QUICK CUTS / Sneaks Edition

Magic Number

The $100-million mark may not be as illustrious as it once was, with more than 200 films having reached that box office benchmark, but Robert Zemeckis could become the first director to release two $100-million-grossing films in the same year. Zemeckis directed one of the summer’s biggest hits, “What Lies Beneath,” and would appear to have a solid shot with “Cast Away,” starring Tom Hanks (who has 10 nine-digit hits to his credit). Steven Spielberg came closest to the twin-hits feat in 1993 with “Jurassic Park” ($356 million) and “Schindler’s List” ($96 million). Another Steven, Soderbergh, who scored a $100-million-plus hit last spring with “Erin Brockovich,” also has a holiday release, “Traffic,” featuring Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones. “Cast Away” opens wide Dec. 22, while “Traffic” opens in New York and L.A. on Dec. 27 and goes wide Jan. 12. If “Cast Away” fails to click, Spielberg will have his next shot at doubling up in 2001 with “A.I.” and “Minority Report.”

Coincidence? I Think Not

Kevin Costner and director Roger Donaldson, who scored a hit together in 1987 with the political thriller “No Way Out,” re-team in December for the Cuban missile crisis drama “Thirteen Days.” The producers of the film managed to acquire at least two lucky charms. Steven Culp, currently onstage in Costa Mesa in South Coast Repertory’s production of “Art,” was cast as Robert F. Kennedy, and he definitely has experience: Culp portrayed RFK in the 1996 HBO movie “Norma Jean & Marilyn,” with Mira Sorvino and Ashley Judd. The movie has another link to the past: The briefcase used in the film to carry the photographs identifying the missiles’ Cuban locations is the actual briefcase used to transport the original documents in 1962.

The Long Haul

Since coming to Hollywood from Texas in 1973 at age 18, Bill Paxton has worn many hats. Before his roles in the blockbusters “Apollo 13,” “Twister” and “Titanic,” as well as the upcoming “Vertical Limit,” Paxton began his show business career working in educational films and as a set dresser on Roger Corman-produced movies like “Big Bad Mama.” He then did some stage work and studied with Stella Adler before landing memorable supporting roles in “Weird Science” and “Aliens.” Also in the ‘80s, Paxton managed to front the pop music group Martini Ranch, which had a cult hit with the song “How Can the Laboring Man Find Time for Self-Culture.” A breakthrough performance in the critically acclaimed “One False Move” in 1991 led to his current status as an in-demand leading man as well as the acquaintance of writer and co-star Billy Bob Thornton, with whom he later appeared in “A Simple Plan.” The actor is now adding feature-film director to his resume. He’s directing the gothic thriller “Frailty,” currently shooting in Los Angeles. The film, written by Brent Hanley, is about faith, family and the end of innocence. Paxton co-stars opposite Matthew McConaughey, with whom he worked in “U-571.”

Skeleton Crew

During the filming of “Dungeons and Dragons,” the new movie based on the popular fantasy role-playing game, one of D&D;’s co-creators, Dave Arneson, got into the spirit of things on a visit to the set in the Czech Republic. The filmmakers fulfilled a fantasy of Arneson’s when they cast him on the spot as a Mage (magician) and let him be an extra in a scene. In the Czech town of Kutna Hora, the production was the first to be allowed to shoot in a 12th century church there. The church’s interior, which functioned as one of the film’s dungeons, is furnished with actual human bones, including an entire chandelier. In other words, those skulls are real.

A Bit of What We Know About Hollywood, 2001

Coming soon to a theater near you (provided you define soon as the next six months and are very trusting):

“Bridget Jones’ Diary” starring Renee Zellweger (Miramax) . . . Jude Law, Joseph Fiennes and Ed Harris in Jean-Jacques Annaud’s “Enemy at the Gate” (Paramount) . . . Director Ridley Scott and Julianne Moore join Anthony Hopkins in “The Silence of the Lambs” sequel, “Hannibal” (MGM) . . . “The Mexican” starring Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts (DreamWorks).

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Summer: Steven Spielberg’s “A.I.” from a story by Stanley Kubrick, stars Jude Law and Haley Joel Osment (Warner Bros.) . . . “America’s Sweethearts” stars Julia Roberts, Billy Crystal and Robert Downey Jr. (Columbia) . . . Disney’s big summer animated feature is “Atlantis,” with voices by Michael J. Fox and James Garner . . . Eddie Murphy talks to the animals again in “Doctor Dolittle 2” (Fox) . . . Joe Johnston takes the helm for “Jurassic Park 3” with Sam Neill and William H. Macy (Universal) . . . Heath Ledger is the lead in “A Knight’s Tale” (Columbia) . . . Baz Luhrmann’s musical “Moulin Rouge,” starring Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman (Fox) . . . Brendan Fraser in “The Mummy Returns” (Universal) . . . Ben Affleck and Cuba Gooding Jr. in director Michael Bay’s “Pearl Harbor” (Disney) . . . Mark Wahlberg heads the cast of Tim Burton’s “Planet of the Apes” (Fox) . . . John McTiernan remakes “Rollerball” with Chris Klein and LL Cool J (MGM) . . . Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker and director Brett Ratner re-team for “Rush Hour 2” (New Line) . . . “Shrek,” with voices by Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz (DreamWorks) . . . Oscar-winner Angelina Jolie in “Tomb Raider” (Paramount). . . Nicolas Cage in John Woo’s “Windtalkers” (MGM).

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Fall/Holiday: The highly anticipated “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” directed by Chris Columbus (Warner Bros.) . . . Elijah Wood and Cate Blanchett in Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” (New Line) . . . “Monsters Inc.” from Pixar, with the voices of John Goodman and Billy Crystal (Disney) . . . George Clooney heads an old-fashioned all-star cast in “Oceans 11” (Warner Bros.) . . . Tom Hanks stars in an untitled Sam Mendes project, the director’s follow-up to “American Beauty” (DreamWorks).

2001 to Be Determined: After a couple of knockdowns, Michael Mann’s “Ali” with Will Smith as the charismatic champ is back in the ring (Columbia) . . . Sharon Stone returns in “Basic Instinct 2” (MGM)

. . . “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin,” starring Nicolas Cage and Penelope Cruz, is John Madden’s encore to “Shakespeare in Love” (Universal)

. . . Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg file “Minority Report” (Fox).

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And for the Truly Eager: 2002 will bring Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man,” starring Tobey Maguire (Columbia) . . . a new installment of George Lucas’ “Star Wars” (Fox) . . . and the 20th anniversary re-release of “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial” (Universal).