Film Flash! Reese's pieces

We all know how intelligent and clued up This is London readers are, so we're making sure you've got the inside track on what's under development in Tinseltown with our weekly updates! Every Friday...

Updated Friday 21 May 2004...

Reese Witherspoon has been signed up to star in the romantic comedy Sammy. Variety says Witherspoon would play a woman who can sense what animals are thinking.

Disney is planning to film two sequels to Pirates of the Caribbean - and it looks as if Keith Richards will guest star. Richards has apparently agreed to play Captain Jack Sparrow's father.

Samantha Morton, Kiefer Sutherland and Cliff Curtis are to star in a film about the Maori land wars of the late 19th century. It focuses on a young woman caught in the midst of the land wars.

OutKast's Andre 3000 is to star in a new film about a musical prodigy.He has signed up with Element Films to make what is being dubbed the untitled Andre Benjamin project.

Jack Black has been cast by Peter Jackson for his new King Kong remake. Commenting on the role, Black said: "Some people say I am starting to look like him. Maybe that's true, maybe we are very alike."