Tag: Movie Casting (71-80 of 160)

Sep 22 2010 12:15 PM ET

Who's the best godfather for John Gotti movie?

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John-A-GottiImage Credit: Adam Rountree/Getty Images; Time Life Pictures/DMI/Time Life Pictures/Getty ImagesJohn Gotti Jr., son of the famous “Dapper Don” who ran the Gambino crime family, has agreed to turn his life story into a $15 million film. According to Variety, Gotti Jr. is collaborating with producer Marc Fiore, and actor Leo Rossi (Analyze This) is working on a script. Woltz Pictures is not involved.

“The story’s about redemption,” Gotti Jr. told the paper. “My father had a hard time accepting that I ultimately didn’t want to follow his path.” To be fair, Junior’s not exactly Anthony Corleone, who spurned his father’s hopes and became an opera singer in Italy instead. Gotti Jr. was a “made man” who served time for racketeering, and then spent a decade in court, denying he was running the family business.

But who should play the Gottis in the movie? I can’t get Ray Liotta out of my head as the father, though Variety hints that Sylvester Stallone had expressed an interest. Who else could make sharkskin suits and prison orange look equally slick?

Sep 20 2010 06:59 PM ET

Hayden Panettiere cast as Amanda Knox in Lifetime TV movie

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Hayden-Panettiere-Amanda-KnoxImage Credit: Albert L. Ortega/PR Photos; Franco Origlia/Getty ImagesAccording to Variety, Hayden Panettiere will play Amanda Knox, the girl accused by Italian authorities of killing her then-roommate in an upcoming Lifetime TV movie. The Amanda Knox Story will air sometime next year.

The real Knox is currently serving a 26-year jail sentence for murder, sexual assault, and obstruction of justice in the death of Meredith Kercher, a British woman who shared an apartment with Knox and two others in Perugia, Italy. The case remains controversial because many believe the media frenzy in Italy led to Knox’s unfair trial. Although definitely an interesting story, I find it odd that they’re trying to make a TV movie out of this case, especially since there’s still so much speculation about what exactly occurred the night of Kercher’s murder. But Lifetime also greenlit The Pregnancy Pact, so I guess this really isn’t that strange. (No judgment! I definitely DVR’d that Lifetime movie.)

More strange, however, is seeing Panettiere cast in a made-for-TV movies. It might be just me, but I feel like she’s better than that. I remember a promising up-and-comer in Remember The Titans. But now, she’s been limited to the teen comedy genre — Bring It On: All Or Nothing and I Love You, Beth Cooper. (Okay, so maybe a Lifetime movie is a step in the right direction.) Next up on her plate is a role in Scream 4 — should be a welcome change of pace for the starlet. (Even if her character will inevitably end up in a body bag, right?)

Sep 14 2010 07:07 PM ET

RZA trades in Method Man for Cinderella Man, snagging Russell Crowe for kung fu film

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Russell-CroweImage Credit: Valery Hache/Getty ImagesProtect ya neck! That is, from the karate chops of Russell Crowe, who will be starring in an unlikely collaboration with Wu-Tang Clan member RZA in the latter’s upcoming kung fu movie The Man With the Iron Fist, the rapper’s manager told EW. RZA is set to direct and apparently has been getting help from chop-sockey enthusiast Quentin Tarantino. And although it may seem that way, Crowe and RZA’s partnership doesn’t come from out of the blue: They co-starred in Ridley Scott’s American Gangster and will be sharing the screen again in the upcoming The Next Three Days.

Personally, I’m super-psyched for this. Not only does the movie promise to be 36 chambers full of high-flying craziness, but it would be good to see Crowe having some fun away from those brown, green, and more brown historical movies and gravitas-laden prestige pieces he’s been making. And it can’t hurt to have another rapper directing, if only to flesh out the dubious pantheon that up to now consists only of The Players Club.

Crowe Rules Everything Around Me, but what about you, PopWatchers? Is this collaboration just crazy enough to work, or is it too crazy? Not crazy enough? All I know is if it’s half as great as this, I’ll be happy.

