The cast and crew of Frank Miller’s The Spirit just got another killer set of curves to ogle. Less than a week after landing Scarlett Johansson as the femme fatale Silk N. Floss (coincidentally, the name of my dermatologist), the production has now found its Sand Saref – the love of The Spirit’s life – in Eva Mendes. I’ve seen both Johansson and Mendes in person, and… they’re not disappointing. This is a lot of sexual heat for one film to handle; they might have to write in a nude, sweaty Rosie O’Donnell/Camryn Manheim lesbian tryst just to cool shit down a little. Luckily, Gabriel Macht, who’ll be playing the titular crime fighter, is married to Jacinda Barrett and, therefore, knows from hotness.
In more encouraging news on the potential-quality-of-the-film front, it’s also just been announced that Frank Miller’s director of photography will be the great Bill Pope, who’s best known to y’all as the guy who shot the Matrix trilogy. Those movies looked good and everything, but we really love Pope for his work on Sam Raimi’s Darkman and the pilot for Freaks and Geeks. If I were directing my first feature, Pope would definitely rank high on my DP wish list.
The Spirit is set to begin production in Albuquerque this October. Lionsgate and Odd Lot are producing.