“Felicity” Reunion Alert: Keri Russell Joins Matt Reeves’ “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”

March 6, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

keri-russell Perennial TV star Keri Russell has landed the female lead role in sequel “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”, according to Variety.

Matt Reeves is directing the follow up to 2011′s smash hit “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” and Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman and Kodi Smit-McPhee are already on board for the sequel, as is Andy Serkis, who will once again be motion-captured and digitally rendered into the lead ape, Cesar. The sequel is set 15 years after the events of the Rupert Wyatt-directed reboot of the franchise which starred James Franco and Freida Pinto, and will further concern Cesar’s evolution into the leader of his species as well as a group of humans still struggling to survive in San Francisco.

Russell, who shot to fame as the titular college girl on beloved WB series “Felicity” (co-created by Reeves and JJ Abrams), has flirted with being a franchise star before when she was a finalist for the Lois Lane role in Bryan Singer’s “Superman Returns” and then starred opposite Tom Cruise in “Mission Impossible III”, but has gone back to the small screen. She currently stars on FX series “The Americans”, which has already been renewed for a second season.

Amber Heard to star as Liam Hemsworth’s leading lady in spy drama “Paranoia”

June 19, 2012 | Posted by Rebecca Lewis in Casting Leave a comment

After Miley Cyrus (“The Last Song”) and Jennifer Lawrence (“The Hunger Games”), Liam Hemsworth is about to gain another leading lady whose star is rising.

Variety reports that Amber Heard is set to star alongside Hemsworth in “Paranoia“, a new film directed by Robert Ludekic and based on the Joseph Finder novel. Hemsworth plays Adam Cassidy, a low level employee of a high-tech firm who finds himself in trouble and agrees 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, but when he tries to break free of the people for whom he’s spying, he finds himself in over his head.

Lucas Till has already been cast as Cassidy’s friend and co-worker, and Heard will play “an intended one-night-stand who becomes the key to Cassidy’s success as a spy when he learns that she works at the rival company.” Gary Oldman and Harrison Ford co-star. Filming on “Paranoia” will take place in July, with a release date set for September 27th, 2013.

Heard was last seen on the big screen alongside Johnny Depp in the poorly-received “The Rum Diary“, and although she landed the coveted female lead in ambitious thriller “Motor City”, a continued delayed production has forced her to drop out, along with all of the original cast. The young actress also recently starred on the small screen in NBC’s “The Playboy Club”, and up next is the indie film “Syrup” with Shiloh Fernandez.

Watch: Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy and Jessica Chastain in first trailer for John Hillcoat’s Cannes entry “Lawless”

April 25, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Videos 1 Comment

Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy and Jason Clarke are the Bondurant boys, three brothers raising hell in Prohibition era Virgina, in the first trailer for one of our most eagerly anticipated movies – John Hillcoat’s “Lawless” (previously “The Wettest County in the World”). When the boys get into the business of bootlegging, they run into some nefarious gangster foes including Guy Pearce and an especially sinister Gary Oldman. And they’ve got girl problems too, coming in the forms of Mia Wasikowska and Jessica Chastain.

The first trailer, which can be seen below, looks sprawling, intense and only increases our excitement for the film. We’ll all get to see “Lawless” on August 31st, but those attending the Cannes Film Festival will catch its world premiere there.

Lucas Till joins Liam Hemsworth in corporate espionage thriller “Paranoia”

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

Lucas Till is set to join fellow rising star Liam Hemsworth in thriller “Paranoia”, according to Variety. The two almost “Hunger Games” co-stars may be joined by a couple of acting heavyweights as producers are also in advanced negotiations with Gary Oldman and Harrison Ford to play supporting roles in the film.

Robert Luketic will direct the film based on the Joseph Finder novel. 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. Till will play a friend and co-worker. Filming will take place this summer before Hemsowrth reports back for duty on “Hunger Games” sequel “Catching Fire.”

Till, star of “X-Men: First Class”, almost became a part of “The Hunger Games” too after being shortlisted for the role of Peeta Mellark. The role went to Josh Hutcherson, and Till went on to shoot indie thriller “Crush” and Chan-Wook Park’s English feature debut “Stoker” opposite Mia Wasikowska. Till is also expected to reprise his role as Havok in the “X-Men: First Class” sequel, expected to begin shooting in early 2013.

“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?

Watch: First trailer for “The Dark Knight Rises” teases an epic conclusion

December 19, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Videos 1 Comment

Probably the most highly anticipated movie of next year by a certain large faction of internet inhabitants, “The Dark Knight Rises” has finally released its first trailer. Of course, most of the die-hards have probably already seen what is shown below after shelling out $14 for “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol” this weekend, which boasted an exclusive six-minute prologue/teaser from Christopher Nolan’s final Batman film. For the rest of us though, this abbreviated footage is still very impressive, as all of Nolan’s Bat flicks have been. Anne Hathaway slinks and slithers around Christian Bale in a way that should shed, even further, her good-girl Disney image, and Tom Hardy is completely unrecognizable (and nearly unintelligible). Yes, that’s him as Bane underneath that muzzle. It also felt like a bit of an “Inception” redux with brief appearances from Marion Cotillard and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, but hell, that football sequence is so cool that I’m willing to overlook, for now, the always annoying actor-recycling some directors are so fond of.

“The Dark Knight Rises” will open on July 20, 2012.

