Gauntlet Thrown? Evan Peters to Play Quicksilver in “X-Men: Days of Future Past”

May 23, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

evan-peters Well, this just got interesting. It appears Fox may not be quite as happy as the internet is about the possibility of X-Men characters Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch appearing in Marvel Studios’ “The Avengers 2.” Today “X-Men: Days of Future Past” director Bryan Singer tweeted out another casting announcement that caught at least this writer off guard. “American Horror Story” star Evan Peters is joining the cast playing none other than Pietro Maximoff, aka Quicksilver.

Now, this announcement could be taken one of two ways. Either Fox is none too pleased about Marvel taking characters who have been central to X-Men lore for decades and are staking ownership first, or Singer and “Avengers” director Joss Whedon reached some sort of compromise to allow Quicksilver and his twin sister the Scarlet Witch to appear in both film canons as played by the same actors, marking a major crossover development in the world of comic book movies. Of course, the likeliest scenario may just be that Peters and whichever actress is cast by Singer will play one version of Pietro and Wanda (with mutant origins as Magneto’s children in tact) and Whedon will cast his own version of the brother-sister duo (with no mention of mutant genetics and Magneto? Who’s that?). Either way, like I said, this just got very, very interesting. We’ll see how things develop from here. Whether Saoirse Ronan is cast as Singer’s Scarlet Witch may be our first clue to how this whole thing will shake out.

Evans, who’s wrapped up filming on indies “Adult World” with Emma Roberts and “Truck Stop” with Juno Temple, is most known for his TV work on Ryan Murphy’s “American Horror Story”, on which he’s appeared in all three standalone seasons. He’s also attached to indie thriller “The Preppie Connection” with Bella Heathcote, expected to film this summer.

Bella Heathcote and Evan Peters to make “The Preppie Connection”

January 22, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

Rising stars Bella Heathcote and Evan Peters have been cast in indie drug cartel drama “The Preppie Connection”, according to Deadline. Joe Castelo will direct this summer in New York City.

The film is based on a true story and follows a group of prep school students who ran a drug trafficking ring in the 1980s. Peters will prsumably play Toby, a lower-class scholarship student who utilizes his connection to easy drug access to get “in” with the popular kids, eventually cultivating a successful trafficking network. He gets in over his head when he and his friends cross paths with the much more powerful and sinister Colombian drug cartels.

Evans, who recently wrapped up filming on indies “Adult World” with Emma Roberts and “Truck Stop” with Juno Temple, is most known for his TV work on Ryan Murphy’s “American Horror Story.” He’s completed two stand-alone seasons of the FX horror series, and is expected to return for season three, which features another brand-new storyline. Heathcote starred opposite Johnny Depp in Tim Burton’s “Dark Shadows” and was seen most recently in David Chase’s musical coming of age drama “Not Fade Away.”

Jamie Bell is “Fighting Jacob” in romantic comedy opposite Kate Mara

April 27, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 4 Comments

Rising stars Jamie Bell and Kate Mara will star in quirky romantic comedy “Fighting Jacob”, according to Variety. Bell plays the titular character Jacob ‘The Manic Maniac’ Rosenthal, an up and coming boxer whose “whose extreme OCD is the key to his success in the ring.” When Mara’s character breaks up with him, likely due to that same extreme OCDness, he’s forced to reexamine all of his quirks and neuroses and evaluate whether he wants to stay the way he is and be a great fighter or tone it down to find happiness outside the ring. Charlie McDowell will make his feature directorial debut on the indie project written by Justin Lader. Filming is scheduled for this summer in Los Angeles.

Bell was recently mo-capped as the titular character in Steven Spilberg and Peter Jackson’s “The Adventures of Tin Tin” and was also recently seen in “Jane Eyre” and “Man on a Ledge.” He’s currently filming post-apocalyptic “Snow Piercer” opposite Chris Evans and recently wrapped up British thriller “Filth” opposite James McAvoy. Mara, sister to “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” Rooney Mara, is following in her sister’s footsteps and working with David Fincher on Netflix series “House of Cards.” She was recently a regular on hit FX series “American Horror Story” and just premiered Eric Bana-Olivia Wilde actioner “Deadfall” at the Tribeca Film Festival.

