Tag: Movie Casting (61-70 of 160)

Oct 12 2010 03:00 PM ET

What is 'Bourne Legacy' without Matt Damon?

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not-bourneImage Credit: Jasin BolandWith Universal’s decision to hire Bourne screenwriter Tony Gilroy to write and direct The Bourne Legacy, it momentarily seemed as if the studio had a promising strategy to lure Matt Damon back for a fourth Bourne film. Though the actor had expressed his reluctance unless Supremacy and Ultimatum director Paul Greengrass was involved, Gilroy seemed like the one guy who might tempt Damon to reconsider. Not only was Gilroy a co-architect of the Bourne universe, but he had masterfully directed Damon’s Ocean’s Eleven pal, George Clooney, in the Oscar-nominated Michael Clayton. But in an interview with HollywoodElsewhere.com, Gilroy explained that retaining Damon wasn’t the plan at all. “Jason Bourne will not be in this film,” Gilroy said. “What happened in the first three films is the trigger for what happens [in Legacy]…[T]he world we’re making enhances and advances and invites Jason Bourne’s return [down the road.]“

Consider me crestfallen. The world of Jason Bourne was not really extraordinarily fascinating: Treadstone? Blackbriar? It was Jason Bourne himself, in particular his internal struggle to come to terms with his deadly past, that made the trilogy compelling. READ FULL STORY »

Oct 8 2010 01:44 PM ET

Ridley Scott meets with Noomi Rapace, Carey Mulligan, and Abbie Cornish for 'Alien' prequel

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Noomi-Rapace-AlienImage Credit: Franco Origlia/Getty Images; Everett CollectionEver since it was first announced that director Ridley Scott would, at long last, be revisiting the sci-fi franchise he launched with 1979′s Alien, we’ve been as giddy as schoolkids. Over time, little teasers and tidbits of intel have trickled out: Like the fact that the film would be a prequel (not a sequel), that it would be in 3-D, and that Scott was on the lookout for a fresh actress to play the younger version of Sigourney Weaver’s indelibly kick-ass heroine, Ripley. Now EW has confirmation from Scott’s camp that the director has been busy lately meeting with several young leading ladies for the juicy part, including An Education Oscar nominee Carey Mulligan, Aussie actress Abbie Cornish (who appeared in Scott’s 2006 Russell Crowe flick A Good Year), and fresh-faced import Noomi Rapace, star of the Swedish Girl With the Dragon Tattoo movies. In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly’s Rob Brunner, Rapace hinted at this development, albeit a bit cagily: READ FULL STORY »

Oct 7 2010 06:45 PM ET

Rachel Weisz and Emily Blunt play sisters doing ... what exactly?

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Emily-Blunt-Rachel-WeiszImage Credit: David Gabber/PR Photos; Alexandra Wyman/Getty ImagesRachel Weisz and Emily Blunt are set to star as sisters in the latest project directed by indie wunderkind Lynn Shelton, according to Weisz’s reps. There’s not much else they’re revealing – no title, no plot – only the promise that the acting will be “semi-improvised,” and shot over a few weeks this coming fall. So let’s try our hand at guessing what it’s all about, shall we?

Shelton’s three previous films all feature two characters in intimate congress. In her January 2009 release, Humpday, a pair of old college buddies explore the implications of having sex with each other on tape to win an amateur porn competition. My Effortless Brilliance from 2008 features two dudes again, ex-best friends sorting out their differences in a remote cabin in Eastern Washington. And in Shelton’s first feature from 2005, We Go Way Back, a rising actress who’s nabbed a plum role is dogged by the specter of her younger self.

All good fodder for a sister flick. In considering the predecessors, here’s what I’ve come up with: Weisz’s character convinces Blunt’s to reshoot a childhood home video in a cabin in the woods. In the process, they come to understand why they love each other and themselves. And that they’re pretty.

So what about it PopWatchers: any better ideas?

Oct 6 2010 08:42 PM ET

Sandra Bullock close to landing 'Gravity' for her first post-'Blind Side' role

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Sandra-BullockImage Credit: Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage.comEW has confirmed that Sandra Bullock is within reach of snagging the lead in director Alfonso Cuarón’s sci-fi thriller Gravity, her first film since winning an Oscar for The Blind Side. (Deadline.com first reported the story.) Currently in negotiations for the part after Natalie Portman dropped out due to scheduling issues, Bullock would star opposite Robert Downey, Jr. as an astronaut on a remote space station who survives a disaster and must fight to return home to her daughter. (Cuarón also wrote the screenplay with his grown son Jonas.)

