Former "Flipper" star Jessica Alba is returning to the ocean, this time with Paul Walker by her side for the action thriller "Into the Blue." "It's kind of a remake of 'The Deep,' " Alba said recently, referring to the 1977 film starring Nick Nolte. "It's about four people who discover some treasure, but there's a big plane of cocaine on top of the treasure, so they have to deal with that. I'm one of the good guys." ... Director Tim Burton has confirmed that Johnny Depp will star as Willy Wonka in his remake of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," which is still in the early script stages. Depp and Burton previously worked together on "Sleepy Hollow," "Ed Wood" and "Edward Scissorhands." ...

Dax Shepard and Al Shearer, the crafty pranksters from Ashton Kutcher's "Punk'd," are developing a still-untitled comedy with FOX Searchlight Pictures that will star the actors as men from different racial backgrounds who learn they are brothers and must compete against each other for an inheritance. Producers are looking for a writer to put together the script. ... And in other MTV primetime funnyman news, filming has begun in Austin, Texas, on Johnny Knoxville's "The Ringer." The Farrelly brothers farce finds the "Jackass" alum posing as a disabled man to compete in the Special Olympics and pay off a debt. Katherine Heigl ("Roswell") has been cast as Knoxville's love interest. ... Michael Caine will play Alfred, Bruce Wayne's butler, in the upcoming "Batman: Intimidation Game," according to the British actor's publicist. Christian Bale ("American Psycho") is starring in the movie, which Christopher Nolan, of "Memento" and "Insomnia" fame, is directing. ...

FOX Searchlight plans to release the latest flick from English "28 Days Later" director Danny Boyle next year. Titled "Millions" and written by Frank Cottrell Boyce ("24 Hour Party People"), the movie is about two Liverpool kids who stumble upon money from a bank heist and have one week to spend it. ... Video director extraordinaire Dave Meyers (Missy Elliott, Britney Spears) has two movies in development, including a kids' movie called "Topsiders." "It's a pretty phenomenal, visual adventure," he explained. "I'm trying to make it a coming-of-age movie as well, so it's a little bit of a serious kids' movie. We have a lot of these goofy kids' movies." Meyers' other project is the thriller "Soldier Field." "It's about off-duty police officers doing some corrupt stuff and one of the guys gets in over his head," he said. "All kinds of political mess from there, mafia stuff, but it's fresh, not any of the Italian mafia stereotype stuff." ...

He will forgo the Santa suit this time, but Tim Allen has signed on for another holiday film. The actor will star in "Skipping Christmas," a comedy based on a John Grisham novel, which Joe Roth ("America's Sweethearts") will direct in the spring. The film centers on a man planning to skip Christmas and go on vacation but who ends up celebrating the holiday when his daughter comes home at the last minute. ... Jenna Elfman was so impressed with Brendan Fraser while making "Looney Tunes: Back in Action" that the "Dharma & Greg" star said she hopes to team up again. "As a leading lady, it's very nice to meet a leading man [who] has such a deep understanding of comedy, because it is not easy," she said. "Especially ... when you are acting with nothing, because they put the animated characters in later." ...

Ang Lee plans to follow up "The Hulk" with an adaptation of the short love story "Brokeback Mountain," about two male cowboys -- a ranch hand and a rodeo star -- who fall in love working on a Wyoming ranch. Gus Van Sant ("Good Will Hunting") was once attached to the film. ... Bryce Wilson, a budding music producer who has worked with Beyoncé and Toni Braxton, recently scored a role in the Vivica A. Fox "Beauty Shop" movie. "I played Drake, a heterosexual hair dresser, a player kind of guy," he said. "I have absolutely never done hair, but I got the hang of it." ... After appearing in "Cold Mountain" at the end of the year, Taryn Manning will star in "Dandelion," expected to premiere at Sundance. "It's a tragic love story and [I play] just a sweet young girl that's in love," Manning said of the film, which also stars Vincent Kartheiser ("Angel"). ...

Paula Jai Parker, star of the upcoming "My Baby's Daddy," written and produced by Eddie Griffin, recently revealed the inspiration behind the comedy, due in January. "[Griffin] really enjoyed the character that I played called Joi in a movie called 'Friday,' and I was like this hoochie mama, so he thought to himself, 'What would happen if someone got her pregnant?' " Parker explained. "And he just flew with that theme." Griffin is co-starring in the movie along with Parker's Howard University classmate Anthony Anderson ("Barbershop"). "I met Eddie when I first moved here nine years ago and ... he was like, 'One day I'm gonna be big and famous and I'm gonna produce a movie and I promise you, you're gonna star in it,' " Parker said. "And sure enough, nine years later, he got his first opportunity and he wrote this film for me." ...