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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doug liman

Tom Hardy may scale “Everest” for Doug Liman

September 24, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 2 Comments

Tom Hardy is in early negotiations to star in director Doug Liman’s “Everest”, according to Deadline. The film chronicles the journey of George Mallory, the first man to scale the highest mountain in the world.

Adapted from Jeffrey Archer’s book “Paths Of Glory” by Oscar nominated scribe Sheldon Turner, Hardy will play Mallory, the devoted husband and father who was torn between his family and his ambition to scale Everest. He tried three separate times in the 1920s to climb the mountain, disappearing into its midst in 1924 with climbing partner Andrew “Sandy” Irvine. Their bodies were not discovered until 1999, only a few hundred meters off the top of the mountain, and whether they reached the peak before dying remains an openly debated mystery to this day. Filming will begin after Liman wraps up shooting on sci-fi thriller “All You Need is Kill” with Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt.

Hardy is a very in demand actor following his breakout performance in Christopher Nolan’s “Inception”, then “The Dark Knight Rises.” He can currently be seen in John Hillcoat’s “Lawless” opposite Shia Labeouf and is attached to literary adaptation “The Long Red Road” opposite Michael Shannon. He’s currently filming “Mad Max: Fury Road”, the reboot of the Mel Gibson franchise, opposite Charlize Theron.

British TV actress Charlotte Riley lands role in “All You Need is Kill” opposite Emily Blunt and Tom Cruise

August 22, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

British actress Charlotte Riley has landed a major potential breakout role in Doug Liman’s graphic novel adaptation “All You Need is Kill”, according to Variety. The actress perhaps most known for being engaged to Tom Hardy will be joining Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt in the futuristic Groundhog Day-esque thriller that will film later this fall.

In “All You Need is Kill”, Cruise plays a soldier in a futuristic war against an alien race who finds himself reliving the day he dies over and over again, and becomes more adept at surviving as he learns more throughout each repeated day. Blunt and Riley play fellow soldiers. One – presumably Blunt – Cruise’s character notices for the first time on his 158th repeated day, and who he discovers could lead to his final salvation or downfall.

Riley, who was at one point considered for the Catwoman role in “The Dark Knight Rises”, recently wrapped up shooting on epic miniseries “World Without End” opposite Sarah Gadon, Tom Cullen and many others. She played Cathy opposite Hardy’s Heathcliffe in a 2009 TV Movie adaptation of “Wuthering Heights.”

Emily Blunt lands “All You Need is Kill” opposite Tom Cruise, remains top contender for “The Thin Man”

April 16, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

Looks like British actress Emily Blunt is having a bit of a moment. Variety reports Warner Bros is in negotiations with the “Five Year Engagement” star to play the female lead in “All You Need is Kill”, Doug Liman’s sci-fi thriller starring Tom Cruise. Additionally, the actress remains one of the studio’s favorites for the female lead in Rob Marshall-Johnny Depp comedy “The Thin Man.”

In “All You Need is Kill”, Cruise plays a soldier in a futuristic war against an alien race who finds himself reliving the day he dies over and over again, and becomes more adept at surviving as he learns more throughout each repeated day. Blunt plays another soldier, presumably the one he notices for the first time on his 158th repeated day, and who he discovers could lead to his final salvation or downfall.

In “The Thin Man”, Blunt is reportedly a “top contender”, along with Emma Stone and Kristen Wiig, for the role of Nora Charles, wife to Depp’s Nick Charles, a former detective. The two are unwittingly drawn into investigating a decades old murder, trading flirtation and banter along the way.

After breaking out in “The Devil Wears Prada”, Blunt seemed poised for stardom then seemed to get bogged down in duds like “The Wolfman” and “Gulliver’s Travels.” But positive buzz on “Five Year Engagement”, set to open the Tribeca Film Festival this weekend and releasing on April 27th, is clearly putting the talented comedienne back on the radar. Sure to garner her more buzz is Rhian Johnson’s time-travel thriller “Looper”, in which she stars opposite Joseph Gordon-Levitt. That film opens on September 28th.

Liman’s “Luna” is a go for liftoff; Bradley Cooper and Chris Evans join casting contenders

June 7, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

Doug Liman’s rogue space race actioner, previously titled “Moon”, began casting several months ago, before the project was even greenlit by its studio backer Paramount. Now comes word via Variety that the film, now retitled “Luna”, is officially not only greenlit but also being fast-tracked, and with that news, a couple of new contenders for casting have emerged as well.

Names including Andrew Garfield, Chris Pine and Emile Hirsch floated around in March, and now Bradley Cooper and Chris Evans joins their ranks as actors who have met with or read for a role with Liman. On the actress side, March’s list included even more names, including Rachel McAdams, Olivia Wilde, Megan Fox, Zoe Saldana, Rosario Dawson and Eva Mendes. It’s unclear if any of the previously shortlisted are still in contention, with Garfield being the only holdover mentioned by Variety in their new report.

The film’s premise also indicates several of the actors considered could end up being cast, as it revolves around a group of renegade scientists who attempt to build a space shuttle to fly to the moon and steal an undiscovered energy source. The group is reportedly being led by “an Eastern European woman” though that detail might presumably change depending on who is cast in the role.

Liman has set “Luna” as his next film and is looking to begin production in the fall.