Shailene Woodley Cut From “The Amazing Spider-Man 2″; Mary Jane Watson Shelved for Spidey 3

June 19, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

spidey-andrewshailenesm Bummer! Even though she already dyed her hair red and shot all her scenes, it appears creative reasons have forced Shailene Woodley’s introduction as Mary Jane Watson out of sequel “The Amazing Spider-Man 2.”

This shocking announcement came on the heels of Sony announcing that “The Amazing Spider-Man 3″ and “The Amazing Spider-Man 4″ were already in the works and even had release dates, so it’s possible a new decision to stretch out Peter Parker’s storyline has affected the introduction of his One True Love. Indeed, director Marc Webb has released a statement, citing a desire to focus on Peter’s current established relationship with first love Gwen Stacy: “I made a creative decision to streamline the story and focus on Peter and Gwen and their relationship. Shailene is an incredibly talented actress and while we only shot a few scenes with Mary Jane, we all love working with her.” Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone continue to film their scenes in New York, with “The Amazing Spider-Man 2″ set for release on May 2, 2014.

Woodley, for her part, is disappointed. “Of course I’m bummed,” she tells EW. “But I am a firm believer in everything happening for a specific reason. MJ only appeared in a few scenes and I wouldn’t trade the experience of working with Andrew and Emma for three days on set for the world. Based on the proposed plot, I completely understand the need for holding off on introducing MJ until the next film.” But now reports are emerging that if and when MJ is introduced, she may not be played by Woodley at all, with the actress committed to teen action franchise “Divergent” for the foreseeable future.

“The Amazing Spider-Man” Third and Fourth Installments Get Release Dates

June 17, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in General News 1 Comment

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More Peter Parker is definitely swinging our way. With “The Amazing Spider-Man 2″ still filming and not even hitting theaters until May of 2014, Sony has penciled in release dates for the third and fourth installments of the Marvel comic book movie franchise. “The Amazing Spider-Man 3″ will be released on June 10th, 2016 and “The Amazing Spider-Man 4″ has landed the first 2018 release date: May 4th, 2018.

Marc Webb, who directed the first film, is currently directing the sequel with Andrew Garfield returning in the title role and Emma Stone reprising her role as Gwen Stacy. It’s unclear if Webb will return for any more sequels, but Garfield at least is signed on through the third film. As for Stone, the addition of Shailene Woodley as Mary Jane Watson in the sequel leaves Gwen’s future very much in question as well. Dane DeHaan also recently joined the franchise as Harry Osborn and Jamie Foxx and Paul Giamatti get villain duty this time around as Electro and Rhino, respectively. Then there’s the mysterious presence of Felicity Jones, who was cast in an unspecified role.

Could those rumors of a Sinister Six setup and a larger Spidey cinematic universe be true after all?

Emma Stone Departing Guillermo Del Toro’s “Crimson Peak”; Mia Wasikowska in Talks to Replace

June 5, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

mia-wasikowska The ever-busy Emma Stone has departed Guillermo Del Toro’s haunted house horror pic “Crimson Peak” over a scheduling issue, and the probably just as busy Mia Wasikowska is now in talks to replace her, according to The Wrap. Benedict Cumberbatch, Jessica Chastain and Del Toro’s “Pacific Rim” star Charlie Hunnam are already part of the stellar young cast.

With this new cast addition also comes our first semblance of plot details, with The Wrap detailing that Wasikowska – pending scheduling working out – is up for the role of a young writer named Edith who discovers her new husband is not who he appears to be. It’s unclear if Hunnam will be her husband, but Cumberbatch and Chastain will play a pair of siblings from an aristocratic family. This is sounding more like a period piece to us with these new descriptions. Del Toro wrote the script with Matthew Robbins and Lucinda Coxon and production is slated for early 2014.

Wasikowska recently departed Olivier Assayas’ “Sils Maria”, presumably in order to do David Cronenberg’s “Maps to the Stars” and Todd Haynes’ “Carol” opposite Cate Blanchett, both of which will film this year. She just premiered Jim Jarmusch’s “Only Lovers Left Alive” at Cannes and also has Australian outback drama “Tracks” and Dostoyevsky adaptation “The Double” with Jesse Eisenberg awaiting release.

Emma Stone In Talks for Woody Allen’s Next

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

Well this seems like an obvious pairing. Deadline reports Emma Stone is the first to sign on to Woody Allen’s next film, and as this collaboration sinks in, we can’t believe these two haven’t worked together yet. As is his way, there are absolutely no other details available, plot or title-wise, though THR’s Borys Kit suggests it could shoot in Spain this summer.

