Ghost in the Shell: Takeshi Kitano (above in Beyond Outrage), a veteran actor and filmmaker, will join Scarlett Johansson in Ghost in the Shell. Rupert Sanders (Snow White and the Huntsman) is set to direct the live-action movie, based on a Japanese manga about a counter-cyberterrorist organization. Kitano is a prolific and popular presence in Japan on television and in films; his last appearance in a Hollywood production came in 1995's Johnny Mnemonic. [Cinema Today via TwitchFilm]
Baywatch: David Hasselhoff, who starred in the television series Baywatch as lifeguard Mitch Buchannon, will join Dwayne Johnson in a big-screen version of Baywatch. Johnson, who is playing Buchannon in the movie, says that Hasselhoff is in "the best shape he's been in years," though he did not specify what role Hasselhoff would be playing. The movie is scheduled for release on May 19, 2017. [Facebook]
Meg: Jon Turteltaub (National Treasure; The Sorcerer's Apprentice, above, with Nicolas Cage) is "circling" the job of directing Meg, based on a 1997 novel by Steve Alten. The story follows a deep-sea diver who encounters a giant predatory creature, which he identifies as a species of shark presumed to be extinct. The project has been in development ever since it was published; Eli Roth was attached to direct last year, but has since dropped out. [Deadline]
Nina Trailer: Zoe Saldana stars as legendary singer Nina Simone in the first trailer for Nina. David Oyelowo also stars; the movie will open in theaters on April 22. [Movieclips]
