“The Impossible” Star Tom Holland Joins Chris Hemsworth in Ron Howard’s “In the Heart of the Sea”

April 10, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

tom-holland You’d think young British actor Tom Holland must hate the water by now after spending half of “The Impossible” trying not to drown, but you’d be wrong. Deadline reports he’s joined another water disaster flick, Ron Howard’s period whaling thriller “In the Heart of the Sea”, which already has Chris Hemsworth in the lead role.

Based on Nathaniel Philbrick’s factual retelling “In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex”, Hemsworth will play a first mate aboard whaling ship the Essex, which began a journey from Nantucket bound for the South Pacific in 1819 and was rammed and sunk by a giant sperm whale. The initial crew of 20, to be led by Hemsworth’s character, dwindled as they struggled to survive aboard three lifeboats, facing hunger, disease and inclement weather. Holland is set for the role of Young Nickerson, an aspiring whaler. Filming begins in September in London.

Holland, who has a musical theater background and has starred in “Billy Elliot” on the West End, was the best part of tsunami disaster flick “The Impossible”, which also marked his big screen debut. He has wrapped up shooting on adaptation of YA novel “How I Live Now” opposite Saoirse Ronan, which is set for release this year.

Saoirse Ronan takes female lead role in Wes Anderson’s “Grand Budapest Hotel”

November 2, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

After a five year wait between Wes Anderson’s last two live action features, the underrated “The Darjeeling Limited” and this year’s superb “Moonrise Kingdom”, we couldn’t be happier that he seems to be moving much faster on lining up his next adventure. Even more good news today as Variety reports that prolific young Irish actress Saoirse Ronan has been cast in the female lead role in that project, “The Grand Budapest Hotel.”

Anderson regulars Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman will unsurprisingly be part of the cast, along with newcomers Jude Law and Ralph Fiennes. The director has not revealed any plot details, but does confirm that the film is set in the early 20th Century in a Hungarian hotel, and is partly influenced by the films of classic directors Billy Wilder and Ernst Lubitsch. Filming begins early next year in Germany.

Ronan, who landed an Oscar nomination at the age of 13 for Joe Wright’s “Atonement”, recently wrapped up filming on young adult novel adaptation “How I Live Now” and will next be seen in the adaptation of “Twilight” author Stephenie Meyer’s alien actioner “The Host” opposite Max Irons, as well as Neil Jordan’s vampire drama “Byzantium” opposite Gemma Arterton.

Saoirse Ronan to play “Mary Queen of Scots” in big screen biopic

August 9, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 2 Comments

Saorise Ronan is gearing up to play one of the most infamous rulers in history, as Deadline reports she is attached to the titular role in Working Title Films’ “Mary Queen of Scots.” Producers are talking to directors and hope to begin production early next year.

Ronan will be playing a scandal-ridden monarchy that saw Mary Stuart crowned Queen of Scotland at 9 months old, briefly become Queen Consort of France through marraige, two subsequent marriages, murder plots, abdication of her own crown and imprisonment in England and a major rivalry with her cousin Elizabeth over who the rightful queen of England is. Spoiler Alert: She was executed for assassination plots against Elizabeth after an 18 year imprisonment.

Ronan, who’s currently filming teen novel adaptation “How I Live Now”, broke out at age 13 in Joe Wright’s “Atonement”, for which she was nominated for an Oscar, and has impressed critics and audiences alike ever since. Most recently seen in another Wright film, “Hanna”, her upcoming features include alien ationer “The Host” and Neil Jordan’s Toronto-bound vampire drama “Byzantium.”

First image of Saoirse Ronan in futuristic wartime drama “How I Live Now”

July 12, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Images Leave a comment

Saoirse Ronan is hard at work filming her next movie, and today we have our first look at the busy young actress as Daisy in Kevin MacDonald’s “How I Live Now”, based on the young adult novel by Meg Rosoff. Rosoff posted the image on her website (via The Playlist), commenting on Ronan’s wardrobe and hair color, telling a fan “I’m not sure it’s how i imagined her originally. I think I thought she’d have dark hair. But now I can’t see Daisy as anyone but Saoirse.”

The film revolves around Ronan’s Daisy, who is forced to go on the run with her cousins when their English countryside residence is beset by unknown enemy armies. Recently British actor George Mackay landed the male lead of Daisy’s cousin and love interest (yep, you read that right) Edmond, while Tom Holland will play another cousin, Osbert, who is a mash-up of two characters from the book.

Filming is now underway in Wales and you can see the first image featuring Ronan’s new platinum-blonde do below.

British actor George Mackay lands male lead in “How I Live Now” opposite Saoirse Ronan

June 14, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

Looks like things are finally moving along on Kevin MacDonald’s adaptation of controversial teen novel “How I Live Now”; moving along so fast, in fact, that filming is apparently right around the corner. Saoirse Ronan had been cast as lead character Daisy back in December, but the production seemed to have stalled, in part due to MacDonald’s inability to find a suitable young actor to star opposite Ronan. Author Meg Rosoff now reports they have not only found that actor, but filming begins “in approximately 10 days.”