Allen’s new film comes on the heels of the San Francisco-set “Blue Jasmine”, the first film he’s shot in the US since 2009. Allen previously shot “Vicky Christina Barcelona” in Spain with Scarlett Johansson and Rebecca Hall. It’s another thing for Stone’s team to attempt to her already super busy schedule. She’s already currently juggling filming on two movies, “The Amazing Spider-Man 2″ and indie comedy “Birdman.” Thankfully, both are shooting in New York, but her next feature, long rumored to be Cameron Crowe’s untitled rom com opposite Bradley Cooper, may take her to Hawaii for the tropical set story. That’s been tentatively scheduled for this spring, with Rachel McAdams recently signing on to signify it’s still moving right along. Luckily, Guillermo Del Toro’s “Crimson Peak”, with Jessica Chastain and Charlie Hunnam, isn’t scheduled to shoot until February of 2014.

Jessica Chastain Reunites with Emma Stone for Guillermo Del Toro’s “Crimson Peak”

April 5, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 2 Comments

jessica-chastain Guillermo Del Toro continues to assemble an incredibly impressive young cast for his haunted house horror flick “Crimson Peak”, with Variety reporting Jessica Chastain is the latest to move in, joining the previously announced Emma Stone, Charlie Hunnam and Benedict Cumberbatch.

There are no plot details available other than to say it involves a haunted house, but with Del Toro and this cast, who needs ‘em, really? Del Toro and Lucinda Coxon are working on a rewrite of the script which he first co-wrote with Matthew Robins. With such a hot cast, all busy with other projects for the foreseeable future, filming on “Crimson Peak” isn’t expected to begin until February of 2014.

Chastain, who first starred alongside Stone in 2011′s massive hit “The Help”, earned her first Oscar nomination for that film and then her second one this year for “Zero Dark Thirty.” She’s also worked with Del Toro before, as he produced January’s surprise horror hit “Mama.” She’s sought after for the role of Jane in David Yates’ new adaptation of “Tarzan”, but negotiations on that are ongoing and nowhere near finalized yet. In the meantime she’s committed to her first and only role since her second Oscar nomination, an adaptation of the August Strindberg play “Miss Julie” opposite Colin Farrell that Liv Ullman will direct.

Benedict Cumberbatch enters the haunted house with Emma Stone for horror film “Crimson Peak”

April 4, 2013 | Posted by Rebecca Lewis in Casting 1 Comment

Guillermo del Toro has already cast Emma Stone and Charlie Hunnam in his upcoming haunted house horror film “Crimson Peak“, and now he’s found another actor looking to try a new genre. Fast rising British actor Benedict Cumberbatch has joined the pic, surely making him one of the most in-demand British actors in Hollywood at the moment.

Variety reports that the film is set to start shooting early in 2014 and there’s still no word on plot details. Del Toro and Matthew Robbins‘ original script is currently going through a rewrite by Lucinda Coxon.

The star of BBC’S “Sherlock” series for which he is currently filming a third season, Cumberbatch will play the still-unnamed villian of this summer’s “Star Trek Into Darkness”, one of his first major high profile roles for international audiences. Earlier this year he filmed Bill Condon’s biopic “The Fifth Estate“, which also stars Anthony Mackie, Daniel Bruhl and Alica Vikander, and is based on two books which tell the tale of the Wikileaks team founder Julian Assange. He is also in talks to star in an adaptation of “The Turing Game”, a biopic of the tortured WWII genius.

Emma Stone Among Star-Studded Cast Joining Dark Comedy “Birdman”

March 5, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

emma-stone Emma Stone, Zach Galifianakis, Michael Keaton and Naomi Watts have been cast in dark comedy “Birdman”, according to THR.

Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu will direct the Fox Searchlight project, which follows a washed-up former comic book movie star who sets out to mount a Broadway play based on a Raymond Chandler short story, but things get out of control with the arrival of the egotistical leading man. Keaton will play the former movie star while Stone will be his daughter-turned-assistant, who’s just out of rehab. Watts will play an actress in the show while Galifianakis will play the production’s conniving producer. The role of the egotistical leading man and Keaton’s ex-wife remain to be cast.

It’s unclear when filming on “Birdman” will take place, as Stone’s schedule is pretty well booked. She’s currently reprising her role as Gwen Stacy in Marc Webb’s “The Amazing Spider-Man 2″ and next heads to Hawaii to film Cameron Croewe’s next with Bradley Cooper. She’s also attached to Guillermo Del Toro’s haunted house horror “Crimson Peak”, which is eyeing a spring 2014 start date. Last seen on the big screen in “Gangster Squad”, Stone can next be heard voicing a character in animated “The Croods.”

