Classic gets Kiwi makeover

Director Niki Caro, meanwhile, is reportedly writing and directing a biopic about opera legend Maria Callas, and Roger Donaldson is linked to a film project with Pierce Brosnan and his Irish DreamTime production company about a former CIA operative.However, Donaldson's movie Cities, described by IMDB as "in pre-production", may not see the light of day. Producer Matthew Metcalfe at General Film Corporation told The Diary the "project is sitting in development and is not active". Hollywood stars Orlando Bloom and Kirsten Dunst have been linked to the film, but Metcalfe - who is producing the Ed Hillary biopic Beyond the Edge - said it's all just theoretical at the moment.

peaker of the House David Carter left the garland of albatross feathers at home to don shorts in Paris this week. Sacre bleu! The 61-year-old took part in the city's marathon, beating home more than half of the 38,690 runners with a time of 3 hours, 59 minutes and 35 seconds. He said on Twitter that he was "exhausted but very pleased to have completed" the race.This week in cultural news, John Key called war on Knuckleheads but not on North Korea, Pita Sharples attacked Te Ururoa Flavell and the Maori Party's ruling body, and a little heard-of Danish MP lobbed caustic missiles on grass skirts and powhiri.Ou est Dame Susan? The controversially appointed Race Relations Commissioner, who's lying low in Tauranga, stayed noticeably schtum on the cross-cultural diplomatic incident. Apparently it's out of her jurisdiction.