Juno Temple replaces Jennifer Lawrence, joins Evan Peters in “Truck Stop”

March 30, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 2 Comments

Rising stars Juno Temple and Evan Peters have signed on to headline indie drama “Truck Stop”, according to Deadline. This puts to rest continued speculation of Jennifer Lawrence’s involvement with the film, which she had been attached to star in back in 2010, along with “Twilight” star Jackson Rathbone. That was, of course, way before her career took off the way it did so this is no surprise at all, and Temple is certainly a nice substitute.

Along with a complete cast makeover, the director’s chair has changed hands too. Tony Aloupis had written the script for Rotimi Rainwater to direct Lawrence and Rathbone, but now Aloupis will take on directing duties himself, making his directorial debut on the project. In the 1970s set coming-of-age drama, Peters plays a young man with cerebral palsy who works at a truck stop and takes care of his dying father. When he encounters a young runaway/prostitute with her own dark past, the two form a bond.

Peters’ film credits include “Never Back Down” and “Kick-Ass” while he’s been much more prolific on TV, culminating last year when he landed his big break last year as creepy Tate Langdon on Ryan Murphy’s surprise hit FX series “American Horror Story.” He’s currently filming dramedy “Adult World” opposite Emma Roberts. Temple, one of our Faces to Watch in 2012, recently signed on to replace Dakota Fanning in British royal family drama “Girls Night Out” and will be seen in Christopher Nolan’s final Batman film, “The Dark Knight Rises.” She next films thriller “Magic Magic” opposite Michael Cera and Emily Browning.

“American Horror Story” star Taissa Farmiga joins Emma Watson in Sofia Coppola’s “Bling Ring”

March 1, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

After a breakout role on hit FX series “American Horror Story”, Taissa Farmiga is following in big sister Vera Farmiga’s footsteps and taking a shot at the big screen, and she’s already off to a great start. Variety reports she has landed a lead role opposite Emma Watson in Sofia Coppola’s “The Bling Ring”, as well as the female lead in indie “Jamesy Boy.”

In “Bling Ring”, Watson and Farmiga will play two of the gang of affluent and popular Los Angeles teenagers who decided to rob a string of celebrities’ homes, including Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Rachel Bilson and Orlando Bloom. The group of six youngsters stole over $3 million worth of cash and belongings from October 2008 through August 2009.

“Jamesy Boy” follows a young member of a suburban street gang who gets sent to a maximum facility prison and is mentored by a convicted murderer. Spencer Lofranco plays James and the cast also includes Mary-Louise Parker, James Woods and Ving Rhames. Farmiga will play James’ love interest. Trevor White wrote the screenplay and will direct.

Farmiga is expected to shoot “Jamesy Boy” before “Bling Ring.”

Farmiga made her acting debut just last year in her sister’s directorial debut “Higher Ground”, playing the younger version of the main character (casting your younger sister to play a younger version of yourself – genius!). But it’s clearly “American Horror Story” that has put her on the map and into the minds of casting directors. The series is expected to return for a second season but with a brand new storyline with new characters and presumably, without most of season 1′s cast.

“American Horror Story” star Evan Peters joins Emma Roberts in “Adult World”

February 9, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

The long-gestating Emma Roberts comedy “Adult World” is finally heading into production and she’s now got a couple of co-stars in John Cusack and recent TV breakout Evan Peters, according to Deadline. Scott Coffey began directing the film this week in upstate New York from a script by Andrew Cochran.

Roberts plays Amy, a young poet/recent college graduate who believes she’s the next big literary sensation. When she’s met with nothing but rejection letters from the literary industry, she’s forced to move back in with her parents and get a real job – at an erotic bookstore called Adult World. Cusack plays a famous author Roberts has always idolized, while Peters’ role – Manny – is unknown. “Adult World examines the contemporary state of post-graduate life in America,” TreeHouse Pictures president Justin Nappi told Deadline. “This is a smart satirical comedy that will resonate with a lot of people.”

Last year Peters was shortlisted for the male lead role of Peeta Mellark opposite Jennifer Lawrence in Gary Ross’s adaptation of “The Hunger Games”, but ultimately lost out to Josh Hutcherson. Other film credits include “Never Back Down” and “Kick-Ass” while he’s been much more prolific on TV, appearing on everything from “One Tree Hill” to “The Office” to “The Mentalist” before landing his big break last year as creepy Tate Langdon on Ryan Murphy’s surprise hit FX series “American Horror Story.”

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