Piano prodigy Rio Mangini has joined the Alex Zamm-directed reboot of The Little Rascals from Universal Pictures and 1440 Productions. Doris Roberts and Greg Germann also star in addition to Jet Jurgensmeyer and Eden Wood. Mangini, son of three-time Oscar-nominated sound designer Mark Mangini (Aladdin, The Fifth Element), is also a classical pianist who’s performed twice at Carnegie Hall. Earlier this year Mangini played an autistic child in the short Six Letter Word which also starred Rumer Willis. He’s repped by Abrams Artists Agency and PMG.
Bre Blair will play Michael Douglas’ fiancé in Last Vegas. Blair has appeared in numerous TV shows including Two And A Half Men, Make It Or Break It and 90210. Last Vegas is directed by Jon Turteltaub, and Dan Fogelman wrote the script about four childhood friends who hook up for a wild Las Vegas bachelor party. Lawrence Mark, Amy Baer and Good Universe are producing the CBS Films release. It also stars Morgan Freeman, Robert De Niro, Kevin Kline, Romany Malco and Mary Steenburgin. Blair is represented by SDB and Manager Lisa DiSante-Frank.
True Blood regular Lauren Bowles has booked roles in a pair of independent features. In The Starving Games she plays Effoff, a spoof of Elizabeth Banks’ character Effie in The Hunger Games. Cast includes Maiara Walsh (Switched At Birth) as Kantmiss Evershot. Starving Games is written and directed by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer (Date Movie, Meet the Spartans and Vampires Suck) and is currently shooting in New Orleans. She also stars in the kidnap drama Vanished directed by Tara Miele. Shje plays an extremely easygoing mom whose daughter disappears. The daughter is played by Teen Wolf‘s Gage Golightly. Bowles is managed by Main Title Entertainment and Progressive Artists Agency.


Really, another attempt at rebooting The Little Rascals? Cause that worked SO well in 1994! Seriously, though, this seems like a desperate idea. The shorts worked largely through syndication, but it is difficult to imagine them being “updated” (again) to the big screen.
Some ideas just don’t work very well being updated. Remember the new version of “The Honeymooners” with Cedric the Entertainer as Ralph Kramden? (Not many saw that.) The same can be said of failed attempts at reviving “Car 54 Where Are You”, “Dennis The Menace”, and other classic television shows.
Even the recent reimagined Munsters fell flat on NBC. The fact that this bad idea is in Universal’s pen is no surprise – NBC’s bad luck is rubbing off on them.
Rio may be a talented kid, but he needs to fire his manager for steering to this steaming pile.
Last Vegas? Another vegas bachelor party movie; Give Me A F—ing Break. Are there no original ideas left in Hollywood?
Bre is such a talented actress and so hot! She deserves this!
Bre is such a talented actress and so hot! She deserves this!
The fantastic Eden Wood will be the talk of this remake, I’ll certainly be getting it.