Eighteen months ago the offer was out to Jack Nicholson to star in the geriatric bachelor party movie Last Vegas. It looks as if he either passed or is biding his time, but Last Vegas** has now gained a director, in National Treasure's John Turteltaub.
It's been all change at the top, since Turteltaub is replacing Peter Chelsom (Shall We Dance, Hannah Montana) who has departed for reasons unspecified. Turteltaub inherits a script by Dan Fogelman (Cars, Bolt, Crazy Stupid Love) about four long out-of-touch friends from the 50s who reunite in Vegas for the wedding of Billy, the group's playboy and supposedly confirmed bachelor. The thing is, widower Paddy also takes a shine to Billy's lounge singer fiance...
It's Bachelor Party meets The Bucket List; or The Hangover meets Grumpy Old Men; or a gift for making lazy sound-bitey descriptions out of older films. The project is underway at Mandate pictures, with Larry Mark (Dreamgirls) producing and Nathan Kahane (Juno) exec-producing.
Nicholson aside (and Nicholson isn't in it yet), there's no cast so far, but given that the director made both National Treasures and The Sorcerer's Apprentice, surely he can make room for Nicolas Cage to revisit the city that won him his Oscar... An unscrupulous croupier maybe? Billy's wayward son, along for the ride and the chicks?