What will Pixar's first live-action movie be, and who will be in it?

Though any of you have much of a life will probably be out and about in some form tonight, I'll be at home watching my beloved Orioles most likely lose to my second-favorite baseball team (though there's a big gap between the two), the Atlanta Braves.

And after that, I'll certainly tune in for the final episode of "Pushing Daisies," which is dying far too soon tonight at 10 p.m. In what will have to serve as the finale, one-half of The Aquadolls (Nora Dunn and Wendie Malick), a synchronized swimming duo and rival to the Darling Mermaid Darlings, turns up dead, and of course Ned, Chuck and Emerson are on the case.

I've sung the praises of this fairy tale for adults loudly and proudly from the start, but on this sad occasion, I'll simply ask you this: How many shows in the past 10 years can you really call "unique" (a word that's used and misused far too often)? "Pushing Daisies," with its winning mix of humor, engaging story and pure whimsy, earned that title, and for that it will be sorely missed by at least by me.

But here today it's supposed to be about the star of another of my favorite TV shows, "Friday Night Lights," who's about to hit the really big time in what most likely will be the first live-action movie from the rather famous animation house Pixar.

I had thought that honor was going to go to "Ratatouille" and "The Incredibles" director Brad Bird with "1906," which just sounded like a perfect idea. Though I wasn't terribly impressed with the writing in the book by James Dalessandro, the story he came up with about the political intrigue that surrounded the great earthquake of 1906 in San Francisco was just crying out to be told on the big screen.

But it seems Bird has been hit both by trouble finishing the script and budget woes (at Pixar?), and it now seems that Andrew Stanton will get the live-action honor instead with "John Carter of Mars," set to begin filming in November in Utah. And, though most of the news reports I saw pitched it as Gambit from "Wolverine" landing the lead role, everyone should know that Taylor Kitsch is and always will really be Tim Riggins of the Dylan Panthers. Oddly enough, one of the female leads will be going to Lynn Collins, who played Hugh Jackman's "wife" in "Wolverine."

But, and if I were more of a proper geek I would probably know more about this, what in the world is "John Carter of Mars"? Well, it's a series of books by "Tarzan" creator Edgar Rice Burroughs, apparently, though I can't say I've ever read any of them (though that will change before this movie comes out.)

As far as I can tell, the story centers on a Civil War veteran who finds himself mysteriously transported to the red planet, where he gets involved with the planet's warring factions. I'm sure there's a lot more to it than that, and I'm also sure Taylor Kitsch will be great in what should turn into a series of flicks.

Oddly enough, I'm not sure how old the character is supposed to be, but also among the many actors considered for this part was Jon Hamm of "Mad Men." A truly odd combo there.

And I'll leave you today with this teaser trailer for Michael Moore's next, as yet untitled, flick, which as you'll be able to tell is going to be about the current state of our economy and just how we got into this mess. I'm kinda dreading just how smug, I-told-you-so he's gonna be about all this, but it's certainly a subject that fits him well, so here's hoping he comes up with something a lot more compelling and entertaining than the thoroughly missed opportunity that was "Sicko."

And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to see "The Hangover" (yes, I'm a week behind) rather than any remake of "The Taking of Pelham 123" or Eddie Murphy's latest family-friendly crap fest. And just a reminder that if you live anywhere near Macon, please come out to the Macon Film Guild's presentation of the baseball flick "Sugar" on Sunday at 2 (I'll be there), 4:30 or 7:30 p.m. at the Douglass Theatre. Peace out.