Keanu Stands Still

Keanu Reeves is a humanoid alien. Not in real life (though that is yet to be determined), but in his next movie, a remake of THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL. The actor has signed on to star in the film for director Scott Derrickson (THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE). Reeves will play Klaatu, an alien who arrives on Earth with a giant, indestructible robot and a warning to Earth’s leaders that if they continue their warmongering they will be subject to an intergalactic ass kicking. Of course we send Bruce Willis and Billy Bob Thornton over to drop a nuke into his underwear and dance over his ashes. Hmmm, that last part didn’t happen in the movie but doesn’t seem to far off. The 1951 film was a response to the rise of the Cold War and the current version will be updated to reflect today’s situation (apparently the world learned nothing after being stopped still some fifty years ago). Reeves recently had a chance to play another alien-like being – Dr. Manhattan – in Zack Snyder’s WATCHMEN but was asking for too much cash. Fox is looking to get EARTH in production either late this fall or early 2008 for a summer 2009 release. Reeves recently wrapped production on THE NIGHT WATCHMAN for Fox Searchlight.