John Cleese Joins Keanu Reeves On The Day The Earth Stood Still

"Hey, little girl. Want to buy a lemur?"

One film that no one around here seems curious about sans me is December's remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still. I've read some recent interviews with Keanu Reeves and he seems to think this movie is going to drastically change the world for the better. Not only do I like sci-fi films that are crazily ambitious, I dig them even when they fail miserably. Unlike most, I am glad to live in a world where a $75 million Battlefield Earth: A Saga of the Year 3000 gets the green light, complete with a star push on Oprah. And I want to see Keanu land on Earth in a UFO as an alien named Klaatu, even if he's not wearing a suit accessorized with giant, rubber appendages. Even if it's just Keanu in an American Apparel hoodie, I want to see that movie. Bring it on, like Dunst.

To a cast that also includes Oscar Winner Kathy Bates, Oscar Winner Jennifer Connelly, and Afro Winner Jaden Smith, we can now add A Fish Called Wanda's John Cleese. The Monty Python legend will play a physicist named Dr. Barnhardt who is pivotal in communicating to the world why Klaatu's arrival on Earth is important. If you've never seen the 1951 original film, Klaatu tells humankind that unless we stop the violence, the E.T. peace keepers of which he is a member will destroy the planet. Wow, thanks Klaatu, you sound like every Earth-bound warlord ever.

On IMDB, it says that in the film "Laptop Woman" will be played by actress Alison Down. Now I can sleep soundly. In related news, did any /Film readers purchase a MacBook Air yet? Heard they are kind of womp womp, but I still might pillage my bank account anyway.