The Daily Dish: April 14

 Spector Convicted! After six years, two trials and 30 hours of jury deliberations, rock music producer Phil Spector was convicted of second-degree murder in the shooting death of film actress Lana Clarkson at his mansion six years ago. The conviction yields a penalty of anywhere from 15 years to life in prison but Spector will have to wait until next month to find out what the final sentence will be.

 McG wakes up! Hot off its Tony Award-winning Broadway run, the coming of age musical Spring Awakening is heading for the big screen. According to The Hollywood Reporter, McG (the mind behind Terminator: Salvation) is set to helm the production as both as director and producer. No studio is attached as yet but McG’s production company has a first-look deal with Warner Brothers so we will see if they choose to back the picture or pass. The choice of director might seem a bit odd at first glance but remember, McG is also the brains behind former Fox teen drama/soap opera The O.C., so a tale of burgeoning teen sexuality isn’t completely untried territory for him!

 Franco and Wahlberg sign up for Date Night. In what is rapidly shaping up to be a must-see movie for me, Date Night got another boost today when both Mark Wahlberg and James Franco signed on for supporting roles joining a cast that already includes comedy powerhouses Tina Fey, Steve Carell, and Kristen Wiig. The film, written by Josh Klausner (Shrek The Third, Shrek Goes Fourth), follows a married couple (Carrell and Fey) as their regular night out together devolves into total chaos. Also on board for the comedy are Leighton Meester as the couple’s babysitter, Common as a villain they encounter, and Taraji P. Henson as a cop who tries to help the put-upon duo. The film is slated for release in 2010.

 Less Than Zero, Part Deux? Bret Easton Ellis (American Psycho) has just finished writing a follow-up to his hit novel (and consequent hit film) Less Than Zero (titled Imperial Bedrooms) and tells MTV that he hopes to reunite the cast for a sequel. The film, which came out in 1985, chronicled the story of 20-something Clay (80s movie stalwart Andrew McCarthy), his substance-abusing friend Julian (Robert Downey Jr.), and the debaucherous and privileged world in which they lived. It launched its stars (and its author) into the Hollywood stratosphere where some have remained, while others have fallen and some, like Downey and James Spader, have fallen and risen right back up again. Easton Ellis explains that the sequel takes place in the present day and focuses on where the characters have ended up “for better or for worse.” He is aware that the idea of a sequel (and the reunion of the original cast) might verge the edge of cheese but thinks it could be a fantastic opportunity. “Now that I’m finally done with the book I’m thinking ‘God, what if Fox wants to do this as a film?’ Because Fox did the original and I think there’s a rights issue involved…I think it would be a great idea. We’ll see.” I, for one, think it would be amazing to see RDJ tackle his character 25 years later…especially given his own personal struggles which mirror Julian’s maybe more than is comfortable…what do you think? Would you like to see them make a sequel with the original cast members?