Chris Pine and Jake Gyllenhaal May Go “Into the Woods”

May 14, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 2 Comments

Rob Marshall’s adaptation of Sondheim musical “Into the Woods” just got a little starrier and a little hunkier. THR reports Jake Gyllenhall and Chris Pine will soon be receiving offers to join the large cast of twisted fairy tale characters, joining James Corden as the Baker, Johnny Depp as the Wolf and Meryl Streep as the Witch.

THR reports both Pine and Gyllenhaal sang during their auditions for the roles of Cinderella’s and Rapunzel’s Princes, who are pompous and self-absorbed and can’t quite tell their princesses apart, and while official negotiations have not begun, they are expected to receive offers imminently. Still no word yet on who will play their Princesses, no other key characters like the Baker’s Wife, Jack (the one with the beanstalk) and Little Red Riding Hood, but the project is expected to attract more “big stars.” A fall production start is scheduled.

Pine will next be seen reprising his role as Captain Kirk in “Star Trek Into Darkness” and has also wrapped another iconic action hero in Kenneth Branagh’s “Jack Ryan” reboot. Gyllenhaal was last seen in David Ayer’s cop drama “End of Watch” and has wrapped thrillers “An Enemy” and “Prisoners.”

“Magic Mike” star Cody Horn to play a ghost hunter in untitled James Wan supernatural thriller

January 31, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

“Magic Mike” and “End of Watch” star Cody Horn will play a ghost hunter in her next film, according to THR. Alan Horn’s daughter has signed on to join Maria Bello and Frank Grillo in “The Untitled James Wan Thriller” to be directed by Will Cannon.

Wan wrote the thriller about a psychologist (Bello) and a police officer (Grillo) who investigate the deaths of five people who were killed attempting to summon a ghost. Sounds like Horn’s ghost hunter character may be meeting a grim fate judging by that description (speculation, not spoiler). Filming begins next week in Baton Rouge.

Horn began acting in 2010 and became most known for a recurring role on season 8 of NBC series “The Office.” Last year she began popping up on the big screen, most notably as Alex Pettyfer’s older sister and Channing Tatum’s love interest in Steven Soderbergh’s male stripper sleeper hit “Magic Mike.” She also played a cop in David Ayer’s Jake Gyllenhaal-Michael Pena drama “End of Watch.”

Frank Grillo to play villain Crossbones in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”

October 29, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

We still don’t know for sure who will be playing Sharon Carter in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”, but the latest Marvel flick does have another villain now locked down. After a week of rumor and speculation, Variety confirms “End of Watch” actor Frank Grillo has closed his deal to play Brock Rumlow, who would ultimately adopt the villainous moniker Crossbones, opposite Chris Evans returning as supersoldier/Avenger Steve Rogers.

Grillo teased fans last week when he tweeted about meeting with Marvel and hoping a deal could be worked out, along with the hashtags #CaptainAmerica and #bones. Well, work out it did, and Grillo becomes the latest to join the cast that already includes Sebastian Stan returning as Bucky Barnes, who becomes the titular Winter Soldier, Scarlett Johansson as the Black Widow, Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill, as well as fellow newbie Anthony Mackie, who takes on the role of the Falcon. And of course, whoever lands the role of Sharon Carter, be it Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jessica Brown Findlay or any of the other dozen names mentioned in relation to that particular casting. Anthony and Joseph Russo will direct “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” next March, with a release already set for April 4, 2014.

Grillo has been acting steadily on TV and in movies for years, but is undeniably having a bit of a moment on the big screen right now, thanks to a string of impressive supporting turns, first opposite Joel Edgerton in “Warrior”, then Liam Neeson in “The Grey” and most recently opposite Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena in “End of Watch.” He’ll surely impress further when he reteams with Edgerton in Kathryn Bigelow’s “Zero Dark Thirty” and with Mackie in “Gangster Squad.”

Jake Gyllenhaal and Anna Kendrick star in TIFF-released images for cop drama “End of Watch”

July 24, 2012 | Posted by Rebecca Lewis in Images 1 Comment

Taking the found footage genre away from the supernatural and into law enforcement, ”End of Watch” stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Peña and Anna Kendrick and it was announced today the film would premiere at Toronto International Film Festival.

