1998-1999 Rumors

Current rumors

Daria (the movie):Script, part 1

Behind the Looking Glasses:Script

Daria 2: The Curse of the Misery Chick:Script, part 1 Credits Script, part 2 Pictures Reviews Commercial
href="Movie_2_p2.html">Pictures Reviews Commercial

12/28/99: "Flying Monkey" denies being "a flying monkey, dammit!" However, he does claim that Daria and Jane might be lesbians.

"Sick, Sad Weirdo" claims that "Pigeon Man" will be killed off, rather bloodily, in Daria 2: The Curse of the Misery Chick. This is in accordance with an early rumor that Daria 2 would be a horror movie. "Solaris" claims that Daria will die. "Kurchatovium" claims that Jane will die in Daria's arms. "Rainbow" claims that the entire former Fashion Club will die. "Bonanza" claims that Ms. Li will die. "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" claims that Trent will die and Daria will become a nun. "Wednesday" claims that Tommy Sherman will die. "BNB4EVER" claims that Beavis and Butt-Head will die and Lolita and Tanqueray will take over the show. "BIFF" claims that when Beavis dies, Lolita will channel Cornholio. "Freddy" claims that Mr. DiMartino will finally snap and kill everyone he can until Daria finally kills him, and that Mr. DiMartino will inexplicably rise from the dead in Daria 3 to destroy Middleton.

12/21/99: Contrary to recent reports, there will not be an animated Daria TV movie called Is It Fall Yet? That rumor does not come out of MTV; it was started by "Flying Monkey", an evil liar who has sent us many reports in the past, all of them so obviously fabricated that we never even bothered to report them here. (Like they would really have nude scenes in a Daria movie...)

Wes Craven has been signed up as director for Daria 2: The Curse of the Misery Chick, probably because of his previous successful collaboration with Kevin Williamson in creating Scream, which has been credited with either saving the horror genre or destroying it. Craven's next horror project, Scream 3, will be in theaters February 4.

"Twiggy" claims that in Daria 2 there will be a love affair between Daria and Quinn. (Go figure.)

Finally, the links page has been updated to include a number of fanfics which borrow from Daria (the movie).

12/06/99: Sorry about the lack of updates recently. My PowerBook was in the shop for repairs, making it less convenient to modify the Page.

The executives at MTV have convinced Christina Ricci to play Jane in Daria 2: The Curse of the Misery Chick. "Factor" reports they managed to do this by means of a number of rewrites and a check for an undisclosed, obscenely large amount of money.

Speaking of Ricci, she hosted last night on Saturday Night Live, appearing (as regretably expected) in a number of tasteless, unfunny skits. Notably relevant to this page, Ricci appeared as Jane Lane in a Goth Talk skit, in which Jane and Daria berated the Goth Talk hosts for being whiny, surface Goths who didn't have a clue what it was to be really miserable, having no real enemies out to get them. Daria and Jane therefore suggested that the Goth Talk hosts stop moping and find something better to do with their time. Jane then noted that Trent and Jesse were upstairs and the Tank parked outside, causing her and Daria to rush off the set to do something better with their time than be on a stupid public access cable show.

11/18/99: "Sick, Sad Weirdo" reports that the recent appearance of Christina Ricci on MTV's FANatic (with Johnny Depp as part of a promotion for Sleepy Hollow) was heavily edited. Although the part of her fan piercing his ears to imitate her multiearringed look as Jane Lane made it into the show, a part where she was asked about how she liked working on Daria (the movie) was cut. In the excised answer, Ricci tried skirting the issue of what the cast and crew were like and gave a very short answer about the role itself. The executives at MTV were very unhappy about her lack of enthusiasm, needless to say.

11/16/99: "Sick, Sad Weirdo" reports the negotiations with Christina Ricci have taken an unexpected turn. Producer Jeremy Bolt recently arranged a meeting between Ricci and scriptwriter Kevin Williamson to discuss the part Jane Lane will have in the sequel. Ricci reportedly thought Jane was too much in Daria's shadow in the first movie and may be willing to return if certain revisions are made. The MTV executives are reportedly nervous because they would like to begin production as soon as possible, and the prospect of extended negotiations and rewrites obviously doesn't help. Supposedly the prefered choice at this point is Neve Campbell, who recently completed her work on Scream 3. Campbell, however, has other projects in the works which may conflict, and the actor herself has not expressed any interest in the part. Inquiries have also reportedly been made with Alyssa Milano and Fairuza Balk as to doing the part.

The Paperpusher writes:

I keep hearing rumors that MTV is looking to get either Ron Howard, Rob Reiner, or Penny Marshall as the director for the sequel. They feel that by hiring a former 70s sitcom actor-turned-director, they can distract potential critics of the movie with the false hope that it won't suck, as well as get a larger bite of the GenX demographic. Someone I know at MTV says that there's a strong leaning toward Marshall, due to hopes of recapturing the young women's audience that Schumacher completely, totally and utterly alienated in the first movie. But the rumors about Marshall's friend and fellow K-Mart shill Rosie O'Donnell landing a major role in the sequel are unfounded... so far. Here's hoping that someone at MTV has actually seen her in "The Flintstones," and realizes the potential for disaster that she represents.

"Weird Sal", however, reports that Steven Spielberg will direct Daria 2.

And lastly, this page has been getting huge, so to not irritate our readers we've put the links on a separate page. Expect the rumors for Daria (the movie) to be put on a separate page, too, as soon as Nails gets around to it.

11/10/99: Last night ET reported that Sarah Michelle Gellar, among things, was not interested in portraying Jane Lane (if the negotiations with Ricci ever end) and if asked would turn the role down. "I have plenty of other and better projects to work on," she said.

Acclaimed Daria (the animated series) fan-fiction author C.E. Forman yesterday sent us this interesting note:

Just wondering, did you see the latest Entertainment Weekly? Page 18, sidebar. Apparently there's talk of Antonio Banderas directing the sequel.

While, as far as we know, who will direct Daria 2: Curse of the Misery Chick is undecided, "Sick, Sad Weirdo" is adamant that "Schumacher is out on his keester."

11/3/99: "Wednesday", "DirkDiggler69", and "RKO281" all reported, citing various sources, that Christina Ricci is asking for the "obscene" sum of $20 million to appear in Daria 2. According to "RKO281", the executives at MTV are considering other actresses for the role of Jane Lane, Sarah Michelle Gellar being the leading candidate. Meanwhile, "Spaz" and "Ghost Face" report that the executives at MTV are happy with the treatment Kevin Williamson has written for Daria 2 and have given the green light for him to write the script.

