This holiday season, you can celebrate family at the movies with The Guilt Trip, which tells the story of Andy Brewster (Seth Rogen), as he embarks on a cross-country road trip with his mother, Joyce (Barbra Streisand), to turn one of his inventions into a success. With both funny and poignant moments on their mother-son adventure, each realizes that they just want the other to be happy.

At the film’s press day, writer/executive producer Dan Fogelman spoke to Collider for this exclusive interview about taking a road trip with his own mom to inspire the script, that Barbra Streisand was his mom’s hero, making sure everything in the film came from a place of love, the scene he was most looking forward to seeing brought to life, why mother-son relationships are rarely explored in film, and how he loves it when actors improvise.  He also talked about how cool it is to have Robert DeNiro, Morgan Freeman, Michael Douglas and Kevin Kline make up the cast for Last Vegas, which he wrote with Jon Turteltaub directing, what made Imagine (with Al Pacino, Julianne Moore and Jeremy Renner) the right film for him to make his directorial debut with, how much he’s enjoying the success of the ABC comedy series The Neighbors, which he created, and what interested him in the possibility of writing the 50 Shades of Grey movie (he was on the shortlist).  Check out what he had to say after the jump.

Quite the ensemble cast has been put together for the rocker drama Imagine.  THR reports that Julianne Moore, and Jeremy Renner have joined Al Pacino star in the pic, which will mark the directorial debut of Crazy, Stupid, Love. scribe Dan Fogelman.  The story centers on an aging 1970s rocker (Pacino) who discovers an undelivered letter written to him when he has 19 by John Lennon that spurs him to straighten his life out and connect with the son (Renner) he’s never known.  Moore will play the owner of a small New Jersey hotel where the rocker takes up residence.

It’s certainly a different kind of role for Pacino, but with talent like Moore and Renner aboard one assumes the story isn’t too schmaltzy.  Steve Carell was previously attached to the Renner role when the project was set up at Warner Bros., but the pic will now be shopped to foreign buyers at the upcoming American Film Market.  A Spring 2013 productions start date is planned.

Despite his very bright future as a talented director, Ben Affleck hasn’t entirely turned his back on the acting game. Heat Vision reports that the actor is now attached to star in the Warner Bros. comedy Nathan Decker. Written by Dan Fogelman (Crazy, Stupid, Love), the story centers on “a politician who is caught in an affair and returns to his hometown to confront his past.” Tom Cruise was previously poised to star in the film, but it appears the politically-inclined Affleck will most likely be taking over the role now. I don’t think Affleck gets enough credit for his acting chops—especially in comedies—and I’m eager to see him tackle this sort of light, fun material.

Affleck’s currently finishing up post-production on his period thriller Argo, which he directed, and is prepping a big-budget adaptation of Stephen King’s The Stand for Warner Bros. Given the heavy nature of his directorial projects (and a giant, highly anticipated adaptation looming over his head), it’ll be nice to see Affleck have some fun as an actor in Nathan Decker. No director is attached and no timetable is given, but I assume WB would want to shoot Decker before Affleck goes into what’s sure to be a long production on The Stand.

After going the big expensive blockbuster route with The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, director Jon Turtletaub is scaling back.  THR reports that Turteltaub will direct the Las Vegas-set comedy Last Vegas (oh, it’s a pun.  Now I get it).  Written by Dan Fogelman (Crazy, Stupid, Love.), “the story centers on a quartet of retired boomers who are called upon for a Vegas bachelor party by their friend, a ladies man who is finally settling down and marrying a woman half his age.”  Or to put it another way, it’s The Hangover with old people.

This is going to be a project that comes down to casting and it has to be more than just “Oh, old people.  You’re supposed to be tired and sleepy but instead you’re raucous and adventurous!  Wacky.”  Back in April 2010 we reported that Fogelman had earmarked a role for Jack Nicholson, and it definitely sounds like a project he’d be well-suited to smirk his way through.

