Heat, the Movie?

Eater reports that Bill Buford's Heat has been optioned to become a movie. Mario Batali reportedly wants to see himself played by actor Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Pioneer Woman, the Movie

Coming soon to a theater near you: a movie starring Reese Witherspoon as blogger and author Ree Drummond of The Pioneer Woman. Via Serious Eats.

Tim Burton's White Queen Based on Nigella Lawson

The Los Angeles Times reports that film director Tim Burton based the White Queen in his new adaptation of Alice in Wonderland on TV cook and cookbook author Nigella Lawson. The character in the movie is played by Anne Hathaway.

Food Product Placement at the Movies

Can you think about E.T. without thinking of Reese's Pieces? A new study analyzes the quality of food product placement in the movies.

Meryl Streep Nominated for an Oscar for Julie & Julia

Meryl Streep has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance as Julia Child in the film Julie & Julia.

Eat Like Harry Potter

Did you know that a Harry Potter theme park is coming to Orlando, Florida?

The website for the park (The Wizarding World of Harry Potter) offers a glimpse of the future attractions, which will include recreations of the Hog’s Head and Three Broomsticks pubs from the Harry Potter books. There's not much more information to glean (except for the rendering of Three Broomsticks pictured here), but Nation's Restaurant News reports the menus will feature traditional British fare and drinks, and, yes, butterbeer will be served (pumpkin juice, too).

The theme park is set to open in spring 2010.

A Taste of "Bitter Feast"

Here's the trailer for "Bitter Feast," an upcoming low-budget horror film about a chef who takes revenge on a food critic. Mario Batali (not featured in the trailer) plays the owner of the restaurant.

Tobey Maguire as Grant Achatz?

Ponyo Toy Chases Ham in Your Tub

In Ponyo, the just-released Japanese animated film about a little goldfish who yearns to be a girl, the main character expresses her desire for things human with a particular predilection for ham. A Ponyo water toy made for the Japanese market allows you to re-enact the moment in the privacy of your own bathtub. Yank on the plastic ham, which is attached by a cord to Ponyo's mouth, and she will quickly chase the meat down. $18 at eCrater.

Mastering the Art of French Cooking Is a Bestseller

Sales of Julia Child's masterwork are booming as Julie & Julia arrives in theaters. According to a press release from Random House, Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking rose to #1 at both Amazon and B&N.com over the past weekend and is currently #3 at independent booksellers across the U.S. The 1961 cookbook also debuts today on USA Today’s best sellers list. Next week, it will appear on Publishers Weekly’s hardcover nonfiction best sellers list at #6.