“The Hunger Games”‘ Liam Hemsworth to Fly Futuristic Jets in “Aurora Rising”

May 20, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

liamhemsworth “The Hunger Games” star Liam Hemsworth is going from District 12 to a different type of futuristic world. Deadline reports Hemsworth has been set to star in “Aurora Rising”, in which he’ll play a surfer turned ombat pilot who’s recruited to test out the next generation of military aircrafts just as an international conflict escalates. Christian Gudegast wrote the script and it appears the film has no director just yet.

Hemsworth was recently in Cannes promoting sequel “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”, which comes out this November, and he’s also got a second and third sequel, “Mockingjay” Parts 1 & 2 to film. Between stints as Jennifer Lawrence’s best friend/love interest in Panem, he starred in “The Expendables 2″ and wrapped filming on upcoming thrillers “Empire State” and “Paranoia.”

Michael Angarano Joins Jason Statham in “Heat” Remake

March 20, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

michael-angarano Michael Angarano has joined the cast of “Heat”, a remake of the 1986 Burt Reynolds film that will star Jason Statham, according to Deadline.

The official synopsis of the film, not to be confused with the 1995 Michael Mann film of the same name, reads as follows: “This tightly-wound, fun action-thriller, tells the story of a tough recovering gambling addict (Statham) who makes his living providing protection in the rough edges of the gambling world. Statham’s character refuses to resort to gunplay, strictly using hand and edged weapon combat. When a dear friend (Sofia Vergara) is brutally beaten by a high-rolling mobster, he helps her get her revenge and he ends up in more trouble than he ever imagined.” Simon West is directing, and Angarano will play Cyrus Kinnick, who hires Statham’s character as a bodyguard. William Goldman adapted both the 1986 film and the new remake from his own novel.

Angarano can currently be seen in dark comedy “The Brass Teapot” opposite Juno Temple and will soon head to Tribeca to premiere “The English Teacher”, in which he stars opposite Julianne Moore and Lily Collins. He also has heist thriller “Empire State” with Liam Hemsworth awaiting release.

First Look: Liam Hemsworth in official still from heist thriller “Empire State”

June 27, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Images Leave a comment

It’s still in the midst of filming, but today we have our first look at Liam Hemsworth in heist thriller “Empire State”, courtesy of Deadline. Hemsworth plays one of two best friends who decide to pull off a daring armored car robbery. It’s based on a true story and we still don’t know who plays Hemsworth’s BFF, though our bet is on Michael Anagarano.

Dwayne Johnson plays a police officer tracking down who committed the crime, while Emma Roberts (as a waitress and Hemsworth’s love interest) and “Twilight”‘s Nikki Reed are among the other up and comers rounding out the supporting cast. Dito Montiel is currently directing the cast in New Orleans from an Adam Mazer script.

Check out the photo of Hemsworth looking pretty believably 1980s blue collar below, and head over to Deadline for the first image of Johnson.

Nikki Reed and Michael Angarano join Liam Hemsworth and Emma Roberts in “Empire State”

May 24, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

Liam Hemsworth thriller “Empire State” has rounded out its supporting cast with “Twilight” star Nikki Reed, Michael Angarano, “Entourage”‘s Jerry Ferrera, Paul Ben-Victor and Chris Diamantopoulos, according to Deadline.

Dwayne Johnson and Emma Roberts had already been cast in the heist thriller described to be based on “the true story of a 1982 NYC armored car company robbery thought at the time to be the largest cash heist in U.S. history.” Hemsworth plays one of two friends who pull off the daring heist in the 1980s-set thriller. No word who the other friend may be (our guess is on Angarano), though Roberts will play a waitress and Hemsworth’s love interest, while Diamantopoulo will play a mob boss who suspects the two youngsters while the rest of New York believes it was a major mob conspiracy. Production begins next Tuesday in New York, with Dito Montiel directing from an Adam Mazer script.

Reed appears in the final installment of the “Twilight” saga, “Breaking Dawn: Part II”, this November. Angarano was last seen in Steven Soderbergh’s “Haywire” and recently completed two indie comedies, “The Brass Teapot” opposite Juno Temple and “The English Teacher” opposite Julianne Moore and Lily Collins.