According to "Wednesday", Daria 2: Curse of the Misery Chick will be largely a horror story and borrow heavily from the unlikely combination of "I Don't", "Daria! (the musical), "Depth Takes a Holiday", "The Teachings of Don Jake", "The Lawndale File", "Write Where It Hurts", and "Monster". Given what happened in the first movie, the results are unpredicable except that it can't be as bad. "Bonanza" claims that Williamson is trying to squeeze in potentially major characters that appeared in the latter half of season 3 (e.g., Tom, Nick, Max). To quote, "You do not want to know what they have in store for Amanda Lane!" "Trey Anastasio's Evil Doppleganger" insists that the movie will involve singing holiday spirits terrorizing Lawndale, but he's not reliable.

10/28/99: A bunch of new sites have been added.

10/27/99: "Wednesday" pointed out some discussion on the pro-Ricci site Planet Maturia regarding comments Ricci has made on Access Hollywood. In her interview yesterday, Ricci was reportedly very unhappy about the recent revelations of how Hewitt was cast in the title role. "This might be a cutthroat industry," she said, "but there are rules. Everyone else in that movie went through the normal casting process. You do not know how <expletive deleted> angry I am about her doing this." Ricci also mentioned that the movie "was not the one they pitched to me" and expressed severe doubts as to whether she would appear in the sequel. The message board on Planet Maturia quickly became swamped over this. Given that Ricci's performance was considered by most critics one of the few good things in the film, the question arises as to who will replace her as Jane Lane if she doesn't come back for Daria 2.

Also: four new links have been added at the bottom of the page.

10/24/99: Wednesday night ET reported on what they called "the Daria casting scandal." It seems originally Schumacher wanted Claire Danes or Christina Ricci to play the title role. However, this was not to be once Jennifer Love Hewitt caught wind of the movie. Recently, Hewitt has been turned down for a number of more substantial roles, including the title character in Aeon Flux and Juliet in Romeo and Juliet (which Claire Danes did get), and so she turned to a more proactive method of auditioning. When Hewitt found out about the project, she met with Schumacher and pitched and implored herself on him until he agreed. Reportedly this is the same tactic she used to get cast as Audrey Hepburn in the upcoming biographical TV movie. Claire Danes declined to speak on camera but reportedly was angry about the whole affair. Christina Ricci was not available for comment.

10/22/99: We have yet another review, this one sent in by Danny Bronstein.

10/21/99: "Spaz" sent us a transcript of a commercial for Daria (the movie), which should be interesting to those of you whose TVs were broken when it aired.

10/19/99: Error: We reported yesterday that The Lost Boys had been on the previous night. In fact, it had been on Sci-Fi Saturday night.

Multiple comments were received regarding The Lost Boys and potential precursors in it to the homoerotic imagery in Batman Forever, Batman & Robin, and Daria (the movie). "Spaz", "Dr. Death", and "Pinhead" all wrote in to concur. "Ghost Face" said we are being very mean to Schumacher and that we "should shut up you stupid goat-loving jerkoffs!!!" Peter Nesbitt suggested that we might be overreading.

"Anonymous" reported that the executives at MTV are happy with the rate at which Daria (the movie) is drawing in money and have given the go-ahead for a sequel. The rumored treatment has apparently already been written by Kevin Williamson (Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer) and is provisionally titled Daria 2: Quinn's Revenge. Contract negotiations have reportedly begun to bring back the principal cast, though "Spaz" reports Christina Ricci is asking for more money as "endurance pay."

10/18/99: Rumor: "Spaz" reported that the controversy over Joel "Nipples on the Brain" Schumacher is making MTV executives look for other directors for the sequel. Currently under consideration are reportedly Wes Craven (Scream) and James Cameron (Titanic, Terminator 2: Judgement Day), though John Waters has reportedly expressed an interest.

"DirkDiggler69" and "Anonymous" both caught The Lost Boys (directed by Schumacher) last night on Sci-Fi and independently suggested that Schumacher's disturbances go back fairly far in time. They noted the presence of certain things, predating Batman Forever, suggestive of Schumacher's conflicted sexuality, especially the appearance of a muscular, half-nude man playing a saxophone.

"Spaz" also reported that this page was the link of the day for 10/16/99 at The Daily Script.

"Sick, Sad Weirdo" reported seeing on Outpost Daria a fanfic ripping off Daria (the movie). Unbelieveable as this may seem, we rushed to investigate and found it to be true, the offending story being The Resurection [sic] of Cornholio! by Kenda. "Sick, Sad Weirdo" further reports that Akiva Goldsman has found out and has requested that the plagiarized story be removed. For those who are curious, "Resurection" borrows almost verbatim from the latter part of scene 273, in which Beavis and Butt-Head are interviewed by Val. What Kenda was thinking, we don't know; in the words of Beavis and Butt-Head, "this story sucks!"

And finally, we have a bunch of new anti-celebrity links at the bottom of the page.

10/13/99: "DirkDiggler69" claimed to have heard that the changes in hairstyles seen this season on Alyson Hannigan (on Buffy the Vampire Slayer; Tiffany in the movie) and Keri Russell (on Felicity; "L." Quinn in the movie) were due to those actresses trying to distance themselves from the movie roles. Hannigan, however, has been heard saying to have made the change because "it's better hair for kicking demon hiney."

Danny Bronstein noted that Roger Ebert, while giving his review of Daria (the movie), kept doing that really annoying thing with his hands.

10/11/99: "Spaz" got the figures for weekend movie grosses:

1) Aeon Flux (Demi Moore, Pierce Brosnan, Marlon Brando)
$30.3 million

2) American Beauty (Kevin Spacey, Annette Benning)
$24.1 million

3) Daria (Jennifer Love Hewitt, Christina Ricci, Keri Russell)
$18.4 million

4) Three Kings (George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube)
$17.1 million

5) Double Jeopardy (Tommy Lee Jones, Ashley Judd)
$16.5 million

6) Tom Green Dies Horribly (Tom Green, Robert Patrick, Sharon Stone)
$9.9 million

7) Blue Streak (Martin Lawrence, Luke Wilson)
$7.2 million

8) Drive Me Crazy (Melissa Joan Hart, Adrian Grenier)
$6.6 million

9) John Carpenter's Wumpus (Christopher Lambert, Elizabeth Berkley)
$4.5 million

10) The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland (Kevin Clash, Mandy Patinkin)
$3.3 million

Totally unrelated, we have a bunch of new links at the bottom of this page and a review by Ebert on the reviews page.

10/8/99: Mourn, all you Daria fans, for Schumacher's travesty starts in theaters today!

In an attempt to sabotage the sale of movie tickets, "Sick, Sad Weirdo" has sent us the entire script for the movie, plus a bunch of pictures as well, all available by our new link bar. Find out for yourself how bad the movie is! A zillion pictures and several reviews are also available.

