Earthbound

How do you make a romantic comedy about cancer? According to A Little Bit of Heaven (formerly titled Earthbound), you take a noncommittal woman named Marley (Kate Hudson), diagnose her with cancer, make her fall for her doctor (Gael Garcia Bernal), et voilà! If the film's formulaic setup doesn't already have you rolling your eyes, just wait until Marley swings by heaven (you can tell it's heaven by the cloud backdrop, duh) and talks to Whoopi Goldberg God. Even if it's just a dream sequence, it's still pretty cringe-worthy.

This trailer rolls out one romantic comedy cliché after another, but I'm not giving up on the film entirely. Hudson's chemistry with Bernal has potential (though it might not be as hot as her real life love life with Matt Bellamy). Take a look at the preview, and share your verdict after the jump.

• Sarah Chalke will star in the pilot for ABC's political comedy Freshmen — Coming Soon
• Whoopi Goldberg and Kathy Bates join Kate Hudson in Earthbound — Inside Movies
• Brit Morgan has been cast as True Blood's latest new character: Debbie Pelt, Alcide's ex — The Ausiello Files
• The best films of Jeff Bridges — Rotten Tomatoes
• HBO renews Big Love for a fifth season — TV Squad
• Taylor Swift's record label defends her Grammy performance by blaming a technical issue — Vulture
• Days of Our Lives' Frances Reid (Alice Horton) passes away — PopWatch
• CBS gives the green light to a Rob Riggle pilot — Inside TV
• Jack Johnson's next mellow album to drop in June — HitFix
• Take Savvy's quiz and guess how much top-earning actors make — SavvySugar

Kate Hudson clutched her Smartwater and laughed between takes on the New Orleans set of Earthbound, only this time she was joined by a pint-sized costar instead of hot Gael Garcia Bernal. Kate has been spending her free time shopping and exploring the city amid the news that Nine was nominated for four Oscars. Kate's been shuttling back and forth between award shows and filming but it looks like this movie will wrap up just in time for her to make it to the Oscars on March 7.

More photos of Kate on set if you just, read more

Kate Hudson didn't let a messy face stop her from smiling yesterday on the New Orleans set of Earthbound with Gael Garcia Bernal. She's back to working on her film after a quick trip to LA for Saturday's SAG Awards, though she opted out of joining her costars in The Killer Inside Me, Jessica Alba and Casey Affleck, for their premiere at Sundance. Gael's BFF Diego Luna is also off making the rounds in Park City, but Mr. Garcia Bernal and Kate seem to be having some fun of their own between scenes down South.

Kate Hudson's career was off to an amazing start with her award-worthy performance in Almost Famous so many years ago, but somewhere along the way she veered into the romantic comedy world and got stuck there. She's been fighting her way out of her pigeonhole with roles in Nine and The Killer Inside Me, and her next romance sounds more serious and less slapstick. She'll star in Earthbound, playing a woman who falls in love with her doctor as she battles a terminal illness.

The subject matter is obviously sad and it still seems like it has the possibility for soapiness, but here's some good news: Gael Garcia Bernal is in talks to join the project. I know that most Bernal fans are collectively groaning at this news, but perhaps a costar like Bernal is exactly what Kate needs to reestablish herself as a serious actress. Maybe it's just me, but I'm hoping to see Hudson shine in her next films and beyond now that she's finally put a little distance between herself and Matthew McConaughey.