Sep 14 2010 01:15 PM ET

'Mad Men' taking the comic world by storm (even if Superhamm is just a dream)

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Tags: , , , , , , Mad Men, Movies

mad-men-starsImage Credit: Landmark/PR Photos; Bob Charlotte/PR Photos; Tommaso Boddi/PR PhotosWhat is it about cigarette-puffing Madison Avenue types that screams capes and super powers? Today’s most exciting rumor award goes to the gloriously welcome idea of Jon Hamm pulling on blue tights and taking that shiny black hair of his on a ride through the sky. The Mad Men star’s lantern jaw has long been bandied about as an obvious fit for a Superman reboot, with director/comic book geek Kevin Smith wholeheartedly endorsing the prospect last year. Today, unconfirmed reports have begun swirling again that Hamm is being “seriously considered” for the David Goyer-penned script that Christopher Nolan is producing for Warner Bros. Unfortunately, Hamm’s rep tells us that the actor hasn’t talked to anyone about the role. “This is definitely false. So much speculation on these comic projects and 99% is wrong/wishful thinking!” the rep said via email. So as much as we’d love to see Hamm turn in his suit for a cape, at least for now, it will remain a dream. READ FULL STORY »

Sep 14 2010 12:13 PM ET

Demi Moore, Kate Bosworth to star in family comedy 'The Reasonable Bunch'

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Tags: , , , Food and Drink, Movies

demi-moore-kate-bosworthImage Credit: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic; Albert L. Ortega/PR Photos According to The Hollywood Reporter, Demi Moore, Kate Bosworth, and Thomas Haden Church have all been cast in the comedy The Reasonable Bunch, about messy exes and their splintered relatives getting into it at a family wedding. Supporting roles went to Martin Landau, Ellen Barkin, and Ellen Burstyn, who do seem like the type of family members you see hugging the margins — mini lamb chop in hand, lipstick on their teeth — at a wedding. Production is slated to begin this month in New York, with Sam Levinson, son of Barry, yes that Barry, at the helm.

PopWatchers, is Demi Moore funny? Is Ellen Barkin the more garish American equivalent of Helen Mirren when it comes to her vaguely scary, undeniable sex appeal? Are you all for stories of wacky family dysfunction, or do you have enough of that in your real life already?

Sep 3 2010 03:15 PM ET

Liam Neeson replaces much-younger Bradley Cooper in survival thriller 'The Grey'

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The-GreyImage Credit: Todd Williamson/WireImage.comOne of the defining characteristics of that merry band of enterprising tough guys in The A-Team is their all-for-one-and-one-for-all attitude. Apparently, that ethos carries over off of the big screen, too. This morning, EW confirmed that Liam Neeson is in negotiations to replace his A-Team costar Bradley Cooper in the upcoming survival thriller, The Grey (first reported by the Hollywood Reporter). The film is being directed by Joe Carnahan, who directed, you guessed it, The A-Team. The action-packed flick apparently kicks off with a plane crash in Alaska and follows a team of oil drillers as they try to stay alive in the wild, including attacks by packs of very hungry wolves. Sounds cool. But this bit of casting news raises a couple of intriguing questions. READ FULL STORY »

Sep 3 2010 10:12 AM ET

Elizabeth Olsen, younger sister of Mary-Kate and Ashley, makes name for herself

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elizabeth-olsen_240.jpg Image Credit: Bryan Bedder/Getty ImagesElizabeth Olsen, the 21-year-old sister of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, has joined the cast of the indie film Martha Marcy May Marlene, a rep for writer/director Sean Durkin and producers Josh Mond and Antonio Campos confirms. The movie, which also features John Hawkes, Sarah Paulson, Hugh Dancy, and Brady Corbet, centers on a young woman (Olsen) who escapes a cult and goes to live with her older sister.

Olsen, who gets her big-screen break in the upcoming feature Peace, Love & Misunderstanding with Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Catherine Keener, has largely escaped the public eye. According to IMDB, she appeared in a few Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley DVDs as a child, but appears to have lived a normal life since then —  if the few fan tribute videos that pop up on YouTube when you search for “Lizzie Olsen” are any indication. Watch them below, along with the 2007 video for the band Carlotta’s song “The Queen” in which she stars. She’s easily as beautiful as her twin sisters, and shares those big eyes that almost make her look otherworldly (and oddly perfect to play someone who’s in a cult). I’m looking forward to seeing her onscreen. You? READ FULL STORY »