The role is reportedly a massive one, with Bullock the only actor on screen for long stretches of the film. It’s a curious choice; Bullock hasn’t done straight-forward science fiction since 1993′s Demolition Man. She had been reputedly circling the action comedy Most Wanted with Ryan Reynolds, and the 9/11 drama Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close with Tom Hanks, two movies that seem more obviously in her wheelhouse. With this film, however, she appears to be heeding the advice of Paul Haggis, her director in 2005′s Crash, from EW’s recent cover story on Bullock’s career: “I think she should do whatever scares her, whatever makes her really uncomfortable.”

What do you make of this choice, PopWatchers? Would you rather Bullock stick to more familiar territory? Or are you intrigued by her attempt to branch out into a new genre?

Oct 1 2010 02:55 PM ET

Ryan Gosling in talks to star in George Clooney's 'Farragut North'

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clooney-goslingImage Credit: Mathew Imaging/WireImage.com; Jeff Vespa/WireImage.comThe search continues for the perfect cast for George Clooney’s upcoming political drama Farragut North. Clooney’s rep confirmed to EW that Ryan Gosling is currently in negotiations to play the lead role of a young communications director who gets wrapped up in the dark side of political campaigns.

By the power vested in George Clooney, let’s make this happen! To me, this sounds like a stellar pairing for a film that will likely have “Academy Award nominee” written all over it. Granted, Clooney’s directorial efforts aren’t always Oscar bait (remember Leatherheads?), but given each of their resumes — Clooney’s a Best Supporting Actor winner (Syriana), and has been nominated for Best Actor (twice!) and Best Director, while Gosling received a Best Actor nomination for Half Nelson in 2006 and is considered a strong contender for an acting nod with the upcoming Blue Valentine — this combination looks pretty good on paper. Plus, a Clooney-Gosling combination will guarantee some red carpet dreaminess come awards season, or at least some promotional eye candy.

What do you think, PopWatchers? Does George Clooney + Ryan Gosling = a must-see film?

Read more:
George Clooney assembling cast for ‘Farragut North’

Sep 30 2010 05:30 PM ET

Adam Scott set to star alongside Jon Hamm in my dreams, and in an actual movie

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Tags: , , , , , , , Mad Men, Movies, Television, TV

Adam-ScottImage Credit: Amanda Meredith/PR PhotosAdam Scott will star in screenwriter Jennifer Westfeldt’s upcoming Friends With Kids, the actor’s rep confirms. He’ll be in good company, too, alongside Kristin Wiig and Westfeldt’s longtime partner Jon Hamm. Adam Scott and Jon Hamm on the same screen? Be still my heart.

As a slavish fan of Party Down, Mad Men, and stories written by women, this is pretty much the best news I’ve ever heard. Westfeldt’s previous films — the indie classic Kissing Jessica Stein and the less-seen-but-totally-cute Ira and Abby — combine wry social observations with genuine warmth and stylized storytelling. Yay for everything. Even Piranha 3-D.

Does this take the sting away from Party Down being canceled, PopWatchers? (Not for me.) Do you want to see Hamm and Scott play snuggly besties, or might they be a little more fun as adversaries?

Sep 30 2010 09:25 AM ET

'Girl with the Dragon Tattoo': Christopher Plummer to play Henrik Vanger

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Christopher Plummer has joined the cast of David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The mighty acting veteran (oh, Captain my Captain von Trapp!) will play Henrik Vanger, the ailing tycoon who hires Daniel Craig’s Mikael Blomkvist to solve the mystery of his niece’s disappearance.

Plummer seems like ideal casting to me. He’s got just the imposing presence to portray the patriarch of a family with dark secrets — and the silver beard will fit right into the icy Swedish landscape. Much as the words “American remake” usually make me want to run for the hills (that are alive! with the sound of music!), I have to say that so far, I’ve been pretty impressed with the casting on this particular American remake. Robin Wright is playing Erika Berger (Mikael’s colleague and lover) while Sweden’s own Stellan Skarsgaard is portraying Henrik’s nephew, Martin Vanger. The Social Network‘s Rooney Mara, of course, landed the much sought-after role of Lisbeth Salander. That’s a fantastic cast. Here’s hoping the rest will be as impressive.

