I think that EW cares a little more about its credibility than a true tabloid, but not as much as a trade like Variety or Hollywood Reporter. I think of the EW mention as a vague statement that was probably made about DS because they haven't heard anything about it lately. They don't even quote a source on it. I really think that a lot of media are focusing so much on the recent Disney news that they forget that there are actually other studios out there planning films with Johnny. BTW if EW spelled one of the films as "Shantarum", that is incorrect; it's Shantaram. (This one does seem to have some production problems at the moment, but we'll see what happens with it).
I noticed that the dates for DS and also Sin City 3 were changed to 2011, but I think that is just something IMDb often does around this time of year, when it's clear that the film won't be made by the earlier date they estimated. I think those dates are usually just estimates unless a movie is actually filming- I often see them roll over to the next year or two if they're still in development. It doesn't worry me too much... yet.