UPDATE: Another high note has been hit on "Can a Song Save Your Life?" with the announcement that Mark Ruffalo will indeed be joining Scarlett Johannson for John Carney's swoony romantic drama, according to Variety.
The Hulk and Black Widow, wandering about New York City and gazing longingly into each other's eyes as they profess their love in song? We'll be there.
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Slinky Black Widow Scarlett Johansson is known for her acting chops and sultry looks more than her vocal stylings, despite releasing a slew of Tom Waits covers and a collaboration with Pete Yorn.
Now she's going to bring her golden voice to the big screen with John Carney's new movie, "Can a Song Save Your Life?"
Carney, who wrote and directed the beloved musical romance "Once," has paired with Judd Apatow on the new film in what's surely one of the oddest creative couplings of recent years. Apatow will serve as executive producer on the film, which centers on a dreamy young chanteuse and her relationship with a "washed-up" record label dude. Jim Carrey and Mark Ruffalo could be up for the role of Johansson's costar according to Hollywood buzz.
The film marks a staggering departure from the low-fi indie world of "Once," boasting a $10 million budget compared to the approximately $150,000 spent making "Once." Carney begged off adapting duties for a stage version of his heart-wrenching musical, saying, "I realized I was done with the story and exhausted with that film, even though I love it… There's a time to move on."
The real question is what kind of input Apatow will have on Carney's project. Apatow is better known as the guy put the bro in bromance -- and the infamous bodily function scene in "Bridesmaids." Carney is known for tear-jerking love stories (and the rather bizarre alien flick "Zonad," but that's another story entirely).
Stay tuned. We will!
Originally published on Tuesday, June 29, 2011 at 10:54 a.m.
