Banks joins a roll call that includes Jack Black, Nicolas Cage, Steve Carell, Catherine Keener and Kevin Kline in a story that follows a battle of wills between Frank, an intellectual film director (Carell) and Francis, an online blogger (Black) who still lives with his parents and who delights in attacking the other man’s films.

Cage plays an actor who is famous for his high-concept films, while Kline will play the director of the world’s top-grossing movie as well as that character’s brother, who turns into an animatronic head. (Yes, it’s a Charlie Kaufman film.)

Banks will play a highly-regarded actress making formulaic comedy bombs who is having an affair with Carell’s Frank.

Anthony Bregman of A Likely Story is producing.

Banks, repped by UTA, Untitled Entertainment and Ziffren Brittenham, will also appear in Lionsgate’s Hunger Games, which opens March 23.

HollywoodReporter.com

*Full disclosure, I wrote the book that Pitch Perfect is based on. More embarrassing: I sang in an a cappella group myself at Cornell.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: A movie about collegiate a cappella? Let’s get this out of the way: Is this a Glee knock-off? How will you respond to those comparisons?
You could compare it to Rock of Ages. You could compare it to Mamma Mia!, because it’s being made by the same studio. Yes, there is some singing and dancing in our movie. But essentially, we’re making a coming of age comedy — a very classic tale.

Nice. Did you have a magical a cappella experience in college? I mean, some people are horrified the first time they see 12 dudes making music without instruments.
Quite the opposite. The big group on our campus then was the Penn Six-5000 [Banks attended the University of Pennsylvania]. I went to one of their shows and I remember watching this guy sing “Rocket Man” better than Elton John, and thinking, This is the most amazing version of “Rocket Man” I’ve ever heard in my life.

Were you an a cappella groupie?
No, I was not a groupie. But I knew the guy vaguely and he was not some studly dude. He attracted a certain type of girl. He had a guitar. He fit a certain mold. But he was not a rock star. And yet, when they were on stage, they acted like rock stars.

Did you want to try out yourself?
I’m afraid of a cappella. I don’t read music and I have a hard time harmonizing. Basically, I’m a melody singer only.

Do you sing karaoke?
Of course. The book of Irene Cara. Anything off the Flashdance soundtrack.

How did this cast come together? You’ve got Rebel Wilson coming off of Bridesmaids, Anna Kendrick was an Oscar nominee for Up in the Air…
We’re definitely catching our actors at such amazing points in their career. I liken it to when I did Wet Hot American Summer. As a young actor, this is the exact type of movie you want to do. It’s like going to camp with a bunch of your friends and making each other laugh and singing and dancing. There’s nothing better than that.

Rebel plays a character called Fat Amy. Did you see every slightly overweight girl in Hollywood for the role?
It’s harder than you would imagine to get young actresses to audition for a role called Fat Amy. But we wanted Rebel from the get-go. And she came in and nailed it. It was a no-brainer. She was one of the very first people we cast.

Has she made you laugh out loud with any improv?
My favorite thing she said is, “She’s the best singer in Tasmania. With teeth.” Like a lot of great quirky people — like Christopher Walken or Robin Williams or Kristen Wiig — she’s a natural clown. I say that with the utmost respect. I’m a huge clown fan.

Let’s talk Hunger Games: Where did you come up with Effie’s voice?
It’s a combination of The Philadelphia Story and Rosalind Russell in Auntie Mame.

Really?
Rosalind Russell is just amazing. It’s one of my favorite performances ever. I wanted Effie to be really theatrical. I just wanted to make sure she didn’t sound too British. She needed to be a little highfalutin.

Which fans are more intense: A cappella fans or Hunger Games fans?
I would bet there’s a ton of crossover.

Would Effie Trinkett have been in an a cappella group?
Sure. There might be a cappella groups in the Capitol. That’s probably allowed. I think the Capitol wouldn’t find that too threatening.

But not in District 12, right?
They probably do a little barbershop in District 12. They need something to keep their spirits up.

Any chance you’ll go back to 30 Rock?
There’s definitely a chance. I mean, I know essentially what the storyline is. Mary Steenburgen is playing my mom. And that’ll be really fun. And she comes on pretty quickly.

That sounds definite.
They start to deal with it pretty quickly. That I’m there — and they need to get me back. It will be resolved.

You’re producing on Pitch Perfect and are mostly behind the camera. Is it a relief to come to set and not have to go into hair and make-up?
It’s the best.

The local bar in Baton Rouge, the Cove, apparently stays open late for the cast. What goes on there?
I’ve never been.

I don’t believe you.
I’m f—ing exhausted! Every night we go home and I have to do script work. When you’ve been a mom for eight months and you’ve had a couple of those mornings where you drank too many margaritas the night before and you’re trying to deal with your kid in the morning, you quickly realize it’s not worth the late night.

When are you going to direct your own movie?
I have no idea. I have no immediate plans. I directed a porno last night, which was funny.

I’m sorry?
Yeah, we play this ridiculous porn on the TV in the background of the Treble House [a set piece that the all-male a cappella group in the film call home]. And we came up with a really ridiculous idea. I directed it last night at the Crown Plaza.

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There is also a twitter party later on today at 3 pm EST time where you can give your thoughts and opinions on the movie and tweet with Elizabeth herself. I will definitely be there so you should too! Make sure you go and check out the movie as well.