Apparently intrigued by the prospect of playing an aging rock star, Al Pacino is currently in talks to star in Dan Fogelman’s directorial debut Imagine. According to 24 Frames, the potential turn would see Pacino’s character attempt to turn over a new leaf shortly after receiving a letter that his idol John Lennon had sent him forty years prior. Landing the legendary Pacino would be par for the course for the budding Fogelman who has experienced a ton of recent success having penned hits such as Cars and Tangled. Additionally, the scribe-turned-director also wrote Crazy, Stupid, Love. starring Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, and Emma Stone, as well as My Mother’s Curse starring Seth Rogen and Barbra Streisand.

As for Pacino, the iconic actor has been absent from the silver screen since 2008′s Righteous Kill. In addition to possibly joining Imagine, he has also signed on to play crime boss Neil Dellacroce in Gotti: Three Generations and can be seen alongside Ray Liotta, Juliette Binoche, and Channing Tatum in the crime/thriller The Son of No One which is still searching for a release date. Finally, while I’m all for Pacino taking on Imagine I can’t help but think of what might have been. As late as last month, Carell was still attached to the project to play the estranged son of Pacino’s rock star character. Unfortunately, scheduling conflicts have forced Carell off of the project (he remains a producer, however) essentially robbing moviegoers of the opportunity to see what type of screen dynamics the pair may have had.

Paramount has signed Chuck star Yvonne Strahovski to star opposite Seth Rogen and Barbra Streisand in My Mother’s Curse.  The story revolves around “an inventor (Rogen) who invites his mother (Streisand) on a cross-country trip as he tries to sell his new product while also reuniting her with a lost love.”  According to THR, Strahovski will play the high school sweetheart that Rogen’s character once proposed to.  Anne Fletcher (The Proposal) will direct from a script by Dan Fogelman (Tangled), based on his own experience traveling with Mrs. Fogelman.

NBC just renewed Chuck for a fifth and final season.  If there is any justice, the careers of Strahovski and Zachary Levi will be sufficiently launched by the end of the series.  The Aussie actress will make her Hollywood feature debut opposite Jason Statham, Robert De Niro, and Clive Owen in The Killer Elite.

Warner Bros. beat out Fox, Paramount, MGM, and other studios to win a bidding war for an untitled pitch by screenwriter Dan Fogelman (Tangled).  Tom Cruise is attached to star as a politician who is caught having an affair: “With his reputation in tatters, the politician retreats to his hometown to lick his wounds, repair relationships and confront his past.”  The deal pays $2 million upfront, with $3 million promised if the movie gets made.  This is the latest in a series of impressive spec script paydays for Fogelman.  WB paid $2.5 million for his Crazy, Stupid, Love screenplay which led to a summer comedy starring Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, and Emma Stone.  Fogelman will reunite with Carell for his directorial debut, Imagine — that script netted the writer $3 million.  In addition to a story credit on Cars 2, Fogelman set up My Mother’s Curse at Paramount.  So basically, start preparing for the imminent Fogelmanization of your local theater in the next couple years.  More on the story after the jump.

Paramount Pictures has scheduled the road trip comedy My Mother’s Curse for release on March 30, 2012.  Barbra Streisand star as a mother and son who, according to Variety, “embark on a road trip so the inventor son can sell his latest invention.”  Previous reports indicate the script from Dan Fogelman (Tangled) reunite Streisand with a lost love.  Paramount may have actually performed the mother’s curse on the last pre-Easter 2012 weekend — as of this writing, no other film is scheduled that Friday.

Anne Fletcher (The Proposal) will direct; Fogelman, Rogen, and Streisand are producing alongside Lorne Michaels (SNL), John Goldwyn (MacGruber), Evan Goldberg (The Green Hornet), David Ellison (True Grit), Paul Schwake (Strange Wilderness), and Dana Goldberg (Yes Man).  Rogen will next be heard March 18 as the titular alien in Paul, followed by Kung Fu Panda 2 on May 26.  Rogen holistically returns to theaters in 50/50, which opens September 30.

Seth Rogen and Barbra Streisand have signed on to star in Paramount’s road-trip comedy My Mother’s Curse.  Anne Fletcher (The Proposal) will direct the Dan Fogelman (Cars) script which pairs Rogen and the two-time Oscar-winner as mother and son.  Per THR, Fogelman’s script tells the story of an inventor (Rogen) who “invites his mother on a cross-country road trip as he tries to sell his new product.”  As the story goes, in the process, Streisand’s character is also reunited with a lost love.