Directed by David Ayers, the films stars Gyllenhaal and Peña as partner police officers who patrol some of the meanest streets in LA. When they inadvertently stumble upon something more dangerous than expected, they and their families – with Anna Kendrick and Natalie Martinez playing wives to Gyllenhaal and Pena, respectively – are put in danger.

The first trailer was released back in early May and the film has a release date of September 28th, just as TIFF ends.

Click below for more images which TIFF released today.

Toronto International Film Festival line-up includes opening night film “Looper”, plus “Silver Linings Playbook”, “Byzantium” and more

July 24, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in General News 1 Comment

Toronto kicks off Awards Season 2012 in a big way today with the announcement of over 60 Galas and Special Presentations that will play at the annual International Film Festival, running this year between September 6-16.

Rian Johnson’s highly anticipated sci-fi action flick “Looper”, starring Joseph Gordon Levitt and Emily Blunt, will kick things off as the Opening Night film. Films making their World Premieres at the festival include Neil Jordan’s gang of vampires in “Byzantium” as played by Gemma Arterton and Saoirse Ronan, Sally Potter’s 1960s family drama “Ginger and Rosa” (formerly “Bomb”) starring Elle Fanning and newcomer Alice Englert, and Mike Newell’s “Great Expectations” with Jeremy Irvine as Pip and Holliday Grainger as Estella.

Bradley Cooper will have two films at the festival, David O. Russell’s “Silver Linings Playbook” opposite Jennifer Lawrence, and Derek Cianfrance’s “The Place Beyond the Pines” with Ryan Gosling and Dane DeHaan. Logan Lerman is another actor represented twice at the festival, as he’ll appear in both “Writers” with Lily Collins, and “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” alongside Emma Watson and Ezra Miller. The ever-busy Anna Kendrick will also be pulling double duty in Robert Redford’s “The Company You Keep”, starring Shia LaBeouf and Brit Marling, as well as David Ayer’s cop drama “End of Watch” with Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena.

See below for the complete list of Galas and Special Presentations (thanks to Movie Knight), which also include such highly anticipated premieres as Joe Wright’s experimental retelling of “Anna Karenina” starring Keira Knightley in the titular role and Aaron Johnson as Count Vronsky, and Terrence Malick’s long-gestating “To the Wonder” starring Rachel McAdams, Olga Kurlylenko and more.

And just think, there are more films to be announced in the coming weeks! Phew.

Anna Kendrick and Olivia Wilde lead quartet of “Drinking Buddies” in indie comedy

July 11, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

Anna Kendrick, Olivia Wilde, Ron Livingston and “New Girl”‘s Jake Johnson will star in indie comedy “Drinking Buddies”, according to Deadline.

Joe Swanberg will direct the “indie improv comedy” about a “fun and flirtatious friendship that goes off the rails.” Livingston plays the guy part of that friendship, Chris, while there’s no word on whether Kendrick or Wilde will play the female. Kendrick’s casting was announced first, though Wilde seems the more conventional choice. Filming begins in Chicago later this month.

Wilde and Kendrick are two of the busiest actresses around, with the Oscar-nominated Kendrick soon to be seen in her first starring role in “Pitch Perfect”, and supporting roles in political thriller “The Company You Keep”, the animated “ParaNorman” and David Ayer’s cop drama “End of Watch.” She recently wrapped on indie comedy “Get a Job” opposite Miles Teller. Wilde is even busier, having recently wrapped on such high profile projects as Ron Howard’s “Rush” and currently filming Spike Jonze’s new untitled flick opposite Joaquin Phoenix. She’ll next be seen in magician comedy “Burt Wonderstone.”

Watch: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Pena and Anna Kendrick in first trailer for found footage style cop drama “End of Watch”

May 3, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Videos Leave a comment

If you have a strong stomach, the first trailer for David Ayer’s cop drama “End of Watch” is now available for your viewing pleasure. For those of us easily nauseated by that shaky camera found footage style of filmmaking, it’s not quite as much fun.

Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena star in Ayers’ newest as partner police officers who patrol some of the meanest streets in LA. When they inadvertently stumble upon something more dangerous than expected, they and their families – with Anna Kendrick and Natalie Martinez playing wives to Gyllenhaal and Pena, respectively – are put in danger.