Gallery Links:
Films > Our Idiot Brother > Trailer Screencaptures

Special features for THE NEXT THREE DAYS include:
* Making The Next Three Days
* The Men of The Next Three Days
* True Escapes for Love
* Cast Moments
* Deleted and extended scenes
* Full-Length Bump Key Video

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The dark comedy from writer-director Jacob Aaron Estes (“Mean Creek”) focuses on a couple that spirals into chaos when their new lawn is repeatedly destroyed by raccoons—a plot point . inspired by Estes’ own experience with the creatures in his Echo Park neighborhood.

The film, which premiered Monday, is represented by CAA and UTA. Producers are Mark Gordon, Hagai Shaham and Bryan Zuriff, with Mickey Liddell and Jennifer Hilton as executive producers.

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The Weinsteins have closed a deal on the Paul Rudd comedy My Idiot Brother and Fox Searchlight is believed to have taken most of the world on Homework as Sundance burst ito life on Sunday.

Jesse Peretz’s comedy (pictured) screened in the Premieres section and stars Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel and Emily Mortimer. UTA represented worldwide rights. Relativity Media also bid on the film.

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Also this past weekend, Elizabeth was a part of the 24 Hour Plays On Broadway and I have added 31 photos from the curtain call and after party into the gallery.

Kurtzman will also direct the film, which has Chris Pine (who is on the cover of the new Hollywood Reporter) attached to star as well.

People follows a businessman who returns home after his estranged father’s death and discovers that he has an alcoholic sister with a 12-year-old son. Banks will play the sister.

Kurtzman and Orci (Transformers, Star Trek) are producing through their DreamWorks-based Paper Products banner, along with Bobby Cohen.

Banks, who is repped by UTA and Untitled, most recently appeared in The Uninvited, Role Models and W. She next stars in The Next Three Days, which Lionsgate will release next Friday, and she is currently filming the thriller Man on a Ledge for Summit.

Forthcoming films include The Details opposite Tobey Maguire and Laura Linney, and My Idiot Brother opposite Paul Rudd. Banks is also attached to Tink at Disney and the comedy Forever 21 at DreamWorks.

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Elizabeth Banks will portray an NYPD negotiator who tries to talk Sam Worthington’s character down from a suicide attempt. It is reported that she also had a previous romantic relationship with the suicidal detective, who was framed for a crime he didn’t commit. It’s revealed that the suicide attempt is actually a diversion for his brother (Jamie Bell) to pull off a heist across the street. Anthony Mackie also stars in the movie in an unspecified role.

Asger Leth is directing the movie from a script by Pablo Fenjves. The site reports that Chris Gorak rewrote the script with Erich Hoeber and Jon Hoeber (Red) performing a final script polish.

Man on a Ledge will start production in November on location in New York City.

Man on a Ledge comes to theaters in 2012 and stars Sam Worthington, Anthony Mackie, Jamie Bell, Elizabeth Banks. The film is directed by Asger Leth.

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The film will consist of 19 segments, 14 of which have been shot. Each piece comes from a different director like Steve Brill, Steve Carr, James Gunn, Peter and Bobby Farrelly, Brett Ratner, Banks and Griffin Dunne. Virgin has a deal with Relativity Media to distribute their films, but Relativity is also co-financing this one.

Could this get any better? Apparently it can. Deadline is also saying that the stellar roster is continuing to grow. The portion the Farrelly brothers directed with Jackman and Winslet is already in the can, so it’s being peddled around to pull in even more talent. That segment is being described as “especially outrageous and R-rated.”

Lastly, a Variety article discussing the launch of Branson’s packaging and production company is calling this film Movie 43. Did the untitled comedy finally get a name? It’s possible, but this is the first I’ve heard of it. Actually, it’s not, but the only other article I found using that title includes details that don’t quite correlate with the facts we have. In a Slash Film piece about Relativity’s new streaming deal with Netflix, one of the film’s on the list to hit Netflix and not a premium television channel is “Movie 43, written and directed by Peter Farely.” Spelling error aside, if they’re talking about the same film here, where are the names of the other directors? The press release also states that the film is set to hit theaters this year. With five more segments to film? I doubt it.

From Shock Ya

Titled “Tink,” the live-action romantic comedy has Adam Shankman, Jennifer Gibgot and McG developing the project as producers.

The film will follow the mischievous nature of the Tinkerbell character. The idea was hatched by Banks with Max Handelman, who not only co-runs the actress’ production label, Brownstone Prods, but is her husband as well.

Elizabeth Wright Shapiro, who has already worked with Banks on a number of projects, is on board to write the script.

Screenplays that Shapiro has penned on Banks’ behalf include “Keiko,” which Banks is attached to direct per Variety.

Shapiro has also penned “Allies With Benefits,” which Scott Free is producing.

Banks’ Brownstone label was recently behind the Disney Bruce Willis headliner “The Surrogates.” The label is quite busy with other projects, “Forever 21″ at DreamWorks and “Pitch Perfect,” at Universal.

Banks’ upcoming acting gigs include Paul Haggis’ “The Next Three Days,” opposite Russell Crowe, and “The Details,” with Tobey Maguire.

At one point, Disney attempted to re-boot “Tinkerbell” as an animated film with Brittany Murphy as the voice. Project proceeded forward as a straight-to-video franchise sans Murphy’s vocals.

From Hollywood News