At this point, if Dan Aykroyd has anything to say about Ghostbusters III, I tend to take it with a grain of salt.  Last week, Aykroyd said that the movie had replaced Bad Teacher scribes, Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky, with “a new writing staff.” Here’s the grain of truth: Ghostbusters III does have a new writer, but not a staff.  According to Variety, Sony has brought in Men in Black 3 screenwriter Etan Cohen to rewrite the script.  Cohen received sole writing credit on MIB 3, which has grossed more than $600 million worldwide, even though his script wasn’t completely finished when filming began, and it was passed off to other writers (namely Jeff Nathanson and then David Koepp) during production.

With a project the size of Ghostbusters III, I don’t expect Cohen to be the last writer who gets his hands on the script.  In addition to this new gig, he’s also attached to make his directing debut on Boy Scouts vs. Zombies.  Hit the jump for more on Ghostbusters III

In the past few years, popular culture has pitted zombies against increasingly ludicrous foes such as Jane Austen heroine Elizabeth Bennet and Jesse Eisenberg. Next in line for some tongue-in-cheek dueling with the undead: the Boy Scouts of America. And today, Heat Vision brings news that Boy Scouts vs. Zombies will mark the directorial debut of Etan Cohen, long-time King of The Hill scribe and writer of big-screen fare like Tropic Thunder and the forthcoming Men in Black 3. Described as a horror-comedy, the Paramount project will center on a group of boy scouts saving a group of girl scouts from…well, you know. Suggested tagline: “They weren’t prepared for this.”  Hit the jump for more.

Production on Barry Sonnenfeld’s Men in Black III went into its planned hiatus last November to handle issues with the script.  That hiatus was set to finish in February, but was recently pushed back to March 28th.  According to Deadline, blockbuster scribe David Koepp (Spider-Man) has been brought in to work on the script for the next several weeks.

The story for the third involvement involves the movie’s villain (Jemaine Clement) traveling back in time to kill Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones), but that assassination will set off a chain of events that will destroy the world.  Agent J (Will Smith) must travel back in time to protect Agent K and the universe.  Etan Cohen (Tropic Thunder) wrote the original draft of the script, and then Jeff Nathanson (Rush Hour 2) was brought on board to punch up the time-traveling scenes.  There are no details on what parts of the script require Koepp’s attention, but Sony insists that the 3D film will make its May 25, 2012 release date.  The movie also stars Rip Torn, Alice Eve, Emma Thompson, and Josh Brolin.

The oft delayed production of the third entry in the popular Men in Black franchise is about to begin filming, but the shooting schedule has just taken an unusual turn.  Production on the film is set to begin tomorrow, but the cast and crew will take a two-month hiatus when they wrap for the holidays. The LA Times reports that the plan for the 3D film is to shoot through Christmas week, and then shut down production until mid-February. The project seemed to be rolling right along, with copious amounts of casting news/rumors in the past few weeks, but it appears that there are a few problems behind the scenes.

Apparently screenwriter Jeff Nathanson (Catch Me if You Can) is being brought in to work on a new draft of the script, previously written by Etan Cohen (Tropic Thunder). Specifically, scenes surrounding the time-travel aspect of the film involving a young Agent Kay being played by Josh Brolin, are said to have some issues.  For much more on the hiatus, hit the jump.

Upon Columbia’s announcement that Men in Black III would hit 3D theaters in less than two years on May 25, 2012, we’ve learned a few things here and there.  Josh Brolin will play a younger version of Agent K.  Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords) signed on as villain Yaz.  Will Smith will make 3D look good.  But the specifics were a bit murky… until now.

We’ve got what appears to be an early look at some of the plot details for the sequel; check them out after the jump if you don’t mind potential spoilers.

Columbia Pictures is continuing to cast for Men in Black 3 and has their eye on Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords) and Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat) even though the film has no director or start date.  Obviously, everything is still churning in the rumor mill on this one, but Bloody Disgusting says the studio is looking at Clement or Cohen (presumably, among others) to play the character of “Yaz” in the latest installment in the sci-fi action series.

Neither actor is locked for the role.  The reason this is news isn’t because Columbia is considering actors for a part (because that’s standard for just about any project from any studio and/or producer(s)).  It’s news because it gives a hint about what kind of actor Columbia wants for this part (tall and lanky white comedian with off-beat comic timing).

Etan Cohen, who co-wrote Tropic Thunder, has turned in a script.  Additionally, Josh Brolin has also been rumored to have a part in the film.  However, it looks like Tommy Lee Jones will not be returning.

Deadline has updates on two films, both of which are getting unknown/first-time directors to helm flicks with big stars.  First up, Todd Graff is getting in the director’s chair for a remake of the musical Damn Yankees, which is set to star Jim Carrey and Jake Gyllenhaal.  The 1955 musical focuses on a fan who makes a deal with the devil in order to become a slugger who will lead the struggling Yanks to the World Series.  The front office of all ball clubs should adopt this strategy.  Carrey would play the Devil while Gyllenhaal would be the wannabe baseball superstar.  As for Graff, he’s directed three musical, but the highest grossing one was 2009′s Bandslam, which only made $5.2 million at the box office.  Graff may be untested for such a big flick, but I dig the musical and Carrey as the Devil should be pretty fun.

Hit the jump to learn how screenwriter Etan Cohen is making the jump to directing with Daddy’s Home starring Will Ferrell and Ed Helms.

Sony has decided to dress up like they work in a funeral home and fight aliens because they’re moving ahead with a third “Men in Black” movie.  The studio has hired “Tropic Thunder” writer Etan Cohen to pen the new installment.  Unfortunately, the “Men in Black” series didn’t succeed because it existed in a world where sharp-dressed men used outrageous weapons to police and protect wacky aliens.  It succeeded because of Will Smith as Agent J and Tommy Lee Jones as Agent K.  Their chemistry combined with Barry Sonnenfeld’s direction and Smith’s natural charisma brought “Men in Black” and its 2002 sequel to a nearly $1.1 billion worldwide gross.  Hit the jump for details on why all of those elements could be missing from “Men in Black 3″.

Just a few hours ago I was at Mann’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood for a special screening of “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra”. While it wasn’t called a premiere, it had all the spectacle of one, as thousands of people were screaming at the stars and the cast and filmmakers walked a huge red carpet.

Anyway, while there I managed to get an interview with Brian Goldner, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hasbro. With so many projects in development at Universal, I got him to give me updates on “Stretch Armstrong”, “Candy Land”, “Monopoly”, “Battleship”, and a lot more. So if you’re curious how Hasbro is planning to bring their board games to movie screens, you’re going to want to watch this interview. Take a look after the jump: