Pray Love?! Acording to the IMDb is the former but this new poster which shows Julia Roberts eating ice cream would suggest the latter! I am also presuming that the ice cream is the ‘Eat’ part of the movie and maybe we’ll see some prayin and lovin poster in due course!

Oh well, who cares! Here indeed is the new poster for the movie titled as per one of the above which is directed by Ryan Murphy and also stars James Franco, Javier Bardem and Billy Crudup. It’s released in the UK 24^th September and in the US August 13th.

Yahoo have debuted the new trailer for Julia Roberts’ latest movie which is called ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ and it looks rather intriguing. It’s based on a true story focusing on the life of Liz Gilbert who isn’t fulfilled in life and goes on a quest of sorts to try to find that fulfillment. It’s released in the UK 24^th September 2010.

Eat, Pray, Love is directed by Ryan Murphy and also stars  Richard Jenkins, Javier Bardem, Viola Davis, James Franco and Billy Crudup. It’s scheduled for release in August in the US – no UK release date as yet. I’ve placed the trailer below or head to Yahoo to view in HD.

Synopsis: Liz Gilbert had everything a modern woman is supposed to dream of having — a husband, a house, a successful career — yet like so many others, she found herself lost, confused, and searching for what she really wanted in life. Newly divorced and at a crossroads, Gilbert steps out of her comfort zone, risking everything to change her life, embarking on a journey around the world that becomes a quest for self-discovery. In her travels, she discovers the true pleasure of nourishment by eating in Italy; the power of prayer in India, and, finally and unexpectedly, the inner peace and balance of true love in Bali.