Felicity Jones joining “The Amazing Spider-Man 2″ in unspecified role

January 28, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

Marc Webb is not done assembling his already impressive cast for “The Amazing Spider-Man 2″ just yet. Already boasting the return of Andrew Garfield, Sally Field and Emma Stone and welcoming aboard newbies Shailene Woodley, Dane DeHaan and Jamie Foxx, now comes word via THR that Paul Giamatti is negotiating to play the villain known as The Rhino and British actress Felicity Jones is also in talks for an unspecified role.

Filming begins this month on the sequel that has no specified plot just yet, but will feature Garfield back to web-slinging as Peter Parker, Stone as his first (doomed?) love Gwen Stacey, Woodley as his flame-haired future wife Mary Jane Watson and DeHaan as bestie-eventually-turned-villain Harry Osborn. Foxx is playing the villainous Electro, while Giamatti’s Rhino started out life in the comics as “a thug from a Soviet Block country who wore a superhuman suit that made him invulnerable while giving him super-strength and super-speed. It also had a deadly horn on top.” All these new kids on the block, and they still haven’t cast Harry’s dad Norman Osborn, aka iconic Spidey villain Green Goblin yet. “The Amazing Spider-Man 2″ will be released on May 2, 2014.

Jones broke out in Drake Doremus’ 2010 Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winning “Like Crazy”, and recently premiered their second collaboration, “Breathe In”, at Sundance 2013. She recently completed work on Ralph Fiennes’ Charles Dickens biopic “The Other Woman”, and is attached to Warren Beatty’s long-gestating Howard Hughes biopic, along with Nancy Meyers’ ensemble dramedy “The Chelsea.”

Charlie Hunnam to reteam with “Pacific Rim” director Guillermo Del Toro on haunted house horror “Crimson Peak”

January 18, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

We won’t see how Charlie Hunnam does in “Pacific Rim” until this summer, but director Guillermo Del Toro is clearly pleased with what he’s seen so far. Variety reports the duo are keen to work together again and Hunnam has begun negotiating to join Del Toro’s next feature, a haunted house horror film called “Crimson Peak.”

There are no plot details vailable, but the film already has Emma Stone in talks to join the cast as well. Del Toro and Lucinda Coxon are working on a rewrite of the script which he first co-wrote with Matthew Robins. With Del Toro, Stone and Hunnam all busy with other projects for the foreseeable future, filming on “Crimson Peak” isn’t expected to begin until February of 2014.

Hunnam, who has appeared in “Cold Mountain” and “Children of Men”, is most known for his starring role on hit FX series “Sons of Anarchy”, which is now heading into its sixth season. He last appeared on the big screen opposite Olivia Wilde and Eric Bana in violent crime thriller “Deadfall.” Thanks to his role in “Pacific Rim”, he has become increasingly attractive to studios looking to cast rising stars in big projects. Most recently he was considered for the titular role in David Yates’ “Tarzan.”

Emma Stone the first to move into Guillermo Del Toro’s haunted house flick “Crimson Peak”

January 15, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

Funny girl Emma Stone may be moving into a genre she’s never tackled before: horror. And who better to introduce her to the genre than Guillermo Del Toro himself? Variety reports Stone is the first to enter early negotiations for Del Toro’s next feature, a haunted house horror film called “Crimson Peak.”

Plot details are scarce and Del Toro and Lucinda Coxon are working on a rewrite of the script which he first co-wrote with Matthew Robins. Of course, Del Toro is busy at the moment finishing up on his potential summer blockbuster “Pacific Rim”, and filming on “Crimson Peak” isn’t expected to begin until February of 2014.

It’s smart to lock down the ever-busy Stone quickly, as her dance card tends to fill up fast. She’s due to begin shooting “The Amazing Spider-Man 2″ imminently and also has Cameron Crowe’s next feature opposite Bradley Cooper awaiting production this year. Stone managed to eschew the Scream Queen role that seemingly every other young actress has not been able to avoid early in their careers, earning her stripes on comedies like “Superbad” and “Easy A” instead. She’s proven herself talented and increasingly bankable since, with the one-two punch of “The Help” and “The Amazing Spider-Man” quickly solidifying Stone’s stance at the very pinnacle of the go-tos of Young Hollywood.

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