Previous collaborations: "Being John Malkovich" (1999)
Why Jonze should: Intriguingly, Jonze's three (and soon to be four) feature films have had minuscule acting talent crossover. "Where the Wild Things Are" sucked up years of his career, but he'll return with "Her" sometime in 2013. Out of all the fine performances he's directed, however, Cusack's turn in "Being John Malkovich" is one of the best. And considering how "Malkovich" made Jonze into a feature film star, couldn't he return the favor a bit? Because…
Why Cusack should: …Cusack really needs a hit or an acclaimed prestige project on his resume so we can all forget the paychecks that were "2012" and "The Raven." Lee Daniels's "The Paperboy" was a start, but Cusack arguably hasn't starred in a film that tested his acting skills since 2007's "Grace is Gone." Now, he is reuniting with Daniels again in potential Oscar bait title "The Butler," and has five other films in the can (some that look like they'll head straight from the can to the DVD bin, actually). But a filmmaker as creative as Jonze and a risk-taking talent like Cusack together again? Make it happen, gents.

- Gregory Ellwood