Columbia pushed its first trailer for James L. Brooks' "How Do You Know" out to Yahoo Movies today.

Daniel Craig has closed his deal to star in Sony’s “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” plus the two potential follow-ups that will be based on author Stieg Larsson’s best-selling trilogy.

David Fincher is on board to direct the adaptation, which Steve Zaillian is writing and Scott Rudin is producing.

With all development and production on the next James Bond film recently halted by producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson in the midst of MGM's endless financial restructuring, Craig needed a new job. The Larsson trilogy provides him with another franchise to nurture until Bond can unholster his Walther.

“Parks and Recreation” regular Chris Pratt is the latest to put on a helmet for Columbia Pictures’ “Moneyball.”

Brad Pitt, Robin Wright, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Stephen Bishop and Kathryn Morris have already suited up for the baseball project. Bennett Miller is directing a script by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin.

Scott Rudin, Michael De Luca and Rachel Horovitz are producing.

Pratt will play Scott Hatteberg, whose career as a catcher for the Boston Red Sox ended after he ruptured a nerve in his elbow and could no longer throw a ball post-surgery. He was recruited by the Oakland A’s the following year to play first base, and he helped lead the team to the playoffs in 2002 and 2003 with strong batting as a designated hitter.

“Cold Case” star Kathryn Morris is in negotiations to come aboard the Columbia Pictures baseball film “Moneyball.”

The new feature gig comes on the heels of signing with the Gersh Agency for representation. Morris parted ways with WME in April.

In the film, which stars Brad Pitt, Robin Wright, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Stephen Bishop, Morris will play the second wife of Oakland A’s GM Billy Beane (Pitt). She loves baseball as much as her husband, so she understands and shares his passion for the game.

Bennett Miller is directing the project, written by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, which starts shooting in L.A. next week. Scott Rudin, Michael De Luca and Rachel Horovitz are producing.

Also repped by Mosaic Media Group, Morris has starred on the CBS procedural “Cold Case” for seven seasons. She has also appeared in the features “Minority Report,” “Resurrecting the Champ” and “Paycheck.”

Morris will next appear in the indie film “Mother’s Little Helpers,” which opens in theaters in December.

Director-producer Adam Shankman threw out some tweets last night about the remake of "Bye Bye Birdie" that he's producing with Red Wagon's Lucy Fisher and Douglas Wick. Tweet One: "just read bye bye birdie remake we are producing for sony. its FANTASTIC!!! totally fresh and current." This must have been good news to "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" writer Lorene Scafaria, who adapted the screenplay for the new version. Then, apparently responding to some negative feedback, Shankman tweeted again: "2 all bbb doubters: I am always faithful, loving &respectful 2 the classics. Always. Wouldnt damage the materials essence. Not ever." Shankman has directed "Cheaper by the Dozen 2," which was spun from a 1950 classic, and "Hairspray," which worked its way from John Waters' 1988 original film, through a musical and then back into Shankman's hands. So he clearly feels comfortable reworking pre-existing material, though he's not currently aboard to direct "Birdie." The original 1963 "Birdie," a musical about a drafted rock star who sets about to kiss a fan before leaving for war, starred Janet Leigh, Dick Van Dyke and Ann-Marget. Stay tuned for casting on the new version now that Shankman feels they have a solid script.

A little dust-up is occurring in the world of Academy screeners. Apparently, Sony has not included copies of the Sony Pictures Classics film "Moon," written by Nathan Parker and directed by Duncan Jones, in its package of awards-season screeners. News of this exclusion comes from Jones, who has been tweeting with supporters about the situation, since it severely kneecaps the film's -- and star Sam Rockwell's -- chances at Oscar consideration. Among Jones' tweets Wednesday, are these references to Sony and its decision:

"we have more than asked.. we've knocked heads. they have chosen the films they are backing & we are not in their plans."

"They say it costs too much for our little film as they would need to be water-marked copies as our DVD isnt out yet in the US."

Neil Gaiman has offered his help to Jones via tweet, and others have suggested enlisting Jon Favreau to the cause, since he is rumored to be disappointed by Sony's disinclusion of "Moon." (There's also a petition circulating to get Rockwell an Oscar nomination.) It's unlikely that the effort will change any minds at Sony, but it's invigorating to see another example of filmmakers working outside the blockbuster system -- and the filmgoers who support their films -- using new technology to fight for exposure. At the very least, these partisans know that their techno-agitating will likely lead to more people seeing the film. And that's always the goal.

I, along with others, have been tracking Stieg Larsson's Hollywood prospects for a while now. Despite rights issues that have dragged out the process, it looks like Sony is finally closing in on a comprehensive deal for the English-language film rights to Larsson's popular crime-thriller trilogy: “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” “The Girl Who Played With Fire” and “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest.” (Full story here.) King of literary-based films Scott Rudin ("Revolutionary Road," "The Hours") would produce, and Steve Zaillian, who's not been too shabby in the adaptation department either (“Schindler's List," "Hannibal," "A Civil Action”), is mulling the assignment. Larsson's Millennium Series has already been spun into a trilogy of films, with different directors, in Sweden that have done incredibly well. And the appeal of the gritty, corruption-laden books have been on the lips of many a thriller-lit fan in the U.S. this year, ever since Random House published them Stateside. That Larsson's stories were informed by his years as an investigative journalist and activist -- sadly, ended upon his death in 2004 -- has invested the pulpy material with an extra frisson. That, and the fact that these manuscripts were only discovered after his fatal heart attack. The entire package has an appeal similar to that of the "Red Riding" trilogy, which was spun from a series of gritty novels by David Peace into a trilogy of films in the U.K. scripted by Tony Grisoni ("Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas"). I saw the first one up in Telluride at the annual festival in September, and it's fantastically cynical and labyrinthine in a way that fans of the perfect "Chinatown" would appreciate. The Peace books are being re-adapted for American audiences, too. By the team of -- wait for it... Sony and Zaillian (plus producer Ridley Scott).