WTF? Movie Bites: Helen Mirren, Berenstain Bears, Robopocalypse

Helen Mirren is getting into the spy biz.

What? Wait. Huh? The Oscar winner has joined Morgan Freeman and Bruce Willis in the espionage thriller "Red," so says Variety.

The project is based on the three-issue Wildstorm/DC comic book series and centers on retired CIA operative Paul Moses (Willis), who's been betrayed by his governement. Freeman is the newly appointed CIA director that orders Moses' execution.

There's no word on who exactly Mirren will be playing, but it's possible she will play Moses' handler, whom he only contacts by phone.

The film is set to begin production in January.

In other movie news, "Night at the Museum" director Shawn Levy will produce the big-screen adaptation of the children's classic book series the Berenstain Bears under his 21 Laps banner, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The family comedy will be produced in live action and CG.

The Bears who teach kids life lessons have previously appeared in two animated series.

Finally, our fears of robots taking over will be realized with the appropriately named "Robopocalypse," based on Daniel H. Wilson's unpublished manuscript, the rights to which DreamWorks Studios and Doubleday pre-emptively acquired. Wilson has a Ph D in robotics.

"Robopocalypse" centers on how a robot uprising affects the human race. The film has been set on the fast track through development.

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