10/6/99: Several new links have been added at the bottom of the page.

10/4/99: C.E. Foreman, author of many critically acclaimed Daria fanfics, has submitted the following review of the movie:

"Daria: The Movie" A review by C.E. Forman (ceforman@worldnet.att.net) Okay, first off, I adore the show. I've got to be one of the biggest "Daria" fans out there. I paid $305 for a personalized Daria answering-machine message in MTV's Cool Crap auction back in May (which is why I was invited by MTV to fly out for the film's premiere in the first place). I'm as open-minded as they come. I liked the "New Kid" episode of "Daria". I even tried hard not to dislike "Depth Takes a Holiday", which featured personified holiday spirits interacting with Our Heroine. But "Daria: The Movie" is no mere "Depth Takes a Holiday". "Daria: The Movie" is a thousand times worse than watching a whole season of "DTaH"-style episodes while sitting naked on a pile of rusty nails and sharp, broken glass. Before I start (and boy, am I ever going to start!), it's worth mentioning that neither Glenn Eichler nor Susie Lewis -- Daria's creators -- is listed in the credits, nor does the "MTV Productions" logo appear anywhere in the film. Apparently MTV has pulled a Stephen King and fought to have their name extracted to minimize any association with this mess. That right there should tell you something. One can only imagine how upset Glenn and Susie must be over seeing their brainchild violated in this manner. In fact, according to Seth Eastman, a production assistant on the TV show (whom I was fortunate enough to be seated next to), the MTV execs also scrapped the original opening credits, which had the show's colorful, animated cast morphed, one by one, into their corresponding live-action thespians. This was unfortunate to say the least, as the oh-so-hip Hollywood glamour-heartthrobs (and their costumes) bear virtually no resemblance to their cartoon counterparts. Instead the poor viewer is left straining to guess, "Who the hell is that supposed to be?!" A few traces of our beloved show are still evident: Quinn's too-small pink smiley-face midriff tee, the show's technique of incorporating popular music with transitional cut-scenes, the famous "Sick, Sad World" eye-logo. But for the most part the Hollywood cuisinart has sliced, diced, folded, spindled and mutilated the world of Lawndale into an unsavory dish that's part teen-crap angst and part failed social satire. There are so many things wrong with this movie, it's hard to organize them into a presentable format. Christ, where to begin?? Okay, on the show Daria's always been Quinn's older, brainier outcast sister, right? Well here, two minutes into the film we're told she's actually Quinn's cousin (yes, her real cousin) who's forced into the custody of Jake and Helen Michalus (sp?) -- a more "marketable" family name, or were the screenwriters simply unable to spell "Morgendorffer"? -- when her parents (one of whom is Helen's sister Amy) perish in a freak skydiving accident. (No, I am not joking! You can not make up stuff this preposterous!) Other "improvements" Hollywood has made to our favorite show: Trent is now a 19-year-old high-schooler (presumably to skirt the whole Age Issue with the Daria/Trent romance... which I'll get to). Jane and Andrea have replaced Nick and Max in a now-coed Mystik Spiral. There's no Tom ("Jane's Addition") at all, Jane and Jesse are an item, and Andrea, upgraded from a perpetually taciturn backgrounder to a major character, has apparently been after Trent for quite some time. "You are now entering Hell," remarks a guy to Daria at the funeral. Indeed we are. It's hard to fathom what screenwriter Akiva Goldsman was aiming at with this script. At times the number of obscure references to "Daria" episodes gives the impression that Hollywood's flaunting it, saying, "See? See how well we did our homework? See all the little details from the show we've brought over?" Well they may have gotten the details, but man did they ever miss on the big picture. The result is a misguided joke that completely forsakes everything "Daria" stands for. Anyway, Jake and Helen bring Daria to Casa Morgen-- er, Michalus, and her new padded, bar-windowed room (which she chooses over the guest suite). And from there the film meanders from one sloppily retooled episode of the show to the next. That's right, it basically rehashes what's already been aired. Which of course means the film is only followable to the hardcore fans, the same people who'll be infuriated over all the changes that have been made. I recognized chopped-up scenes from "Esteemsters", "The Invitation", "Road Worrier", "The Lab Brat", "Cafe Disaffecto", "Quinn the Brain" and "The Big House", among others. All of our favorite catch-phrases and classic one-liners are systematically and hideously mangled. "I have low esteem for people who administer self-esteem tests", states Jennifer Love Hewitt's Daria, as I cringe. Hewitt is hopelessly miscast as Our Heroine. Her comic timing is way off, and her "deadpan" deliveries come across as whiny or snotty rather than wry. She doesn't even put on her glasses until about twenty minutes into the film, and with that figure is barely recognizable as Daria. Keri Russell screws up Quinn even worse, dropping her lovable whiny side in favor of outright bitchiness. Did I mention that she's blonde? Or that she wears prescription sunglasses? Christina Ricci, on the other hand, makes a competent Jane (even in that awful outfit), but unfortunately her biggest scenes are the ones where she's paired with Hewitt, and there is absolutely none of the partners-in-crime chemistry we see on the show. The two call each other "babe" and "cutie" throughout, with the lesbian overtones laid on thick from the outset, when Jane forces Daria into a lip-lock (and Our Heroine seems to enjoy it). Then, of course, there's the infamous locker-room shower scene (all the rumors are true, by the way). Yes, Joel Schumacher's vision. The supporting cast is a little better, but the script doesn't imbue them with much in the way of personality, and what little there is strays quite a distance from the show. Probably the best is Jonathan Taylor Thomas ("Home Improvement") as Upchuck, who provides some comic relief by getting his ass kicked by Daria and Brittany all the time. What staggers me is the number of bit roles filled by well-known actors. I found myself playing hunt-the-celebrity rather than following the film's dull story. It's hard to identify most of the secondary characters, as many of them aren't called by name, but I recognized "Xena"'s Lucy Lawless as Ms Barch (clever), Danny DeVito as Mr DeMartino (HUH?!?), and Uma Thurman as... someone (I never did determine who). Robin Williams as a very overwrought Mr O'Neill was somewhat amusing, and singer Brandy makes a cute Jodie. And I'd swear that's Margaret Cho playing Ms Li. Now on to Trent. Like I said before, he's back in high school, forced to endure the same group of airheads and posers as Our Heroine. The good news is, he's probably the closest to an actual likeness of his character. The bad news is, he's played by Jakob Dylan, who is way too old for the part. I'm wondering if this was intentional, having a 30-year-old man play the romantic interest of someone who's supposed to be a teenager. I wouldn't put it past these Hollywood sleazoids. The film wastes no precious screen time on, oh, say, character development, awkwardly leaping right into the 'shipper stuff with Jane's yenta act and one very corny at-first-sight Daria/Trent scene. You will gag. I guarantee it. The two share their first make-out scene about halfway through the film, and presumably have sex in the Tank later during the Alternapalooza sequence. Unfortunately for Daria (but fortunately for what semblance of plot there is) Quinn's already decided she wants Trent all to herself. And so it plods on, for almost two agonizing hours of typical teen-movie crap. There are some clever bits of dialogue, but for the most part it's populars versus outcasts as Sandi and Quinn try to tear the happy couple apart. They get Kevin to think Daria has the hots for him. They spy on our heroes using state-of-the-art cameras and palmtop computer equipment (tech-savvy Tinseltown strikes again). They recruit Upchuck to take Daria on a date, where Trent will see them together. They go to parties where they engage in long, insipid conversations with the rest of the cast. They get into big, stupid fights over little, stupid things. The movie trudges from subplot to subplot with no sense of style or transition, and all the subtlety of a blunt instrument. After awhile you just don't care anymore. Daria retaliates, dressing up like Quinn to steal all of her dates. Daria and Jane have a big fight over the misunderstanding with Trent, and Daria cries. They later reconcile in an obvious Oscar-clip scene (yeah, as IF). Jake (John Travolta, in another casting travesty -- it's just not funny) chews out Daria for liking Trent, whom he calls a "Satanic headbanger". Brittany does martial-arts moves and breaks furniture. Sandi and Quinn (everybody calls her "El Quinn" for some unfathomable reason, I couldn't figure it out) sabotage Mystik Spiral's entry in the school talent show, forcing Daria to read her "Melody Powers" story as a substitute entry. Beavis and Butt-Head show up as the hosts of a "Wayne's World" style webcast show. The deceased Amy (Janeane Garofolo) appears in a Vision and gives Daria advice. God, the pain. God, the unimaginable PAIN. Finally, Daria and Jane plot revenge on Sandi and Quinn by calling up "Sick, Sad World" reporter Val (yes, The Val, as in "Val"). Val (Alicia Silverstone, utterly wasted) comes to Lawndale High to cover a phony sex-scandal story the outcast duo cooks up to tear down the two populars. One by one, the entire cast is lined up and testifying to all the horrible things Quinn and Sandi have done. It's all done in a pseudo-documentary style, with some of the characters silhouetted. Unfortunately with their new looks and voices it's impossible to tell who's who. It's a long drawn-out sequence, chewing up almost the entire third act, aiming at high satire but failing miserably. Schumacher tries to get artsy and Goldsman's script tries to cram too much into the characters, too late. Boy is it bad. Bad bad bad bad bad. We're talking bad with a capital SUCKS. Sandi and Quinn protest their innocence, the latter uttering the obligatory F-word you can say once and still scrape a PG-13. For the sake of spoilers, I'll avoid commenting on the ending, except to say that the whole thing closes with a lacerated version of Splendora's "You're Standing on My Neck", performed by, you guessed it, Mystik Spiral. Okay, so the film's an abomination. But at least things can't get any worse, right? Wrong. Two things can. The first is a sequel that's already rumored to be in the works (gotta get it done fast, before the cast needs false teeth!) The second and far more depressing rumor is that (again, according to "Daria" associate producer Seth Eastman) MTV apparently planned the movie to impact much of the show's fourth season, much like the sixth season of "The X-Files" being based on its feature film. The Fashion Club plot has been resolved. The Daria/Trent plot has been resolved. You have to see the movie if you want to keep abreast of what's transpired on the show. (They're a feindish bunch, MTV... too bad their marketing strategy turned on them. It'd be funny, if it wasn't just plain sad.) My advice: fight it. Don't go see this crap. Even though you "need" to for the new season. Let it die in theaters, let it die on pay-per-view, then rent it for a couple of bucks before the new episodes premiere in early March. It's the only way to send a message to these people. (God, I am so mad right now!) I can't help but ponder Daria's comment on Jodie and Mack's entry in the school talent show: "I think it's something from The Canterbury Tales... before it was rewritten." Is this Hollywood laughing at us, after taking one of the most inspired TV shows in years and twisting it beyond recognition? I'm also reminded of one Lawndale High student's comment to Val, on Sandi and Quinn, which perfectly sums up my feelings for Schumacher, Goldsman, and all the producers and actors involved in this vapid, inane mockery: "I wish them only the best. They'll need it in Hell." -- C.E. Forman October 3, 1999

