Ansel Elgort Is Augustus Waters in "The Fault in Our Stars" Opposite Shailene Woodley

From siblings to star-crossed lovers! EW reports rising star Ansel Elgort has been offered the male lead in "The Fault in Our Stars" opposite Shailene Woodley - who plays his sister in the currently-filming dystopian adaptation "Divergent." The two Read more

Dylan O'Brien Lands "The Maze Runner" Lead; Ki Hong Lee Also Joins

UPDATE: Director Wes Ball tweets that Ki Hong Lee has also joined the cast as Minho, a fellow Glader and ally to Thomas throughout the series. Lee is probably best known as a regular on short-lived ABC Family Read more

Shailene Woodley Confirmed for "The Fault in Our Stars"

I mean, duh, we called it. It has now been officially confirmed with glowing quotes from director, producer and author in tow that the increasingly in demand Shailene Woodley will play the lead role of Hazel Grace Lancaster Read more

Up and Comers Presents: 20 Faces to Watch in 2013

After a somewhat unpredictable year in which the stars we expected to break out largely didn't but fresh faces came out of nowhere to surprise us all, we are ready to look ahead to the new talent waiting to Read more

Up and Comers Presents: The Breakout Stars of 2012

Another year, another new crop of fresh talent. Just like last year, the hardest part is narrowing down which of the dozens of the year's rising stars shone the brightest. This year we heralded the arrival of the unlikeliest Read more
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better living through chemistry

“Parks and Recs” scene-stealer joins Timberlake, Mackie and Arterton in gambling drama “Runner Runner”

June 6, 2012 | Posted by Rebecca Lewis in Casting 1 Comment

“Runner Runner” is shaping up to be one heck of a film. Justin Timberlake and Ben Affleck jumped on board back in April, before being quickly joined by “Project X” breakout star Oliver Cooper, Anthony Mackie and Gemma Arterton. Now THR reports that Ben Schwartz has joined the cast.

Schwartz has been working for years but it’s only in the last few years that he has began to make a name for himself, recently as the scene-stealer Jean-Ralphio in NBC’s hit “Parks and Recreation”. He is currently filming “Better Living Through Chemistry” with Olivia Wilde.

“Runner Runner”, directed by “The Lincoln Lawyer”‘s Brad Furman is set to begin filming this summer in Pureto Rico, and follows two friends (Timberlake and Cooper) who get drawn in to the shadier side of gambling after being hired by Affleck’s billionaire online gambling business owner. Trouble soon comes in the form of Mackie’s FBI agent, who has been tracking Affleck for years. Arterton plays Timberlake’s love interest.

Olivia Wilde joins Spike Jonze’s untitled film opposite Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams and Rooney Mara

May 30, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

Where does she find the time?! In demand actress Olivia Wilde – who we seem to be writing casting stories for every other day – has landed yet another intriguing project. Deadline reports that Wilde is now part of the cast of Spike Jonze’s next untitled offering, which already boasts a cast that consists of Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara and Samantha Morton.

Mara replaced Carey Mulligan a couple of months ago on the highly secretive project that’s purported to revolve around a man (presumably Phoenix) who falls in love with the voice of a computer, ala iPhone’s Siri. Plot details beyond that are sparse and it’s unclear who any of the amazing female supporting cast will be playing, though we do know Jonze wrote the script himself and this is an entirely separate project from the one he is also working on with a script by Charlie Kaufman. Filming is expected to begin soon.

Wilde recently wrapped up filming on Ron Howard’s Formula One biopic “Rush” opposite Chris Hemsworth and is now onto “Better Living Through Chemistry” opposite Sam Rockwell in a role she took over from Jennifer Garner. Upcoming juggling acts will consist of indie comedies “Relanxious” and “Squirrels to the Nuts”, both with Brie Larson, and anthology-style romantic drama “Third Person” opposite Liam Neeson. That’s to say nothing of the movies she’s already completed and will be seeing audiences soon, which include “People Like Us”, “Deadfall”, “Burt Wonderstone”, “The Longest Week” and “The Words.” PHEW!

