Can the world ever have too many Coen Bros. movies?

In case anyone's wavering, the anwer, for me at least, is a resounding no. And luckily for their many fans, the bros. are seemingly now more than active than ever before.

Though plot details are extremely scant, it's just been announced that the brothers have signed on to write, produce and direct "A Serious Man" for Focus Features and Working Title. It's described only as "a dark comedy in the vien of 'Fargo'," but that's good enough to get me hooked.

Long before that, we should be getting two other Coen Bros. flicks that sound just as good. It was announced last Thursday that their take on Cormac McCarthy's "No Country for Old Men" will be in competition this year at Cannes. The flick set to star Woody Harrelson, Javier Bardem, Stephen Root (huzzah!) and many others is now scheduled for a fall release in the U.S.

The brothers are also in preproduction on "Burn After Reading" described as a spy caper about a CIA agent who is writing a book and loses the disc. George Clooney will play a killer unleashed on the spy's trail, so I have to assume that the recently announced Brad Pitt will play the spy. And, of course, the always-welcome Frances McDormand will figure in here somehow too.

Whew. That's a lot of work to even write about, but I can only say bring it all on.

No Fletch for Braff

As a devoted fan of the "Fletch" movies, I've been off and on both skeptical and excited about the planned prequel in the works from "Scrubs" creator Bill Lawrence.

On the one hand, "Scrubs" is consistently very funny, so I'm confident he can come up with a good script and shepherd it through. Who would play Fletch, however, is a troubling question. Now, at least, we know it won't be Zach Braff.

"Zach is writing and directing his own film ['Open Hearts'] at Paramount," says Lawrence, who's currently in New York searching for a new Fletch. "I'm very happy for him. We were looking forward to doing this thing together, but when you get an opportunity like that, you've got to take it."

The two will still work together on the seventh and final season of "Scrubs," but now the search is on for a new Fletch. I would certainly champion Jason Lee, and Brendon over at the great Film Ick blog came up with two other possibilities, Joseph Gordon Levitt and Jason Schwartzman. Anyone have any more ideas?

Pegg and Dunst set to alienate people

If I'm translating this right, and that's always a dodgy bet, the fine folks over at my favorite froggy film site, Cinempire.com, are reporting that Kirsten Dunst and Simon Pegg are set to star in "How to Lose Friends and Alienate People."

This may be old news to the rest of the world, but it was new to me, and the story sounds great. It's based on the memoirs of Toby Young, who as a magazine journalist in New York employed any means necessary to cozy up to all sorts of celebrities. Pegg will play Young, and he should just be a hoot doing it. Dunst will play a fellow journalist for Vanity Fair.

In even more interesting but depressing news, Dunst also revealed, I think, that she will be playing Debbie Harry in the upcoming biopic about Blondie's leading lady. I can't see any way this would work, but I've been wrong at least once before. My choice, for both look and overall appeal, would be Sarah Polley.

Congrats to Marti Noxon

I don't watch "Grey's Anatomy," but I wanted to mention this any way out of longtime love for Marti Noxon and her work running "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

Noxon, who has played a big role with "Grey's" this season, has just been named the show runner for the "Grey's" spinoff set to hit ABC this fall. It will star Kate Walsh, Tim Daly, Taye Diggs and Amy Brenneman, and presumably take place in a hospital of some sort. Congrats, Marti.

International Harry Potter trailer

Whew! It's been a longer post than I planned today, so anyone who got this far deserves a reward. Here, for all you Potter fans, is the international trailer for "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" in gloriously democratic YouTube. Imelda Staunton, because it is apparently her birthright as a British actress, has joined the cast this time, and is clearly having fun. Enjoy, and have an entirely bearable Tuesday.