10/1/99: Well, it had to happen sometime, and happen it did last night. Let us just quote the press release:

AP--HOLLYWOOD. The stars turned out last night at Mann's Chinese Theater for the world premiere of Daria. This live-action movie, based on the acclaimed MTV cartoon, features an all-star cast including Jennifer Love Hewitt (Party of Five, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer) and Christina Ricci (200 Cigarettes, The Addams Family). "I'm glad to have been in this movie," said Hewitt. "It's not often that I get to play someone so dark and vengeful." The production, which has been among the most tightly guarded in Hollywood, has been the subject of speculation among insiders. Until recently, little was known about the production other than it was being directed by Joel Schumacher, who worked on such films as Batman & Robin. Schumacher was recently quoted as wanting to "keep to the spirit of the original cartoon while giving it an edgier twist." The production is said to have cost between $15 and 30 million. Names rumored to appear in the movie include Jakob Dylan of the Wallflowers, Leonardo DiCaprio (Titanic), Denise Richards (Wild Things, Drop Dead Gorgeous), and Lucy Lawless (Xena, Warrior Princess). There are also rumors that Marilyn Manson, who showed up at the premiere with girlfriend and indie queen Rose McGowan, was on the set, though it is not clear if he was a cast member. At the following premiere party, several actors spoke openly of their involvement. Danny DeVito (Twins, Other People's Money), who played the history teacher Anthony DiMartino, said he enjoyed the role and is looking forward to a sequel. Uma Thurman (Batman & Robin, The Avengers), who played Claire Defoe, the art teacher, said, "It was wonderful. I think Schumacher really captured the essence of what it means to be in high school." Also present were Pauly Shore (Encino Man, Biodome), Laura Prepon (That 70's Show, Cybil), and Gates McFadden (Star Trek: The Next Generation). The production was not without its problems, however. Reese Witherspoon (Election, Pleasantville) said that early on Ted Danson (Cheers), who was originally cast to play Jake Michaelis, had a dispute with Schumacher and quit the production. His role was recast with John Travolta (The General's Daughter, Phenomenon). Also six months ago, several papparazzi were injured while trying to break into the set to get pictures of the lead actors in costume. However, given the typical problems in film production these days, the problems were relatively mild. "It's a great film, and I think everyone should come out and see it," said Schumacher. Daria is set to open in theaters nationwide next week.