Watch: Oscar hopefuls Ryan Gosling, Rooney Mara and more dramatize classic cinematic villains for NY Times

December 7, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Images, Videos Leave a comment

Like they did last year, the New York Times Magazine have gathered together some of “the best performers from the year in film” to act out short sequences for their cameras. This year, the theme is villainy, and each Oscar hopeful – from Ryan Gosling to Rooney Mara to Mia Wasikowska to Jessica Chastain and more – portrays a classic villain from cinema history. It’s pretty spectacular, so go here to watch now!

Don’t get all the references? Yeah, I didn’t either. Thankfully The NY Times were kind enough to list list all the references for us slightly less knowledgeable film buffs. There is also a slideshow of still photographs from the villainous shoot.

The full list of actors include:

Jessica Chastain, The Tree of Life, The Help, Take Shelter
George Clooney, The Descendents, The Ides of March
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis, The Help
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Kirsten Dunst, Melancholia
Ryan Gosling, Crazy, Stupid, Love, Drive, The Ides of March
Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Adepero Oduye, Pariah
Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Brad Pitt, The Tree of Life, Moneyball
Michael Shannon, Take Shelter
Mia Wasikowska, Albert Nobbs, Jane Eyre, Restless

Kristen Stewart offered “Akira” female lead opposite Garrett Hedlund

November 15, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 2 Comments

Warner Bros continues to dream big and reach out to strictly A-list talent to round out the ensemble cast of its risky, bid budget remake of Japanese manga “Akira”, with offers out to the likes of Gary Oldman and Helena Bonham Carter still pending. Thus far the only actor to officially sign on is Garrett Hedlund, who will star as Kaneda in the futuristic actioner, and while previous reports indicated Keira Knightley had been offered an unspecified female role, Twitch now reports it’s “Twilight” series star Kristen Stewart who has the offer for the female lead. Presumably this means Knightley has passed on the role. Let’s hope this doesn’t turn into the next “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.”

Stewart, who just recently worked with Hedlund on the equally controversial, long-gestating adaptation of “On the Road”, has been offered the role of Kei, a young medium and love interest to Hedlund’s Kaneda. Kaneda’s story mainly revolves around an attempt to save his little brother Tetsuo from becoming a government science experiment and weapon after the younger man begins developing telekinetic abilities. Ezra Miller and Alden Ehrenreich are among the actors being eyed for the role of Tetsuo. Jaume Collet-Serra will direct.

The “Twilight” films, the second to last installment of which – “Breaking Dawn” – opens this Friday, made an international superstar out of former indie actress Stewart, who now seems to be more keen on big budget blockbusters, currently filming next summer’s fantasy epic “Snow White and the Huntsman.” Could “Akira” be next?

Ezra Miller and Alden Ehrenreich up for Tetsuo in “Akira” opposite Garrett Hedlund

November 4, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 3 Comments

Now that Garrett Hedlund is basically squared away to lead Warner Bros’ remake of “Akira” and offers for other roles have gone out to such heavyhitters as Gary Oldman, Helena Bonham Carter and Keira Knightley, the search turns to the second male lead. THR reports two young actors have emerged as potential front-runners for the role of Tetsuo: “We Need to Talk About Kevin” star and Oscar hopeful Ezra Miller, and a regular of Francis Ford Coppola’s films, Alden Ehrenreich. Both actors will read for the role next Tuesday.

In Japan, “Akira” was set in a post-apocalypric Neo-Toyko, but this new Americanized adaptation will take place in New-Manhattan, where Hedlund’s Kaneda, the leader of a bike gang, must save his little brother Tetsuo from becoming a science experiment and a dangerous weapon after he develops telekinetic abilities.

Miller is earning raves as the homicidal teenager in Lynn Ramsay’s “We Need to Talk About Kevin”, currently one of the most buzzed about movies during Oscar season, and will next be see opposite Logan Lerman and Emma Watson in the highly anticipated “The Perks of Being a Wallflower.” Ehrenreich, a favorite of Francis Ford Coppola, made his feature film debut in “Tetro” and also starred opposite Elle Fanning in “Twixt.” He recently wrapped up shooting “Stoker” opposite Mia Wasikowska and Matthew Goode.

Garrett Hedlund in negotiations for “Akira”; Keira Knightley approached for unspecified role

November 3, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 6 Comments

UPDATE: THR reports Keira Knightley has been approached to take a role in the film as well, but like Bonham Carter and Oldman, has not entered any formal negotiations yet.

It’s really happening. Warner Bros is moving full speed ahead on a project that many people have hoped would just go away. Last we heard, “Akira” had been officially greenlit and filmmakers were looking at Garrett Hedlund for the lead role. Well, now it’s official. Twitch reported earlier this morning that the offer had been made to Hedlund to take on the role of Kaneda, and Variety updated a few hours later that negotiations are now formally underway.

In Japan, “Akira” was set in a post-apocalypric Neo-Toyko, but this new Americanized adaptation will take place in New-Manhattan, “where a leader of a biker gang saves his friend from a medical experiment.” There is no word on who might play that friend, Tetsuo. Hedlund’s name endured from a much earlier shortlist of young actors, so could Tetsuo be Robert Pattinson, Andrew Garfield or James McAvoy, who were all being looked into for the role back in March? Time will tell but two acting veterans, Gary Oldman and Helena Bonham Carter, do have formal offers for unspecified roles as well. Jaume Collet-Serra will direct.

Hedlund has a bit of a streak going with controversial big screen adaptations lately. “Tron: Legacy” was the sequel to the iconic 1982 nerd classic “Tron”, which a lot of people didn’t want. Water Salles’ long-gestating, upcoming “On the Road” is an adaptation of the Kerouac classic that even more people didn’t want. So really, Hedlund of all people taking “Akira” should come as no surprise.

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