'Blood' actor Daniel Day Lewis eyes 'Nine' musical

Several months ago, at the height of awards season I was thrilled to hear Harvey Weinstein was casting two of my favorite Oscar® Nominees Javier Bardem of "No Country for Old Men" and Marion Cotillard of "La Vie En Rose" in a new musical titled "Nine". Bardem later dropped out of the film due to exhaustion from work and awards season.

I caught a glimpse of Marion Cotillard and Daniel Day-Lewis on the Red Carpet of the Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Show Gala earlier this year. Cotillard was awarded with the Breakthrough Performance Award for "La Vie en Rose" and DDL was honored with the Desert Palm Achievement Award for "There Will Be Blood". Both won Oscars® in their respective categories. I was delighted and rendered speachless when DDL magically appeared on the Red Carpet heading towards me. He smiled and expressed a soft heartfelt "thankyou" after I blurted out "you are absolutely brilliant!" His charm and charisma swept the female audience right off their feet as he strolled by. Hold that thought. . .

Another coup for Harvey Weinstein! According to Variety Oscar® winner Daniel Day-Lewis is in talks with The Weinstein Co. to replace Bardem in the musical. He would play the role of Guido Contini, a famous film director who experiences personal and creative crises while trying to balance all the woman in his life. Penelope Cruz, Marion Cotillard, Sophia Loren, Nicole Kidman and Judi Dench will play the woman. The Robert Marshall-directed musical is inspired by the Fellini film "8 1/2". Michael Tolkin wrote the screenplay, and Anthony Minghella turned in a rewrite before he died.

Harvey Weinstein's first association with the actor came when Weinstein's Miramax Films acquired distribution rights to the 1989 Jim Sheridan-directed film "My Left Foot."

TWC spokesperson denies a lead has been set and the names being thrown around are pure conjecture. More on this story as it develops...

YouTube clip of Daniel Day-Lewis on the Red Carpet of the Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Show Gala (below).