Movie Deals: Robin Williams, Hugh Jackman

-Robin Williams (left) is reteaming with Good Morning, Vietnam director Barry Levinson for Man of the Year, a political satire (and maybe the comeback Levinson needs, since he hasn’t had a hit since his last political satire, 1997’s Wag the Dog). Williams will play a Jon Stewart-like talk show host whose comic-stunt candidacy for president backfires when he’s actually elected.

-Hugh Jackman will finally get to sing on screen in If You Could See Me Now, a musical about a 6-year-old, his imaginary friend, and his aunt, who begins to see the invisible pal and falls in love with him. Jackman, along with the Chicago team of Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, will produce.

-The long-gestating John Carter of Mars, based on the classic sci-fi adventure series by Tarzan creator Edgar Rice Burroughs, is finally moving forward with a director: Jon Favreau, who directed Elf and next month’s fantasy film Zathura. Ehren Kruger, who adapted the Ring movies, wrote the latest draft of the screenplay, and Ain’t It Cool News’ Harry Knowles is coproducing, so this should be fanboy heaven.

-Samaire Armstrong (of The O.C. and Entourage) and Kevin Zegers star in It’s a Boy Girl Thing, playing body-switched teens who try to destroy each others’ reputations but end up falling in love. Elton John is producing the gender-switched comedy, which is currently shooting in Toronto, with Sharon Osbourne cast as Zegers’ mother. ”I see it as a romantic comedy within a body switching movie, [rather] than just a high-concept movie,” says director Nick Hurran (Little Black Book). Thanks for clearing that up.