Naomi Watts will [1] star in an adaptation of Amy Sutherland’s Kicked, Bitten and Scratched: Life and Lessons at the World’s Premiere School for Exotic Animal Trainers for First Look Pictures. Todd Louiso (Love Liza) and Jacob Koskoff are scripting it into a romantic comedy.

Former SNL Weekend Update duo Tina Fey and Amy Poehler will [2] co-star in the comedy Baby Mama. Fey will play a single executive whose desire to have a child and keep her career leads her to hire a surrogate mother, played by Poehler. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me co-writer Michael McCullers will make his directorial debut.

Rob Schneider is in [3] talks to join frequent collaborator Adam Sandler in You Don’t Mess With the Zohan. The script by Judd Apatow, Robert Smigel and Sandler centers on a Mossad agent (Sandler) who fakes his death so he can move to New York and become a hair stylist. Schneider would play an East Yistannen cab driver.

Rapper Busta Rhymes’ new movie Order of Redemption started shooting yesterday WITHOUT Rhymes. Apparently the NYPD scared the rapper away: “The production agreed that Busta Rhymes would not be participating in the scenes shot here after the Police Department raised public safety concerns.” Director Jeff Celentano is pissed: “This is tremendously unfair to Busta, who has been nothing but professional during this project. This is a bigger loss for the city of New York.”

Neil LaBute (In the Company of Men) is in [4] negotiations to direct and Ashton Kutcher is in talks to co-star in Screen Gems’ thriller Lakeview Terrace, which follows an LAPD officer (Samuel L. Jackson) who will stop at nothing to force out the interracial couple (Kerry Washington & Kutcher) that moved in next door.