British actor George Mackay has landed the elusive role of Edmond (Eddie in the film), and that’s just one of many candid revelations Rosoff makes in her new official website article. Additionally, Edmond’s twin brother Isaac has now been combined with a younger sibling, Osbert, and that character (called Isaac in the film), will be played by Tom Holland. Rosoff states that the screenplay is very different from her book – about Ronan’s Daisy, who is forced to go on the run with her cousins when their English countryside residence is beset by unknown enemy armies – but “emotional, modern, romantic, very English” nonetheless. A major character’s life-or-death fate has been changed for the film as well, and filming will take place in Wales, as mentioned before in “approximately 10 days.”

Mackay made his feature film debut as a Lost Boy in 2003′s “Peter Pan” and has since appeared alongside Clive Owen in “The Boys are Back” and Daniel Craig in “Defiance”, as well as opposite fellow British rising stars Alexandra Roach and Jack O’Connell in “Private Peaceful”, based on the novel by “War Horse” author Michael Morpurgo.

Saoirse Ronan to play pacifist Vera Brittain in adaptation of “Testament of Youth”

May 20, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

Saoirse Ronan will play early 20th century British feminist and pacifist Vera Brittain in a new film based on her memoir, “Testament of Youth”, according to THR.

Brittain lived into her 70s and wrote three memoirs of her life before and after World War I, but presumably Ronan will take on her first, “Testament of Youth”, which revolved around her entrance to the University of Oxford, her romance with Roland Leighton, and the onset of World War I, which would ultimately take the lives of her fiance, her brother and two friends. The bulk of the narrative centers around Brittain’s work as a Voluntary Aid Detachment nurse during the war, serving in Lond, Malta and France and her inability to return to “normal” life after the disillusionment of war. Juliette Towhidi adapted Brittain’s memoir and no director has been set yet.

Ronan is currently in New Mexico wrapping up filming on Andrew Niccol’s alien-invasion actioner “The Host”, and is also committed to playing ~~(not)~~ Snow White in warrior pic “The Order of the Seven” for Disney. She is also committed to futuristic wartime romance “How I Live Now”, and her next film, Neil Jordan’s vampire saga “Byzantium” co-starring Gemma Arterton and Caleb Landry Jones, will be released later this year.

Saoirse Ronan to (sort of) play Snow White after all, takes lead in Disney’s “Order of the Seven”

February 10, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

After being linked to and turning down both other current Snow White movies (in the end “Mirror Mirror” went to Lily Collins and “Snow White and the Huntsman” to Kristen Stewart), Saoirse Ronan has chosen to play a sort of version of that fairy tale princess after all. Variety reports Ronan is in final negotiations for Disney’s self-described “warrior pic” “The Order of the Seven”, which originated as a version of the Snow White tale, going under the titles “Snow White and the Seven Samuri” and then “Snow and the Seven” before settling on its current fairy tale-less title.

Ronan will play Olivia, a young Brit living in Hong Kong in the 19th century who seeks protection from an international order of warriors (seven of them). When an evil empress threatens them, she helps the warriors defend their destiny and reclaim their noble roots. Sure, Disney is claiming the film no longer has anything to do with the fairy tale, and who can blame them, but… come on. It still sounds an awful lot like the revisionist Snow White tale that existed a year ago, minus an evil stepmother and magic mirror or two. The studio is also looking for an international audience by seeking to cast local Chinese, Japanese and Russian actors to play the parts of the warriors. Filming under the direction of Michael Gracey – making his feature directorial debut – will begin this fall.

Ronan, Oscar nominee for “Atonement” and one of the most talented and promising young actresses working today, just wrapped up vampire flick “Byzantium” opposite Gemma Arterton and is gearing up to shoot “The Host” for director Andrew Niccol, based on the novel by “Twilight” author Stephanie Meyer. She is also attached to sci-fi actioner “How I Live Now”, about a teenage girl trying to survive WWIII in the British countryside. Ronan was most recently seen as teenage assasin “Hanna” and next lends her voice to “The Secret World of Arriety.”

Saoirse Ronan ponders “How I Live Now” in new wartime drama

December 13, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

Saoirse Ronan, at the tender age of seventeen, is becoming quite an expert at surviving life-threatening situations. She’ll add even more experience to her resume as Variety reports the accomplished young actress is now set to topline “How I Live Now”, a teen drama set amidst war-torn England, based on the 2004 novel by Meg Rosoff and directed by Kevin MacDonald.

Rosoff’s novel sees Ronan’s Daisy as a teenager in a slightly futuristic New York City who is sent to live with her aunt and cousins in the English countryside. In a perhaps controversial plot point, Daisy falls in love with her cousin Edmond. But hey, what’s a little potential incest in the face of total destruction? That fateful summer, England is invaded by an unnamed enemy, and the cousins are split up, with Daisy forced to flee with her younger cousin Piper. Variety’s report indicates the film will perhaps take some giant liberties with the source material, by setting it not in the future but in the past: during the onset of World War II.

Ronan is no stranger to playing young women struggling for survival, having starred in WWII-set “Atonement”, afterlife drama “The Lovely Bones”, sci-fi assassin thriller “Hanna” and, of course, Andrew Niccol’s upcoming alien invasion actioner “The Host”, based on the novel by Stephenie Meyer. She is currently filming vampire flick “Byzantium” opposite Gemma Arterton.

how i live now