Up to date casting news & notes:
-Deadline reports screenwriter Akiva Goldsman has turned in a draft for The Dark Tower film and Warner Bros. will decide in the next two weeks whether to green-light the project or send it back to development hell. According to the report, Russell Crowe is in talks to star as the gunslinger, Roland Deschain. Javier Bardem is no longer involved since the project moved from Universal to Warner Bros. Crowe has not officially signed, but his involvement will play a major role in the studio’s decision. he plan is for the epic eight-volume story to be told over three feature films and two limited-run TV series, likely at HBO. It would be the third time collaboration between Crowe and director Ron Howard (A Beautiful Mind, Cinderella Man).
-Will Ferrell will reunite with his Wedding Crashers co-stars Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson for The Internship. According to Variety Ferrell will have a small role as Wilson’s brother-in-law sells home electronics and constantly makes inappropriately sexist remarks about his attractive customers.
-Tony Award Winner Jennifer Ehle is in talks to join the Robocop remake. According to Deadline, she would play Liz Kline.
-Blood Diamond scribe Charles Leavitt has been hired to rewrite the script for a World of Warcraft feature film. Leavitt also wrote K-Pax and The Express. The original script was penned by Saving Private Ryan scribe Robert Rodat.
-Director M. Night Shyamalan will bring a scripted series to the SyFy channel titled Proof. Proof revolves around the orphaned son of billionaire parents who offers a reward if someone can present proof of life after death. Shyamalan intends to direct the pilot episode.
-Lionsgate has cast Lynn Cohen (Munich, Eagle Eye) as Mags in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.
-Matthew McConaughey’s comeback (from terrible romantic comedies) has come full circle after joining Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street. According to The Wrap, McConaughey will play Mark Hanna, a boss and professional mentor to up-and-coming financial trader Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio).
-Fanboys director Kyle Newman is developing a new movie based on the life story of actor Peter Mayhew, the the seven-foot three-inch actor who played Chewbacca in the Star Wars movies. Surprisingly, the film will be called Chewie.
-Chris Pratt (Parks and Recreations, Moneyball) is in talks to join Vince Vaughn’s remake of the French-Canadian comedy Starbuck. Pratt would play Vaughn’s lawyer.
-Colin Farrell’s response when asked if he would be interested in playing Batman in a reboot: “The kid part of me would say ‘Yeah for sure’. But Christian did such a brilliant brilliant job, I’m not saying I’ve got the call, but I’m not sure if it’s something I’d be interested in. I don’t know if I’m brave enough to know I am walking in to the lion’s den of being compared to Christian in that role. Life might be to short for me to have those concerns. And I just love what Christian did so much, and I love that trilogy so much.”
And finally . . . A shot of Hugh Jackman on the set of The Wolverine . . .
Sources :
Deadline
Variety
The Wrap
