Movie buzz: A man of action / King reigns

WHO Tyler Perry

THE MOVIE "I, Alex Cross"

THE DEAL The actor-filmmaker is making his first foray into the action genre, Variety reports. Perry will star as Alex Cross, the detective hero of James Patterson's popular novels, who was first played by Morgan Freeman in the movie versions of "Kiss the Girls" and "Along Came a Spider." The new movie, an origin story based on Patterson's 2009 book, will attempt to reboot the modestly successful but dormant film franchise. Shooting is scheduled to begin in June with director Rob Cohen ("The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor").

THE MOVIE "The Stand"

THE DEAL Stephen King's much-loved 1978 novel is heading to the big screen, according to The Hollywood Reporter, with Warner Bros. and CBS Films coproducing. An apocalyptic epic about a mysterious, fast-spreading disease, "The Stand" remains a fan favorite for its gruesomely detailed world, frequent use of rock lyrics and colorful characters like Trashcan Man and Randall Flagg. King, a famously prolific writer whose books regularly became movies during the 1970s ("Carrie"), the 1980s ("Stand by Me") and even the 1990s ("Dolores Claiborne"), may be once again in vogue: His sci-fi fantasy "The Dark Tower" also is being adapted by Universal.

THE EVENT ReelAbilities: NY Disabilities Film Festival

THE DEAL The third annual festival launches this week in venues throughout New York State, including two local screenings on Sunday. One is "Me Too," about a young man with Down syndrome who develops a crush on a co-worker; it's in Spanish with English subtitles. The other is "Wretches & Jabberers," a documentary that follows two autistic men on a global journey to raise awareness of their disorder; the subjects and the filmmaker will speak at the screening.

INFO "Me Too" plays at 1 p.m. and "Wretches & Jabberers" plays at 4:15 p.m. Sunday at Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington. Tickets are $13 for each film. 800-838-3006; cinemaartscentre.org.