Brad Pitt and Natalie Portman have signed on to star in Paramount’s movie adaptation of Leanne Shapton’s book Important Artifacts and Personal Property from the Collection of Lenore Doolan and Harold Morris, Including Books, Street Fashion, and Jewelry, Variety reports. The book is set up like an estate auction catalog with325 entries and photographs for items that reveal the story behind the rise and fall of a four-year relationship between afictitious 40ish photographer (Pitt) and a New York Times food columnist in her late 20s (Portman). It is being described as a romantic comedy.

Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres has come aboard an untitled comedy from Walden Media (Chronicles of Narnia, Charlotte’s Web) where she’ll play Mother Nature, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The movie is being written by Sex and the City writer-executive producer Jenny Bicks.

The film will be an original Walden Media production and will feature DeGeneres’ character, Mother Nature, returning to the planet for the first time since its creation. The project is being fast-tracked so shooting can be completed during DeGeneres’ summer hiatus from her syndicated talk show.

Director Clint Eastwood has cast his son, Scott Eastwood, in the untitled Nelson Mandela drama he’s working on for Warner Bros. and Spyglass Entertainment, according to Variety. Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon are already attached to star in the real-life story of how South African president Mandela worked to unite the country after the devastating effects of apartheid with the help of the captain of the national rugby team, Francois Pienaar. The younger Eastwood (Gran Torino, Flags of Our Fathers, Pride) will portray a member of Pienaar’s rugby team.

Comedian Adam Sandler’s untitled comedy at Columbia Pictures just added Salma Hayek, Maya Rudolph, and Colin Quinn to its sprawling cast, which already includes Kevin James, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, and David Spade, according to a report in Variety. The plot of the movie centers on five best from high school who come back together after 30 years during a Fourth of July celebration.

Hayek will play the wife of Sandler’s character, while Rudolph will play the spouse of Rock’s character. The project is set to being shooting this summer with frequent Sandler collaborator Dennis Dugan (Don’t Mess With the Zohan) directing.

Dan Harris has signed on to write the screen adaptation of the video game Dante’s Inferno, according to Variety. The game, set to debut in 2010, is itself loosely based on The Divine Comedy. Harris’ previous credits include X-Men 2 and Superman Returns.

Award winners at the 2009 SXSW Film Festival have been announced. The prizes include both jury and audience awards that were given to narrative and documentary features and shorts on Tuesday and Friday in Austin, Tex. A list of the victors is after the jump.

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Amreeka, the indie comedy about immigrant single mother and her teenage son that premiered to great buzz at Sundance earlier this year has been acquired by National Geographic. A fall 2009 release for Cherien Dabis’ comedy is planned.