This week, Hollywood hedges its bets and kicks ass.

The spawn of author Dave Eggers’ growing literary empire, McSweeney’s, is finally going to hit the big screen. Given the website and magazine’s high quotient of both lovers and haters in the book world, and given Hollywood’s known appetite for adaptations, it’s surprising that more writers associated with McSweeney’s haven’t seen their film rights turn to film.

But Jonathan Safran Foer’s funny, moving story of a verbose translator and a bereft narrator making their way through the modern-day fallout of WWII - Everything Is Illuminated – might just be the first. Actor Liev Schreiber (best known as Cotton Weary in the Scream trilogy) smartly snapped up the film rights before the book was even released. Schreiber has written the screenplay and is now set to make his directorial debut for Warners’ indie arm, with Jason Schwartzman and Elijah Wood in talks to star.

But what about Eggers’ almost obscenely popular first novel, A Heartbreaking Work Of Staggering Genius? Film rights were bought way back in 2000 by New Line for a staggering $3m. But now the film has since been put in turnaround and may be picked up by Universal, who are considering Kimberly Peirce (Boys Don’t Cry) to direct.

They fight bad guys with synchronized ass-kicking moves and aren’t afraid to hug like men in the funniest movie of 2004 – Starsky & Hutch (out in the UK, 12 March 04). Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson. So silly and so sweet. From The Royal Tenenbaums to Zoolander to Meet The Parents, they’ve been perfecting their intense guy/cool guy shtick and it all culminates in this remake of the 70s cop TV show. Snoop Dogg as a long, tall drink of hooch and Will Ferrell as a boy-lovin’ biker only add to the glee. Jade Chang 05 March 04