On a different note, several people reported on the premiere of two new videos on MTV's Total Request Live yesterday, both for songs off the soundtrack for the movie. In the studio to hype the movie were former VJs Pauly Shore ("Butt-Head") and Kari Wuhrer ("Diane Bennett"). Shore was doing his usual "weasel" routine and being a total annoyance. Wuhrer seemed to be in a mischevious mood and at one point asked Daly how good the sex with Jennifer Love Hewitt was. Daly was immediately reduced to tears and had to be removed from the set when he reached the point of crying like a baby and wailing loudly, "Why! Why! Why!" Daly until recently was in a relationship with Hewitt, which reportedly ended due to the strain of being carried out over such a long distance. (Hewitt lives in Los Angeles, a fair distance from New York City.) Wuhrer then took advantage of Daly's indisposition and effectively hijacked the show for the remainer of its time slot. She was also fairly cruel to Shore, calling him "just like your character", and at one point said something to the effect of "showing up those clowns who just dumped me like last year's teenage heartthrob."

"DirkDiggler69" wrote, "However much this movie sucks, you know they at least properly cast Butt-Head."

The first video was for The Offspring's "The Kids Aren't Alright", and it is not the one that's been on M2 a lot; it contains performance footage of the band intercut with a lot of shots from the movie. Scenes include Jennifer Love Hewitt (as Daria) and Christina Ricci (as Jane) tossing Jonathan Taylor Thomas (as Upchuck) in a dumpster, some shots of skydiving, Shore and Ian Ziering (as Beavis) on a couch with the B&B logo superimposed in front, several party scenes, including a fight where Hewitt punches out Keri Russell (as Quinn) and Melissa Joan Hart (as Brittany) doing a flying kick, an exploding car, Laura Prepon (character unknown) at a talent show in a trench coat exposing herself, Uma Thurman in front of a painting of people being shot, an animated Sick, Sad World logo, Danny DeVito yelling, Hewitt in a class with everyone staring at her, Hewitt and Ricci in a locker room wearing only towels and only interesting camera-work preventing exposure, Hewitt at a party tossing a drink in Mark Wahlberg's face (character unknown), what might be the Fashion Club, and Hewitt sucking face with Jakob Dylan (as Trent). Although the movie will be out in a week, this would be a great opportunity for all Daria fans to take in a sampling of some of the odd things in the film; anyone who wants to see Hewitt in a low-cut, tight-fitting, dark gray top and knee-high boots and Ricci in triple pairs of earrings ought to call into TRL and request this video.

The second video was for a song sung by Mariah Carey called "Revenge", which more than one person described as "some of the weirdest <expletive deleted> I've ever heard." At the beginning of the video Hewitt and Christina Ricci in costume entered a darkened room where they encounter Carey dressed as something akin to "an evil Glinda the Good." Ricci asks "You wanted to see us?" and then the music starts and Carey launches into a song which is unlike anything anyone could remember being on MTV and scared several viewers, the lyrics mentioning revenge and killing. Several people mentioned the video reminded them a lot of Coolio's "Gangsta's Paridise", but also resembled some of the weird stuff on Sundance Channel.

"Spaz" reported seeing several videos recently appearing with "Daria/Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" as the album listed on MTV. These include "Weird Al" Yankovic's "It's All About the Pentiums", Garbage's surreal "Push It", and Bananarama's "Venus", the last being the original video intercut with a lot of movie footage, heavily focussing on Quinn (Keri Russell), Sandi, and Tiffany (Alyson Hannigan), along with a shot of Britanny (Melissa Joan Hart) dressed as a streetwalker.

"Anonymous" reported a plan for another video for a song off the soundrack, namely a version of the Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil" sung by Natalie Merchant, which she has been performing in concert but (as far as "Anonymous" knows) has not been released. "Sick, Sad Weirdo" reported that a video has already been made for the Mariah Carey track "Revenge", of which she says about the video and the song that "both are really scary in The Blair Witch kind of way." Given the presence of Jakob Dylan on the project, a Wallflowers video wouldn't be surprising.

One person claims to have seen a commercial for Daria: An MTV Movie Special, though given the way MTV schedules things, it's not clear when this will be on, if at all.

"Anonymous" also reported that MTV was scaling back its plans to hype the movie after getting some backlash from fans of the cartoon. Although part of it was a few nasty messages sent to them, the real trigger for this move was probably a group of teenagers calling themselves the Cinema Afficianados National Antidegradation Association (CANADA). Last week CANADA gathered in Central Park and proceeded to protest the movie by burning Schumacher in effigy, which was met with by cheers by a group of Batman enthusiasts nearby. Interestingly, this story somehow was missed by Kurt Loder. Advertisements now seem to be concentrating everywhere but MTV.

"I don't quite get this," "Anonymous" commented. "Since when did MTV run scared from anything like CANADA?"

A correction on our report from "Anna": She wrote: "I DIDN'T MEAN THAT!!!! I heard that William H macy will play Jake and Ryan Phillippe will play Jesse instead of leo DiCrappyo. ryan doesn't have anthing to do with jake" Sorry about the mix-up. "Spaz" reports that it is indeed the drunken "Dr. Death" who started the William H. Macy/Ryan Phillippe/blue hair rumor; "It was easy enough to get a confession," wrote "Spaz". "All it cost me was a glitter-berry juice."

Christina Ricci on the set

9/30/99: Several people wrote in to report on Access Hollywood's report on the movie, which focussed mostly on Christina Ricci. Ricci, in costume, took AH on a tour of the set, which got somewhat absurd at times, reflecting the mood there. Seen were the classrooms (one of which was used for many different classes with different dressings; cf. crew quarters on Star Trek), the Michaelis home, including the rooms for Daria (which was much like the cartoon version except creepier) and Quinn (which looked like a fairy princess exploded in it), the infamous couch of Beavis and Butt-Head, and Jane's bedroom (which looked incredibly messy). In this last set she lingered a fairly long time, and some of the things she said (one, one thing in particular, actually) was so surprising that both "Spaz" and "Wednesday" felt obligated to transcribe it for The Daria Unofficial Movie Rumor Page:

RICCI: This is my room in the movie. You will notice not only the tendency towards horizontal organization and all the art supplies, but the pictures on the wall. That one over there, the Goya with Saturn eating someone, that's my favorite. And here (falls flat on back on bed) is where it happens. When you see the movie, wait to see this room, because the big kiss scene I'm in that everyone's going to be talking about will be happening here. Eat your heart out, Leo.