Sep 1 2010 12:17 PM ET

Dwayne Johnson gearing up for 'Journey to the Center of the Earth' sequel

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dwayne-johnsonImage Credit: Ethan Miller/Getty ImagesSome decisions in Hollywood do make sense: With Brendan Fraser reportedly dropping out of the sequel to the 2008 hit Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D due to scheduling conflicts, Dwayne Johnson has been tapped to topline Journey 2: The Mystery Island with Josh Hutcherson (who returns as explorer Sean Anderson). According to The Hollywood Reporter, he’s closing a deal to play the boyfriend of Anderson’s mother who Anderson is forced to bring along on his search for his missing grandfather. (The script is inspired by Jules Verne’s The Mysterious Island.) Why this makes sense: Johnson broke out on the big screen opposite Fraser in The Mummy Returns, and he’s someone younger audiences have been groomed to like (Race to Witch Mountain, The Tooth Fairy, The Game Plan). If Johnson’s going to continue to play for that crowd, I’d rather he do it in something that involves a green screen rather than a tutu. More casting news is expected for the 3-D Journey 2, directed by Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore‘s Brad Peyton, this month. Cameras are expected to roll in late October. Are you psyched for the addition of Johnson, mourning the loss of Fraser, or struggling to remember what the first film was about?

Sep 1 2010 10:15 AM ET

Rami Malek joins 'Breaking Dawn' (and appears totally crushworthy)

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rami-malekImage Credit: Michael Buckner/Getty ImagesAs we reported yesterday, Rami Malek (The Pacific‘s Snafu and Night at the Museum‘s Ahkmenrah) has joined Breaking Dawn as Benjamin, a member of the Egyptian coven who stands by the Cullens when they face the Volturi. In the book, he’s described as “an oddly cheerful vampire who looked barely older than a boy and seemed both utterly confident and utterly careless at the same time.” He has a gift so singular — the ability to physically manipulate the elements (earth, wind, water, and fire) — that it’s been hidden from Aro. Edward likes Benjamin because he has a very clear sense of wrong and right.

Do you approve of the casting? After watching Malek’s post-Emmy interview with ET‘s Kate Gosselin (below), I do. He handles himself well, with proper reverence for the event (even if he is talking to Gosselin), but is totally game for Kate’s quiz (he has a crush on Modern Family‘s Sofia Vergara and follows his Pacific boss Tom Hanks, who also cast him in the upcoming feature Larry Crowne, on Twitter). Watch him a few clips below (including one from the Fox sitcom The War at Home in which he goes on a date with Twilight‘s Jackson Rathbone), then weigh in… READ FULL STORY »

Aug 31 2010 01:25 PM ET

From 'Avatar' to 'Shark Night 3-D': We look forward to the 'Bones' episode

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Tags: , , , , , Bones, Movies, Television, TV

Joel-David-MooreImage Credit: Mark FellmanNo, we won’t ever let Bones live down that Avatar episode. Recurring Bones guest star Joel David Moore, who’s known to the masses for working alongside Sam Worthington and Sigourney Weaver in Avatar, has been added to the cast of Shark Night 3-D, which will be directed by Snakes on a Plane’s David Ellis and produced by The Bachelor‘s Mike Fleiss. Per The Hollywood Reporter, Moore will play “a socially awkward guy who fancies himself a young Brad Pitt” in the film, which centers on friends who spend a weekend at a Louisiana lake that becomes feeding grounds for sharks, thanks to greedy locals with an agenda. The script is penned by Jesse Studenberg and Will Hayes, the latter of whom’s credits include Best Week Ever with Paul F. Tompkins and Assy McGee, according to the IMDB. Moore is joined by The O.C.‘s Chris Carmack, Sinqua Walls (Friday Night Lights), and Alyssa Diaz (the upcoming remake of Red Dawn).

As someone who watches Jaws 3-D every time it’s on TV, I cannot pretend I’m above seeing this. If the Bones producers were smart, they’d take the piss out of themselves for last season’s Avatar ad, and work in a more clever nod to this film, even if 20th Century Fox isn’t the studio behind it. Suggestions? Perhaps a gruesome murder could occur in the top row of a poorly-attended midnight showing of Shark Night 3-D. The victim would have gone to see the film alone — what I will no doubt have to do — and that’s why he or she needs to be identified. I’ve been in a large movie theater before with only a couple of other people, and the thought did cross my mind that I was vulnerable. It’s dark and loud, you’re engrossed in the movie (especially if it’s 3-D), and you wouldn’t see someone approach you. Any other ideas?

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