In addition to starring and writing respectively, Rogen, Streisand, and Fogelman will act as executive producers on My Mother’s Curse alongside fellow exec. producer David Ellison.  Lorne Michaels and Evan Goldberg will also act as producers on the film which is scheduled to begin shooting this spring.

Today, we have yet another comedy screenplay floating around Hollywood whose pitch begins with “It’s The Hangover meets . . .”; this one has its eyes on Jack Nicholson to star.  According to Vulture, screenwriter Dan Fogelman (Cars, Bolt) has scripted the tale of four baby boomer childhood friends who reunite decades later to witness the marriage of Billy, the lifelong bachelor role earmarked for Nicholson–I’ma go ahead and end the pitch with ” . . . meets Space Cowboys.”  Fogelman has slapped the grammatically defiant title LASt VEGAS on the front page, though I’ll consider it a working title because neither I nor marquees are very fond of it.

After the jump, you’ll find a sneak peak at Fogelman’s script which gives a sense of why Nicholson was forwarded a draft.

Ryan Gosling chilled us to the bone in Murder by Numbers; he made us ache with empathy in Lars and the Real Girl; he made us swoon/roll our eyes in The Notebook.  But the question remains: can he make us shoot overpriced cola out of our noses?  We’ll find out soon enough.  Variety reports (and laineygossip.com reported a couple days ago) that the 29-year-old Canadian actor is set to co-star in an upcoming Steve Carell comedy for Warner Brothers.  The as-yet-untitled project is said to revolve around a man (Carell) contending with marital troubles and a sputtering relationship with his children.  Gosling will assume the role of the central character’s “suave best friend” in the pic, which will be helmed by John Requa and Glenn Ficarra, directors of the upcoming and already-controversial black comedy I Love You Phillip Morris.

Details on this project are obviously sparse at this point.  The script was written by Dan Fogelman, the scribe behind typically light fare like Bolt, Cars, and Fred Claus.  However, given the presence of Gosling along with helmers Requa and Ficarra (who you might also know as the writers of Bad Santa), I don’t think it’d be unreasonable to expect this particular Carell comedy to be a bit darker/weightier in nature.

According to Variety, I Love You Phillip Morris directors John Requa and Glenn Ficarra are in negotiations to follow up their acclaimed gay comedy with an untitled comedy set to star Steve Carell.  Not much is known about the film beyond the logline on Dan Fogelman’s script:

“Carell will play a father whose life unravels while he deals with a marital crisis and tries to manage his relationship with his children.”

While it sounds less like a straight comedy and more like a dramedy, Warner Bros. picked up the film last month for a cool $2 million. Fogelman’s previous credits include the screenplays for Cars, Fred Claus, and Bolt while Requa and Ficarra’s previous credits include the scripts for Bad Santa but also more kid-themed fare like Cats & Dogs and the remake of The Bad News Bears. It remains to be seen how far into family-fare Fogelman’s script goes, but I would wager it’s in line with his previous screenplays.

Variety reports that Warner Bros. is betting big on Steve Carell and Cars writer Dan Fogelman.  The studio has just paid $2 million against $2.5 million for an untitled spec script by Fogelman with the intention of having Steve Carell star in it.  Oddly enough, the film doesn’t sound like an expensive movie nor does it seem like it’s the kind of movie Carell typically stars in.  According to Variety, “Script has a tone comparable to ‘Love Actually.’ Carell will play a father whose life unravels while he deals with a marital crisis and tries to manage his relationship with his children.”  I guess WB really, really like Dan in Real Life.

Fogelman wrote the script specifically with Carell in mind but there’s only a 50-50 shot Carell will do the film during his hiatus from The Office.  The other film is one we reported on a couple days ago called Mail-Order Groom which would reunite Carell with Date Night co-star Tina Fey.  Unlike Fogelman’s spec, Groom, which is about a woman who orders a husband from Eastern Europe, sounds a lot more like a Steve Carell movie.  Sadly, it looks like Get Smart 2 is not in the running and WB will have to push the film back another year.  Missed it by that much.