“The Hunger Games” star Liam Hemsworth to battle “Paranoia” with Gary Oldman and Harrison Ford

April 12, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

Rising Aussie actor Liam Hemsworth continues to step out from big brother Chris’s shadows and build an impressive upcoming slate following a huge breakout role in “The Hunger Games.” Deadline reports Hemsworth has been tapped to play the lead in corporate espionage thriller “Paranoia”, and esteemed veteran actors Gary Oldman and Harrison Ford are in negotiations to play supporting roles. Not bad, Gale!

Robert Luketic will direct the film based on the Joseph Finder novel this summer. Hemsworth plays Adam Cassidy, a low level employee of a high-tech firm who finds himself in trouble and agreeing to become a spy at a rival company. When he discovers he has a knack for the business, he skyrockets to success and achieving, at alarming speed, a luxurious life he never could have dreamed of. When he tries to break free of the people for whom he’s spying, he finds himself in over his head.

Meanwhile, it looks like Hemsworth has fallen out of Philip Noyce’s time-traveling love story “Timeless”, according to Vraiety’s Jeff Sneider. Shooting had been set to begin in July, perhaps a reason why he had to choose one over the other.

Prior to “The Hunger Games”, which is now headed to its fourth straight week atop the box office, Hemsworth only had one American film to his name – the Nicholas Sparks adaptation and Miley Cyrs starrer “The Last Song.” Needless to say, his career is heading in quite a bit of a different direction now. He’ll shoot bank heist thriller “Empire State” with Dwayne Johnson this spring and after “Paranoia”, heads back into the woods for “Hunger Games” sequel “Catching Fire” in September. In the can awaiting release are “The Expendables 2″ and indie war drama “AWOL.” Is it any wonder he’s one of our Faces to Watch of 2012?

Emma Roberts heads to “Empire State”, joining Liam Hemsworth in the heist drama

March 11, 2012 | Posted by Rebecca Lewis in Casting Leave a comment

It kind of felt like Emma Roberts career was faltering there for a while, with several box office duds including “4,3,2,1″ and “The Art of Getting By”. In recent months however, we’ve seen the young actress star in the Sundance hit “Celeste and Jesse Forever”, watched her long-gestating comedy “Adult World” go into production, and report on her casting in indie drama “I Am My Family Secret” with up and coming British star Craig Roberts, all with the hopes of watching this talented young actress’s star rise.

Now, Roberts has joined the cast of heist thriller “Empire State”, Dito Montiel‘s film which is based on true events that took place in 1982 following “two childhood friends from Astoria, New York who plan to rob an armored car depository [and the] NYPD detective who’ll stop at nothing to bust them.” Montiel will direct from a script by Adam Mazer.

Liam Hemsworth, star of the upcoming “The Hunger Games” joined the cast back in January as one of the two childhood friends, and Variety reports that Roberts will play a waitress who will become Hemsworth’s love interest. Dwayne Johnson will play the NYPD detective, but there’s still no word yet on who will play Hemsworth’s partner in crime.

With filming set to start next month though, we look forward to the final piece of casting news on this flick.

Liam Hemsworth set for heist thriller “Empire State”

January 5, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

Aussie up and comer Liam Hemsworth sure is doing his best to establish himself as an action star. Deadline reports Hemsworth is closing a deal to star in “Empire State”, a bank heist thriller that will co-star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, whose career it seems Hemsworth wouldn’t mind emulating.

Filming will begin in April on “the true story of a 1982 NYC armored car company robbery thought at the time to be the largest cash heist in U.S. history.” Hemsworth will play Chris while Johnson’s character is Ransone. No further plot or character details are available. Dito Montiel will direct from a script by Adam Mazer.

Hemsworth, who is about to have a big breakout moment in a couple of months when he stars as Gale Hawthorne opposite Jennifer Lawrence in “The Hunger Games”, the first in a trilogy – with the sequel already set for release in 2013. He also recently completed work on indie war drama “AWOL” and tesosterone-fueled actioner “The Expendables 2.” While he may take a break from the action to do a love story called “Timeless”, he’s still full speed ahead pursuing an action career, with “Die Hard 5″ possibly on the horizon as well.

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