To make things even more confusing, "Anna" wrote in, saying: "I heard that Willam H Macy accpet the role of jake and after dying his hair blue for playing by heart, Ryan phillippe will let it grow to play jesse" I am not entirely sure what this means, but certainly "Anna" has been getting information from one of the less-reliable sources, such as "Dr. Death". Can't the drunkards stop spreading pure nonsense? I doubt even Schumacher would stoop so low as to give Jake blue hair.

"Sick, Sad Weirdo" notes that until the middle of filming Goldsman kept changing the last names of Stacy and Tiffany, which were never stated explicitly in the first three seasons of the cartoons. Originally he had decided to surname them "Nibblett" and "Fairchild", then "Ullman" (a poor pun) and "Wu", then somehow "Grandstaff" (a worse pun), "Duke", and "Toyoda" were being used. Finally someone looked at MTV's Web pages, and Goldsman settled on "Rowe" and "Blum-Deckler". "Sick, Sad Weirdo" also notes severe instability in the last names of several other characters, especially Artie, who almost ended up with the last name "Bunker" until Schumacher told Goldsman not to be silly.

9/28/99: Someone named "Gabby" wrote us, saying:

I like your page, I think it has lots of information. But please tell me this cast list is still a rumor! And if it's not, is their a site protesting this degration of a really cool show? Thanks.

That was such a good question that we decided to share our answer with the rest of you: The cast list is not a mere rumor; it is the cast list for the movie. While The Unofficial Daria Movie Rumor Page is dedicated to reporting on the Daria movie and its criticism (mostly negative), many of the sites listed at the bottom of the page are more <beat> outspoken. Jim's Paint-Balling Jungle, for example, has a petition to MTV with an ever-growing list of signatures. Misery Men has launched a spam drive at Touchstone Pictures. Brutal Mercenary Magazine is promoting October 8, the day the film will be shown in theathers (as if we didn't all know this from the commercials), as a day of mourning among all Daria fans. I highly encourage you to start at the very bottom of the page and work your way up among all the sites listed therein joining in on their protests against the live-action travesty.

On a lighter note, "Spaz" reports that Planet Hollywood has created a new drink in honor on the upcoming Daria movie:

Glitter Berry Juice

2 oz champagne
1 oz raspberry liqueur
2 oz vodka

Chill ingredients. Serve over crushed ice.

"Spaz" claims that in the movie the liquid that goes by this name causes people to act like idiots. Such a liquid would explain a lot about how this movie was authorized for production.

9/13/99: Many people reported in on Denise Richards' appearance on the MTV Video Music Awards last Thursday, in which she basically read her lines and was otherwise rather stiff. "Spaz" reported that Schumacher has been asking people related to the project to shut up until the movie comes out, which might explain why, during while she presented best group video with Puff Daddy, she seemed unusually stiff and quiet to the point of uninteresting. Janeane Garofalo, according to some in the movie, looked a bit more animated while presenting the breakthrough video with Method Man to Fatboy Slim. "Spaz" suggested that she was covering her mouth constantly was from her trying to restrain herself from mentioning her role, but this is really stretching it.

9/8/99: Daria Movie Insider has posted a new article, "Joel Schumacher: How the Hell did he get the job?", which makes some convincing arguments based on Schumacher's incompetence.

9/6/99: "Spaz" compiled a list of cast birthdays based on those shown on one of the posters. The reported trend is a bit disturbing but typical Hollywood. Ages are as of the latest "official" release date of October 8, 1999.


Actor                   Role      Birthday
Age
Jenifer Love Hewitt     Daria     February 21, 1979  20
Christina Ricci         Jane      February 12, 1980  19*
Keri Russell            Quinn     March 23, 1976     23
Jakob Dylan             Trent     December 9, 1970   29
Denise Richards         Sandi     February 17, 1972  27
Leonardo DiCaprio       Jesse     November 11, 1974  24
Rose McGowan            Andrea    September 5, 1975  24
Resse Witherspoon       Stacy     March 22, 1976     23
Alyson Hannigan         Tiffany   March 24, 1974     25
Jonathan Taylor Thomas  Upchuck   September 8, 1981  18*
Melissa Joan Hart       Brittany  April 18, 1976     23
Joey Lawrence           Kevin     April 20, 1976     23

*Denotes an actual teenager.

Of course, the situation wouldn't have been any better if they cast Neve Campbell (born October 3, 1973, age 26) or Sarah Michelle Gellar (born April 14, 1977, age 22) as Daria as rumored. Richards, of course has played a lot of teens even though it isn't exacly credible anymore. What's the excuse with Dylan going to be, that Trent was held back a few years?

"Anonymous" insists that the whole Fashion Club, not just Quinn, will be villians in the movie. "Sick, Sad Weirdo" insists Quinn and Sandi will be the only real villians. "Xizor" adds Upchuck, Ms. Li, Ms. Barch, and "Todd Boole" to the list of villians. "OZPINHEAD" claimed Brittany is a villian and even more dangerous than in her cartoon incarnation. "Dr. Death" claimed Andrea was a villian, based on his recent break-in, but as he was drunk at the time, he is not reliable. "Sick, Sad Weirdo" denies that Andrea is a villian. "WYSIWYG" swore on his mother's grave that Val, Stacy, Evan, Linda Griffin, and "Jake Michaelis" are villians, but he's a known liar; even though Linda, Evan, and Val in the cartoon are not the nicest of people, "Sick, Sad Weirdo" claims that "Stacy is fairly like she is in the cartoon; she's just exaggerated a bit and given a love interest." "Sick, Sad Weirdo" did not have time to comment on Jake, though it's hard to imagine him being anything besides harmless.

8/30/99: The people at Jim's Paint-Balling Jungle have sent in yet another poster:
[Meet the new face of evil]
Apparently, as was paranoidly speculated on Brutal Mercenary Magazine recently, Quinn will be the villian of the picture and not, as "WYSIWYG" the unreliable insisted, Beavis and Butt-Head.

8/25/99: "Spaz" claimed the slogan of the green-on-grayscale poster was a triple entendre of a sexual nature. Everyone who knows, however, that "Spaz" has a dirty mind.

The fine people at Jim's Paint-Balling Jungle sent me a new poster obtained from their informant at MTV:
[Prepare to enter Hell]
Note that the early claims that Daria's costume in the film would be faithful to the original do not appear to be quite correct; while colorwise they are even more depressing than those in the cartoon, and the combat boots have been retained, the form-fittedness and the amount of skin left uncovered are more characteristic of Quinn. I don't have a clue what they were thinking when they designed that Jane costume.