Olivia Wilde wins female lead in “Burt Wonderstone” opposite Steve Carell and Jim Carrey

October 31, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 2 Comments

That was fast! Olivia Wilde has beaten out the likes of Judy Greer, Sarah Silverman, Jessica Biel and Michelle Monaghan to win the coveted female lead in magician comedy “Burt Wonderstone”, reports THR. She is now in negotiations to join a cast that includes Steve Carell, Jim Carrey, James Gandolfini and Steve Buscemi in the Don Scardino directed film.

Carell stars as the title character, a traditional Las Vegas magician who is left abandoned by longtime partner (Buscemi), is upstaged by a hip street magician played by Carrey and must rediscover his love of magic. Wilde will play Burt’s love interest, his former assistant who now works for Carrey’s charcter. Filming is scheduled to begin in January.

The hard working Wilde can currently be seen opposite Justin Timberlake in Andrew Niccol’s “In Time” and has wrapped Jennifer Garner’s ensemble comedy “Butter”, along with family dramas “Welcome to People” with Chris Pine and “Blackbird” with Eric Bana. She’s also scheduled to shoot “Better Living Through Chemistry” opposite Sam Rockwell this fall and recently landed another highly coveted female lead, opposite Chris Hemsworth in Ron Howard’s Formula One racing biopic “Rush.”

Olivia Wilde to have “The Longest Week” in indie comedy

September 9, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 2 Comments

The ever-busy Olivia Wilde has attached herself to yet another project. Variety reports from Toronto that Wilde has been tapped to star in indie comedy “The Longest Week”, which Peter Glanz is making his feature directorial debut on.

The film revolves around a young man named Conrad Valmont, “affluent and aimless, who lives a life of leisure in his parents’ prestigious Manhattan hotel. In the span of one week, he finds himself evicted, disinherited and in love.” Wilde will play his love interest. Glanz is basing the pic on his own black and white short titled “A Relationship in Four Days”, which premiered in Cannes in 2008. Model Liesl Gaffney-Dawson and commercial actor Peter Chekvala played the couple back then, but everything, including the characters’ names, seems to be changing for the feature.

Wilde will be seen in TIFF-bound ensemble comedy “Butter” and opposite Justin Timberlake in Andrew Niccol’s “In Time”, along with family dramas “Welcome to People” with Chris Pine and “Blackbird” with Eric Bana. She’s also scheduled to shoot “Better Living Through Chemistry” opposite Sam Rockwell this fall and remains in the mix for one of the female leads opposite Tom Cruise in sci-fi epic “Horizons.”

Olivia Wilde to replace Jennifer Garner in “Better Living Through Chemistry”

August 25, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 3 Comments

Call it a win-win situation. Jennifer Garner is gearing up to welcome a third child, and subsequently has left the door open for Olivia Wilde to add another movie to her rapidly filling upcoming slate. Garner had been attached to play the female lead in dark indie comedy “Better Living Through Chemistry”, but due to her just-announced pregnancy, has had to drop out. Variety reports Wilde is now in negotiations to take her place opposite Sam Rockwell (who himself is a replacement, taking the role left vacant by Jeremy Renner).

Directed by Geoff Moore and David Posamentier, “Chemistry” follows a straight-laced pharmicist (Rockwell) whose life spirals out of control after he begins an affair with Wilde’s character, a trophy wife regular customer that “takes him on a joyride involving sex, drugs and possibly murder.” Michelle Monaghan plays Rockwell’s neglected wife. Filming is set to begin this fall.

Wilde was recently seen in summer flops “Cowboys and Aliens” and “The Change-Up” but will have plenty more chances to turn her luck around. She co-stars with Garner in ensemble comedy “Butter”, headed for TIFF next month, and also stars alongside Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried in Andrew Niccol’s sci-fi thriller “In Time.” In addition, she has also completed work on family drama/thriller “Blackbird” with Eric Bana and Charlie Hunnam and “Welcome to People”, where she plays Chris Pine’s love interest. It’s no wonder her character Thirteen will finally be written off Fox series “House”, freeing Wilde up for a movie career that increasingly demands her full attention.