Director Adam Shankman large-scale movie musical Rock of Ages hits theaters next month, but he’s already lining up an impressive cast for his next project.  Deadline reports that Jason Bateman, Zac Efron, Goldie Hawn, and Leslie Mann are in talks to star in Shankman’s adaptation of the Jonathan Tropper novel This Is Where I Leave You.  The book tells the story of a dysfunctional family that is forced to reunite when their father requests they sit Shivah for seven days following his death.  Harry Potter director David Yates was previously considering the Warner Bros. project as his post-Potter film, so this one’s a bit of a hot property for the studio.  [Update: Malin Akerman and Jason Sudeikis are also in talks to join.]  Hit the jump for more, including a synopsis of the book.

New Line is remaking the 1980s Goldie Hawn comedy Private Benjamin as a star vehicle for Anna Faris.  The original film centers on a spoiled woman who enlists after her husband dies on their wedding night after she’s led to believe that army life is more glamorous than it really is.  As silly as that premise sounds, the film garnered three Oscar nominations for Best Actress (Hawn), Support Actress (Eileen Brennan), and original screenplay (Nancy Meyers, Charles Shyer and Harvey Miller).

Risky Business reports that the remake will be set in contemporary times but will focus on the fish-out-of-water/empowerment elements rather than poking fun at the military.  So probably not The Hurt Locker with chuckles.

Faris is set to begin filming on the R-rated comedy What’s Your Number? and will next be seen in the live-action adaptation of Yogi Bear, which is due to hit theaters this December.

I think that, despite its conceptual unpopularity, there is a case to be made for the remake.  But this news does not a case make.  THR reports that Jennifer Lopez is in talks to star in an Overboard remake in the works at Columbia.  The 1987 original starred couple Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn in the nautical farce, in which the narrative is kinda dubiously driven by amnesia and a fake marriage.  Lopez seems a good enough approximation for Hawn’s bubbly charm, though it’ll be difficult to come up with a 21st century Russell.  Dream casting off the top of my head: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.  Thoughts?

After the jump you’ll find the trailer and full plot synopsis for the original, where you are free to form your own moral judgements on deceiving amnesiacs for the purposes of romantic comedy.