"Anonymous" submitted the rumor that Marlon Brando turned down a cameo as Principal McVicker because, despite how bad The Island of Doctor Moreau was, he didn't feel like degrading himself further by being in a Schumacher film. "DirkDiggler69" claimed that Akiva Goldsman, one of the writers of the films, has written a script for a live-action version of The Simpsons and has made a deal with Twentieth Century Fox that the film will be made if Daria is a commercial success. The reason for the "if" is that one executive reportedly said something to the effect that everything Goldsman has written "sucked," that his treatment of Lost in Space bordered on offensive, and that the only reason to make the movie would be "to make a lot of money." Jake Lloyd, who played Anakin Skywalker in The Phantom Menace, is reportedly being courted to play Bart Simpson.

Oddly enough, there is a site out there called "Daria": The Movie whose author seems unaware that MTV and Touchstone Pictures are making a Daria movie.

8/23/99: "Spaz" reports that "WYSIWYG" and "Trey Anastasio's Doppleganger" work in a convenience store and are known in the neighborhood as baldfaced liars.

"Sick, Sad Weirdo" reports that someone did break into the studio recently, as "Dr. Death" claimed to have done, but that the trespasser was apparently intoxicated and didn't have a clue as to which parts of the studio were being used by people working on the Daria movie and which weren't. She further says that 1) in the movie, Quinn is vision-impaired and wears contacts and occasionally glasses, 2) Jennifer Love Hewitt fiddles with a guitar from time to time, but that Daria in the film does not play any instrument, 3) Christina Ricci in clothes out of a cheap sci-fi film is (probably) due to the alcohol, 4) the "carrot-people" are featured in a costume party in another movie, 5) David Spade is in the movie, and he does have no lines, because he is playing an inconsequental character, 6) Josh Goldblum is in the movie, too, and he's not getting more money, because he is also playing an inconsequential character, and 7) there is no script for a movie adaptation of Mork and Mindy. She told "Dr. Death" directly, "Don't give Schumacher any more ideas which are likely to be disasters." She also sent us another poster:
[Prepare to enter Hell]
Says "Sick, Sad Weirdo", "Featured on it are: 1) Melissa Joan Hart as Brittany, 2) Jennifer Love Hewitt as Daria, 3) Keri Russell as Quinn, 4) Alyson Hannigan as Tiffany, 5) Christina Ricci as Jane, 6) Reese Witherspoon as Stacy, 7) Denise Richards as Sandi, 8) Joey Lawrence as Kevin, 9) Leonardo DiCaprio as Jesse, 10) Jonathan Taylor Thomas as Upchuck, 11) Jakob Dylan as Trent, and 12) Rose McGowan as Andrea. Note the ever-botched appearance of Daria, the botched facial expression of Andrea, the botched race of Tiffany, and the unexpected double-entendre in the slogan. At least they got Quinn's shirt right. Oh, if 'Dr. Death' tells you that Mack and Jodie are being played by white people, don't believe it."

Joel Schumacher: The REAL Batman villian

8/20/99: "Spaz" reported on ET's interview with Schumacher last night.

ET: There's been a lot of controversy about the casting of the Daria movie you've been directing. Has that been bothering you?

Schumacher: With any film like this, you always have some die-hard fans who will whine about it before they actually see the picture and can judge. This is no different.

ET: Some of the complaints have to do with the casting, particularly that of Jennifer Love Hewitt as the title character.

Schumacher: I think people are underestimating her as an actress. She was good enough, after all, to be cast as Audrey Hepburn in a different project. During filming she did a great performance, and I think all doubts will be silenced once the film comes out. You remember the bruhaha over Tom Cruise being cast in Interview with the Vampire. Even Anne Rice renegged on that one. You'll see.

ET: What about the Marilyn Manson rumors?

Schumacher: Marilyn Manson was never involved in the project. It just happened that his girlfriend, Rose McGowan, was in the picture. Personally I think some of the stories were funny, like the one about him appearing in the movie in drag, or that Charles Manson was involved.

ET: What about those who don't have much confidence in your ability to direct this picture based on your previous efforts. For example, John Markowitz, otherwise known as Lord Dorko of the site Misery Men, said, I quote, "Schumacher was at the height of his career with St. Elmo's Fire and then went downhill. You know his Daria movie is going to suck."

Schumacher: That doesn't sound very intellectual.

ET: Margaret Gormezano, who runs the site Daria Movie Insider, said you were, I quote, "based on his Batman offerings alone, a talentless, nipple-obsessed freak with delusions of grandeur and probably repressing some homoerotic feelings, the only people being stupider are those who asked him back for a second movie."

Schumacher: That's it. I don't have to take this.

Schumacher at this point walked out, and today, of course, the news was that ET had suspended the interviewer and would either fire her for being too critical or give her a promotion, depending on which way the ratings went. "Spaz" commented that he wishes more of ET's reporting was more like this and less credulous.

Also, "WYSIWYG" sent in an incoherent report that Upchuck was being portrayed as nongeeky, Monique as the lesbian lover of Heather (apparently from "College Bored"), Mack as Jamaican, and Andrea appearing in, of all colors, pink. "Trey Anastasio's Doppleganger" claimed that in the film Trent sleeps with the entire teenage female cast except for Jane. "Dr. Death" claimed that he broke into the studio and saw 1) Keri Russell as Quinn wearing glasses, 2) Jennifer Love Hewitt as Daria without glasses and playing an acoustic, steel-string guitar, 3) Christina Ricci in an outfit "that looked like something out of a cheap sci-fi film," 4) several people dressed in gigantic carrot costumes, 5) David Spade complaining to Joel Schumacher that he didn't have any lines, 6) Josh Goldblum dressed as a rock star and demanding more money, and 7) a script for a movie version of Mork and Mindy. For the last of these, "Dr. Death" said explicitly, "Don't be afraid; be very, very afraid", but he said nothing in particular about the contents.

8/18/99: "Anonymous" claimed to have seen the script and claimed it contains full frontal nudity and someone getting his head blown off.

8/11/99: "Sick, Sad Weirdo" sent us this logo:
[Daria logo]
and this poster:
[Quinn poster]
She claims to be working on graphics for the movie and to be very dissatisfied with some of the things Schumacher is doing. The logo confirms the rumors of Daria not wearing glasses. While the poster shows Keri Russell accurately portraying Quinn, do note that the poem, taken from "Arts 'N Crass", has been modified to refer rather cruelly to Quinn; this is not a good sign.

8/10/1999: ET reported that Jennifer Love Hewitt confirmed at the premiere of Detroit Rock City that she IS playing the title role in Daria. At the same time Edward Furlong claimed he was looking forward to the success of this film as well as Daria, where he said he had a small role.