Open Road will release “End of Watch” on September 28th. Watch the first trailer below (but keep some Dramamine on hand just in case).

Alona Tal and Natalie Martinez land female leads in “Broken City” opposite Mark Wahlberg

November 3, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

Relatively unknown actresses Alona Tal and Natalie Martinez have landed the female leads in Allen Hughes directed Mark Wahlberg thriller “Broken City”, reports Variety. Russell Crowe and Catherine Zeta Jones are also part of the impressive and growing cast.

Walhberg stars as a cop turned private investigator who becomes embroiled in a murder investigation amid a corrupt mayoral election. Crowe plays a candidate for mayor, Tal will play Wahlberg’s assistant and Martinez his girlfriend. “Broken City” already has a release date of January 18, 2013.

Tal is primarily a TV actress who may be most known for her regular role on CW series “Supernatural.” Martinez made her acting debut on primetime soap “Fashion House” but has since been steadily landing movie roles, including the female lead opposite Jason Statham in “Death Race.” She can next be seen opposite Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena in cop drama “End of Watch.”

Anna Kendrick is “Pitch Perfect” in new romantic comedy

September 1, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 5 Comments

Anna Kendrick, Tony nominee by age 12 and musical theatre junkie, might finally achieve her dream of starring in a big screen musical. No doubt inspired partly by the “Glee” phenomenon, Universal is developing “Pitch Perfect”, a romatic comedy set in the world of collegiate a cappella groups. THR reports Kendrick is in early talks to take on the lead role, which would presumably allow Kendrick to put her Broadway-trained pipes to good use – finally!

Though discussions are still in the early stages, if she takes the role, Kendrick will play against type to be a goth-like, rebellious student who’s unhappy at the prospect of attending college where her father is a professor. When her singing ability is discovered, she becomes the secret weapon of the campus all-female a cappella group. The film will reunite Kendrick with Rebel Wilson, the “Bridesmaids” breakout with whom she co-stars in the currently filming “What to Expect When You’re Expecting.” Jason Moore directs the film which is based on the nonfiction book of the same name by Mickey Rapkin, with production slated to begin this fall in New Orleans.

Kendrick took over a year off from new films almost immediately after scoring an Oscar nomination for her role as Natalie opposite George Clooney in 2009′s “Up in the Air”, but seems intent on making up for lost time now, with no less than four films currently in production. She’s currently filming “What to Expect” opposite Chace Crawford in Atlanta concurrently with David Ayer’s cop drama “End of Watch” in Los Angeles and also voicing her first animated feature, “ParaNorman.” Additionally, she recently wrapped Lionsgate’s “micro-budget” horror comedy “Rapture-Palooza” and the final installment of the “Twilight” series, “Breaking Dawn.” The one film she did do right after the 2010 Oscars, Jonathan Levine’s cancer dramedy “50/50″ starring Joseph Gordon Levitt, will finally be released on September 30th.

Cody Horn lands female lead in “Magic Mike” opposite Channing Tatum

August 23, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

Next Gen actress Cody Horn, daughter to legendary Warner Bros boss Alan Horn, has landed the female lead in Steven Soderbergh’s male stripper buddy flick “Magic Mike”, according to The Playlist. Horn follows Riley Keough as the second female to join the testosterone fueled cast, which includes Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Matt Bomer, Matthew McConaughey and Joe Manganiello.

Tatum plays the titular Magic Mike, who takes the young and inexperienced Pettyfer under his wing. McConaughey plays a former stripper turned club owner while Bomer and Manganiello are strippers. Keough will be Pettyfer’s love interest while Horn, reportedly beating out bigger name actresses, will play Pettyfer’s older sister Paige who gets involved romantically with Tatum. There should be another female character to be cast, another love interest for Tatum’s character named Amber, previously reported to have been offered to Jessica Biel, who passed.

Horn began acting only one year ago, and has already been racking up an increasing number of roles, the most visible thus far for being a new addition to hit NBC series “The Office.” She’ll next be seen alongside Alexis Bledel and Saoirse Ronan in teenage assassin thriller “Violet and Daisy” and also has a role in David Ayers’ currently-filming police drama “End of Watch” with Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena.

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