Screentalk: Romcom respite for Ashley Bell

Ashley Bell

Ashley Bell is swapping horror for romantic comedy.

Bell joins the cast of The Bounceback, a comedy that centres on two former couples who return to their hometown of Austin, Texas, on an angst-ridden weekend. It's a change from her turns in The Last Exorcism and The Day. Michael Stahl-David and Sara Paxton also star.

Hermione gets an apocalypse now

Seth Rogen's long-time writing partner Evan Goldberg's directorial debut about being stuck in an apartment as the world ends is cramming its cameo count. Emma Watson, Jason Segel and David Krumholtz are set to appear in The End of the World with James Franco, Jonah Hill, Danny McBride and Craig Robinson.

New faces chase the big money

Chronicle director Josh Trank and Contraband film-maker Baltasar Kormakur have signed with Management 360 to bolster job-hunting after making surprise box-office hits earlier this year. Both are represented by William Morris Endeavor. Trank's debut with Chronicle, a found-footage movie, grossed more than $64m.

Toon town tale of revenge

Warner Bros has picked up Rascal Raccoon's Raging Revenge, a graphic novel that skewers certain familiar figures of speech from Warner's Looney Tunes cartoons. Matt Fogel is attached to adapt with Todd Strauss-Schulson in line to direct. Warner Bros is an ideal home from home given its Looney Tunes history.

Age shall not wither him

Brotherly writing team Alex and David Pastor, who co-wrote the 2009 horror thriller Carriers, have sold their latest script, Selfless. The story revolves around an older man whose mind is transplanted into a younger man's body. He ends up being hunted. The companies behind Rian Johnson's Looper are backing Carriers.

Some day my princes will come

A former children's entertainment reviewer has sold the movie rights for his first children's book to Fox Animation. Debut author Christopher Healy's The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom is the talk of the town. It tells the story of the four princes from the fairy tales who saved Cinderella, Snow White, Rapunzel and Sleeping Beauty.