8/5/1999: Got a tip on some of the actors, based on versions of the movie posters to be released soon. Many of the choices are, if anything, shocking. Daria is supposed to be played by Jennifer Love Hewitt; rumors of this have been around since the beginning of the production, but it seemed rather unbelievable, though several eyewitnesses are said to have seen Hewitt being filmed on the set in a black dress and black boots. Christina Ricci is supposed to be playing Jane, Jakob Dylan is supposed to be playing Trent, Denise Richards is supposed to be playing Sandi, and Keri Russell (of "Felicity") is supposed to be playing Quinn. Supposedly one poster shows Russell and a rather unflattering poem about her character.

7/14/1999: "BillyBob" reported that a treatment has already been written for a sequel, to be called Daria 2: Quinn's Revenge.

7/2/1999: "Dingo" reported two rumors: 1) Ray Park ("Darth Maul" in The Phantom Menace) was the stunt coordinator of the film, NOT someone culled from Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess. 2) Sculmacher was considering changing the title to Misery Chick.

7/1/1999: Variety reported X-Men director Bryan Singer denied the story that Christina Ricci declined playing Rogue so she could portray Jane in Daria.

6/21/1999: "Anonymous" reported that during casting Christina Ricci turned down the role of Rogue in the upcoming X-Men movie so she could play Jane Lane. Anna Paquin, the second choice, got the role of Rogue, which Ricci reportedly said was "less interesting." Ricci's participation supposedly began right after she finished her part in Tim Burton's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. "Anonymous" also claimed that the three piercings in each ear are real, as opposed to the clip-ons Jakob Dylan is said to be wearing.

5/1/1999: "Anonymous" reported that Ian Ziering and another actor (unidentified) were seen in Ventura shooting footage on the street. They reportedly were wearing black T-shirts with heavy-metal logos and sounded fairly stupid. This may contradict a claim by "Spaz" that Beavis and Butt-Head will not be in the film.

4/3/1999: John Williams told ET that he is not writing an orchestral piece for the film.

3/28/1999: "Anonymous" reported that Melissa Joan Hart was playing Brittany. Hart reportedly is also signed to do voices for an animated version of Sabrina the Teenage Witch and has been having her voice parts for this recorded in the bathroom between takes on the set.

3/15/1999: "Anonymous" reported Alyson Hannigan was juggling schedules to appear both in Daria and Scream 3. No report to what part she was playing, though she does resemble the title character more than any of the three actresses seriously named in the role. (Then again, so would almost anyone else.)

March 1999: People Magazine reports that Ted Danson has denied any invovlement in the project.

2/7/1999: "Spaz" reports Natalie Portman turned down the title role due to scheduling conflicts. He claims the Jennifer Love Hewitt rumor is true and that Sara Michelle Gellar was never seriously considered for the role.

February 1999: Danny Elfman, who was to do the score for the film, was reportedly axed. Schumacher has reportedly decided not to have a score, though there is supposed to be some orchestral piece. Who is doing the composition is not known at this time.

1/17/1999: "Kal" made the improbable claim that Ricki Lake was playing Andrea.

1/13/1999: "Xizor" reports that Madonna was set to play the role of "Helen Michaelis" (who?) but was dropped because she asked for $1.5 million for the part. No word on who replaced her. No word on why Schumacher seems to have been replacing "Morgendorffer" with "Michaelis."

1/2/1999: An alleged script for the movie was posted on Daria Movie Insider. Don't bother; it's a fake.

January 1999: "Spaz" claimed Beavis and Butt-Head will not be present in the film.

December 1998: A flurry of contradictory rumors. Several people submitted the Ted Danson rumor. "Morris82" claims that profanity was publically exchanged between Danson and Schumacher. "LuvJane" reports that Christina Ricci was seen with three earrings in each ear at Spago's, the implication being she is playing Jane. "Dirk" claims to have seen Reese Witherspoon with her hair dyed brown and dressed as Jane. "Dirk" also claims to have seen Marilyn Manson on the set. "DinoMan2" claims to have seen Manson with Jakob Dylan around midnight in a coffee bar near the set with an unidentified woman giving PDAs to Manson and "one of the chicks from Buffy." "OQN592" claims he heard from a friend of a friend that it is really Shirley Manson of Garbage who is involved in the film. "BNB4ever!" claimed that the Manson involved is Charles Manson, the involvement being that the actor playing Mr. DiMartino will be basing his performance on the famous psychopath. The actor is alleged to be Dennis Hopper. "OZPINHEAD" reported that Alicia Silverstone had a small part. "Sid," "2NF8," "Lord Dorko," "DirkDiggler69," and "Voltron" submitted the rumor that Jennifer Love Hewitt was playing Daria. "Lord Dorko" claimed to have actually seen Hewitt in costume, which reportedly was faithful to the original. "Voltron," however, claimed that Schumacher axed the glasses and has Daria portrayed as having normal vision. "DirkDiggler69" claims that Mark "Marky Mark" Wahlberg is playing a football player. "Smeghead" claimed he heard that Jenny Garth or Tori Spelling would be playing Brittany. "WYSIWYG" said the Hewitt rumor was false and said the role was being played by Sara Michelle Gellar. "Dr. Death," "THX-1138," and "Buster" submitted the Gellar rumor. "Trafalgar" claimed Daria was being played by Helena Bonham-Carter. "CARNAL" claimed Jeri Ryan was cast as Val. "OZPINHEAD" finally said that Silverstone was playing Val, while "Smeghead" claimed that Theresa Russell was playing Val. "Anonymous" claimed the soundtrack would include music by Trent Reznor and Offspring. Someone online claiming to be Reese Witherspoon claimed she was indeed playing Jane, but this was probably a fake.

September 1998: "Anonymous" reported that Shannen Doherty asked to play the title character. "Spaz" reported that Jeff Goldblum had been offered a role but turned it down because of conflicts with his role as the Scarecrow in Batman Triumphant.

August 1998: As you may have heard, rumors have been flying about a live-action movie based on the MTV cartoon Daria. The production has been kept very tight, so it has been hard to get reliable information about it. Joel Schumacher, the director, has been trying to build up tension and hype before the release, which he reportedly sees as very important, especially for him personally since rumor now has it he has not been asked to direct Batman 5. Supposedly early in the production Ted Danson was set to play "Jake Michaelis" but left after an arguement with Schumacher. Other than that, the only big rumors to leak out are that Daria will be played by Jennifer Love Hewitt, Neve Campbell, or Sara Michelle Gellar (sources have not been consistent on this point), that Jakob Dylan is making some contribution to the film, perhaps as an actor, and that Marilyn Manson will be appearing. There have also been claims that Sharon Stone, Christina Ricci, and Billy Dee Williams are involved.