What do you think of Plummer as Henrik Vanger?

Sep 29 2010 10:52 AM ET

Steve Carell to show off his singing pipes in 'Of All the Things'

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steve-carellImage Credit: Donna Ward/Getty ImagesHe’s played clueless bosses, idiot weathermen, and 40-year-old virgins. Now Steve Carell is about to add singer-songwriter to his onscreen menagerie of characters. According to Variety, The Office star has signed on to produce and star in Warner Bros.’ feature film adaptation of the 2008 music documentary Of All the Things – the unusual and unlikely story of Dennis Lambert. In the ’70s and ’80s, Lambert achieved a sort of semi-fame in music circles as the man behind such FM radio staples as “Baby Come Back”, “Rhinestone Cowboy”, and “Ain’t No Woman Like the One I Got”. After his moment in the sun was over, Lambert moved to Florida to sell real estate, only then realizing that he was still huge in the Philippines, where he then went on tour. The Lambert documentary was shown at the South by Southwest Film Festival and AFI Fest and won the audience award at the Nantucket Film Fest in 2008. It was directed by Lambert’s son, Jody. The new script will be written by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, who recently penned another Carell flick, Burt Wonderstone.

While we can’t vouch for Carell’s singing ability, we do know this: the man can certainly lip sync some C+C Music Factory… READ FULL STORY »

Sep 28 2010 03:06 PM ET

Michelle Rodriguez to kick ass in 'Citizen Jane'? Kinda, sorta.

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citizen-jane-posterAt the Austin Fantastic Fest, a short campy trailer of Michelle Rodriguez growling and shooting a machine gun on an island of fire gun played to the appreciative audience. (See it embedded after the jump.) The trailer, and the accompanying posters of a black clad Rodriguez holding a gun, promised a remake of Orson Welles’ 1941 classic Citizen Kane. In Citizen Jane, with an announced release date of Sept. 5, 2011, Rodriguez would play a woman looking to avenge the murders of her parents. Various websites wondered if this was a spoof or a camp delight worth getting ready for.

It turns out that Austin-based filmmaker Aaron Burns conceived of the Citizen Jane push at Fastastic Fest as a mean to grassroots promote his upcoming feature debut Blacktino, the story of an overweight half-black, half-Hispanic nerd struggling to find his place in predominantly white Austin high school starring Danny Trejo, Jeff Fahey, and Daryl Sabara. “In Blacktino,” Burns explains by email, “the main character watches a trailer for a film called Citizen Jane, which features Michelle doing even more ridiculously awesome things… Michelle came down for the last day of production and gave me almost enough badass footage to make a full movie.”

Now that the Citizen Jane trailer is out in the world, Burns is having conversations about that actual possibility (as well as the possibility that he is a blasphemer of the first degree). READ FULL STORY »

Sep 28 2010 11:19 AM ET

'Breaking Dawn' castings: Maggie Grace vamps it up, Renesmee found

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maggie-grace-mackenzie-foyImage Credit: Bob Charlotte/PR Photos; Kelsey EdwardsAs we reported yesterday, Lost‘s Maggie Grace has joined The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn as Denali coven vampire Irina, and newcomer Mackenzie Foy, a nine-year-old model/actress, is thisclose to signing on as Renesmee, Edward and Bella’s child. Grace is an interesting choice. She’s already a polarizing presence, thanks to her best-known role as the spoiled Shannon on Lost, so it’ll be easy to dislike her when she goes to the Volturi and tells them that Bella and Edward have created an “immortal child,” which is a no-no. But because it’s so easy to turn on her, it’s all the more effective when she softens and is apologetic, which will work well when she pays the ultimate price for giving the Volturi false information.

As for Foy, she really does look like the child Robert Pattinson joked Kristen Stewart was carrying when Oprah Winfrey asked them if they were an off-screen couple. Renesmee is a bit of disturbing character, and there’s something naturally unsettling about young models. I think it’s because we like to think of children as innocent and uncalculating, but watching them pose for a camera, turning off or turning on their emotions, you realize what manipulation they’re capable of. Watch her action in a fan video below. Yes, she already has fan videos dedicated to her on YouTube: READ FULL STORY »

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