Warner Bros continues to power ahead with Winter's Tale, its rather improbable adaptation of Mark Helprin's classic and seemingly unadaptable novel.  Last month, the studio cast Downtown Abbey's Jessica Brown Findlay as female lead Beverly Penn, and we've been left wondering just who would play Peter Lake, the rakish burglar and world-class second story man who falls for her.  Our wondering might just be over, as Variety is reporting that Warner Bros. has offered the role to Colin Farrell.

The DC Comics character of Lobo has, somewhat improbably, been the subject of numerous attempts at cinematic adaptation, including the long, long-ago rumored Superman movie that would pit the Kryptonian against the big blue alien biker.  Unlike many of the squeaky clean inhabitants of the DC Universe, Lobo is a different beast, a grizzled alien with no morals and a love of the old ultra-violence.  So it's somewhat surprising that Warner Bros has hired the director of Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore to develop Lobo.

Wedding Crashers, Fred Claus, and The Change-Up director David Dobkin is looking to make a big departure with Arthur & Lancelot, a big-budget medieval adventure tale. Warner Bros. seemed very much on board until late last year, when budgetary considerations halted then appeared to kill the project outright.  Apparently Arthur & Lancelot is still alive, albeit without its previously-cast leading men, as Colin Farrell is now reportedly in talks to play one of the two leads.

You may have read the recent story that Bullet in the Head is having a little behind the scenes trouble, with star Sylvester Stallone taking over the editorial process from Walter Hill.  You may have read that rumor all over the place, including right here.  Naturally, it seemed unfortunate and potentially unlikely that the director of The Warriors, 48 Hrs., and Streets of Fire would lose control of his first feature film in a decade.  It seemed that way for a reason, according to distributor Warner Bros. and Hill himself, as a press release denies the rumor in no uncertain terms.

As Superman is to superheroes, Steven Spielberg is to directors.  He's the biggest, the most immediately identifiable by the vast majority of moviegoers, and he's the first guy people think of when they hear the word "director."  It makes a certain kind of sense, then, that the biggest director around would be attracted to one of the biggest stories ever told.  According to Deadline, The Bearded One is nearing a deal with Warner Bros to direct Gods and Kings, a new take on the tale of Moses that frames the Old Testament figure principally as a warrior.

Before The Hangover became the biggest R rated comedy of all time and grossed almost half a billion dollars worldwide in 2009, its three central actors, Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Zach Galifianakis, were all known to smaller audiences, but not one was a bona fide movie star.  Turns out, Warner Bros hadn't been expecting a franchise back when all three signed on to the first film, meaning they were able to obtain a big compensation jump for last summer's The Hangover Part II. 

With the sequel having grossed a massive $581 million globally, the studio is eager to complete a trilogy, eager enough that Cooper, Helms, and Galifianakis are nearing final deals for an even bigger payday on The Hangover Part III.

Two weeks after halting pre-production on Akira for at least the second time, Warner Bros. has now put another would-be blockbuster on hold, taking the medieval action film Arthur & Lancelot off its release calendar for next year.  Like that science fiction remake, Arthur & Lancelot isn't officially dead, but is on life support while the studio attempts to work out a smaller budget.  And speaking of big budget Warner Bros. movies, Bryan Singer's 3D fantasy adventure Jack the Giant Killer has been pushed back from June 2012 to March 2013.

Budgetary concerns have prompted Warner Bros. to shut down pre-production on Akira, the live-action adaptation of Katsuhiro Otomo's hugely influential 1988 anime classic, which is itself an adaptation of Otomo's sprawling manga series.  After falling apart repeatedly, it looked like the whitewashed version of Akira was finally coming together under director Jaume Collet-Serra, what with the studio giving it the green light in October and all.  Now, this particular iteration is also looking increasingly unlikely.

If you happen to be making a tentpole movie with a budget over $100 million, you might want to be mindful of the bottom line.  Not too long at after news that Legendary Pictures is postponing the start of production on Paradise Lost due to a budget that has swelled from 10% to 15% over its initial $120 figure, we're now hearing that Warner Bros is so concerned about the budgetary waistline of Arthur & Lancelot that the studio will simply opt out of the project if it can't be made cheaper.

The West Coast is finally going to get punch drunk on Butterbeer.  Warner Bros and Universal Studios have formally announced that The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the theme park attraction which has been doing gangbusters business in Orlando, Florida, will be getting a counterpart at Universal Studios in Hollywood.  That's right, just because the theatrical franchise concluded with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 doesn't mean that JK Rowling's world of the Boy Who Lived can't continue to be a cash cow with golden teats.  Not only will Hogwarts and Hogsmeade show in Los Angeles, but the original location is also set for an expansion.  The space previously occupied by the Jaws Amity Island attraction at Universal Studios Orlando will soon be home to Harry Potter's London, Diagon Alley, and The Hogwarts Express.