Director of ‘Chipmunks’ Sequel in Talks for ‘Desperados’

Betty Thomas is in talks to direct Desperados, the Universal comedy that is acting as a starring vehicle for Isla Fisher.

Wayne McClammy, the director behind the Sarah Silverman and Jimmy Kimmel viral videos “I’m F—ing Matt Damon” and “I’m F—ing Ben Affleck,” was previously on board but left due to creative differences, according to sources.

Written by Ellen Rapoport, Desperados is described as a female-oriented Hangover.

The story is about a woman who sends an indignant email to her new beau, who has gone silent after they have sex, only to discover he’s comatose in a Mexican hospital. Panicking, she races south of the border with her friends in tow to intercept the email before he recovers.

Mark Gordon, Jason Blum and Jennifer Todd are producing. Universal executive vp production Tracy Falco and director of development Maradith Frenkel will oversee the project. Shara Senderoff and Allyson Seeger are supervising for the Mark Gordon Co.

An actress-turned-director Thomas, repped by CAA and Ziffren Brittenham, last directed Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel. Other credits include I Spy, Dr. Doolittle, Private Parts and The Brady Bunch Movie.

Fun section updates – Puzzles, Favourite Outfit, Caption This

I have a small but fun update for you today. I’ve continued working on our content and have skipped on to the Fun section, a section designed to provide you with hours (hopefully!) of fun Isla themed games and interactive pages! For today, I’ve added our Caption This page, a Favourite Outfit page, and 12 Puzzles. Make sure you get your thinking caps on and send in a Caption, and/or give us your fashion opinions on which outfit is your favourite, on those 2 new pages.

Stay tuned for more Fun section additions, and remember to let me know if you have any questions, SUGGESTIONS, comments etc. about anything for Isla Fisher Web 🙂

Isla Fisher mistaken for husband’s daughter

Isla Fisher was mistaken for her husband’s daughter at a party.

The 35-year-old actress – who has a three-year-old daughter Olive and another girl, aged around eight months, with spouse Sacha Baron Cohen – was amazed to be refused alcohol and taken to a special room at the first showbiz event she attended with the 39-year-old British funnyman, who she has been in a relationship with since 2002.

She said: “My first Hollywood party was awesome. It was for the director Sofia Coppola and was just walk-to-wall with shiny, fabulous people.

“I came to the front door with Sacha, and the hostess goes, ‘Sacha, you go through to this room and you come with me.’

“And she grabs my hand and takes me to this room filled with 12 year olds – not even 15 year olds! – and goes, ‘Sit here. Would you like a drink?’ So I go, ‘Can I have a glass of wine?’ and she goes, ‘No, you cannot.’ She thought I was Sacha’s daughter, basically.”

The ‘Rango’ star also admitted she doesn’t usually enjoy celebrity parties because they are so tame.

She told Elle magazine: “Most people don’t know that Hollywood parties end at 10pm. I’d rather see a movie.”

Isla Fisher thinking of becoming a rabbi

The stunning actress converted to Judaism in order to marry her partner Sacha Baron Cohen last year. Isla became engaged to the comedian in 2004, and studied for three years before completing her conversion in early 2007. The 35-year-old star took on the Hebrew name Ayala, the Hebrew word for Doe.

Isla has joked she is so enamoured with the religion that she’s thinking of becoming a rabbi.

“You study, then have a test. In fact, I’m thinking of becoming a mohel. [Pause] If you knew what a mohel was, you’d laugh. It’s a rabbi who circumcises boys,” she told the April edition of Elle.

Isla Fisher ‘pushed’ towards comedy

Isla Fisher says she became a comic actress because of her husband.

The Wedding Crashers star – who shot to fame in Australian TV drama series Home and Away – insists she has always made her friends laugh.

However, she only thought of it as a direction for her career when spouse Sacha Baron Cohen encouraged her to try out for a comedy role.

“I’ve always been the clown with my friends, but it was Sacha who said, ‘You’re the funniest girl’,” she said.

“He said not many women are willing to make a fool of themselves, so he pushed me in that direction and then my first audition was Wedding Crashers and that was it.”

Fisher – who has a three-year-old daughter Olive and another girl, Elula, aged around eight months, with her spouse – also insisted she is very choosy about the roles she takes on and is happy not to be a workaholic.

“Am I a workaholic? I’m exactly the opposite,” she told Elle magazine.

“I’m pretty choosy about what I do, which probably comes from years of having no choices.”

Isla Fisher: Australians barbeque the best

Isla Fisher has joked that with so many Australians in Los Angeles the casting couch is a thing of the past – it’s all about the “tenderness” of barbequed food now.

The Australian actress has forged a successful career in the US, notably starring as a psychotic girlfriend in 2005’s Wedding Crashers. The star, who is married to Sacha Baron Cohen, quickly settled into life in America as she has so many friends from her homeland there.

Isla has laughed about the stereotype of Australians loving outdoor cooking, joking it even affects the parts they get. She quipped the infamous casting couch – where stars allegedly swapped sexual favours for roles – is no more, as movies bosses are now only interested in how well actors can barbeque.

“You know, we have a bunch of Koala Mafia over here: a bunch of LA-based Aussies. All my favourite actresses are Australian. They can emote – and throw a good barbie. Instead of the casting couch it’s the tenderness of the shrimp,” she told the April edition of Elle.

Isla began her acting career on Australian soap Home and Away, where she stayed for three years. She isn’t embarrassed by her beginnings, stating her time on the show assisted her eventual move to Hollywood.

“I’m not ashamed of my past. It’s a fact that I was on a soap for so long. And you learn your craft in the most difficult way, because on a feature film there’s more time to prepare and you get a lot more help,” she added.

DreamWorks Animation Sets Release Calendar Through 2014

DreamWorks Animation has announced its release calendar through 2014, setting dates for seven toons, including How To Train Your Dragon 2 and Mr. Peabody & Sherman.

The big question is whether Paramount and DreamWorks Animation will renew their output deal, which expires in 2012. For now, Paramount is listed as the distributor on all of the titles.

“At DreamWorks Animation, our creative ambition has never been greater and the release schedule we’re unveiling today is designed to give our movies the time and resources they need to realize their full potential so each one can become a true event for our audiences,” company CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg said.

DreamWorks Animation’s 2012 slate kicks off on June 8 with Madagascar 3. The threequel returns Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinckett Smith and Sacha Baron Cohen in the title voice roles.

Based on the forthcoming books by William Joyce, Rise of the Guardians will open in theaters Nov. 21, 2012. Voice cast includes Chris Pine, Alec Baldwin, Hugh Jackman, Isla Fisher and Jude Law.

– Read the full article (nothing further on Isla/Rise of The Guardians) at The Hollywood Reporter