Recent production sightings here in Gotham (reg required for full size pics) have drummed up a renewed buzz about the upcoming film, The Weather Man. Directed by Gore Verbinski, the film stars Nicolas Cage and Michael Caine. Cage plays a divorced Chicago weatherman who is offered a job on a network morning show in New York. Before leaving he attempts to make peace with his ex-wife and kids. The movie is described as being in the vein of "American Beauty" and "About Schmidt". Having recently wrapped up filming in Chicago, the production has moved to the right, into Manhattan.

There has yet to be a release date announced and they are still filming here in the city, but Gothamist is admittedly a little excited. Despite the fact that it remains to be seen how much of the movie will actually be about the life of a weatherman, just touching on the subject is enough for now. And the promotional poster has a hypnotic dullness to it that makes us very curious about the storyline. It will be a nice refreshing change from the weather disaster summer big budget The Day After Tomorrow.

If we were going to do a film like this, we would have a tough time deciding who we'd base it on. It certainly wouldn't be Al Roker (yuck!), but someone a little less sugar coated perhaps, like Nick Gregory or Mr G.. Surely their lives are not as boring as one might expect.

While it will no doubt be more goofy, the weatherman is not the only one getting attention in Hollywood as Gothamist can't help but be drawn to the upcoming release of Anchorman as well.