Ansel Elgort Is Augustus Waters in "The Fault in Our Stars" Opposite Shailene Woodley

From siblings to star-crossed lovers! EW reports rising star Ansel Elgort has been offered the male lead in "The Fault in Our Stars" opposite Shailene Woodley - who plays his sister in the currently-filming dystopian adaptation "Divergent." The two Read more

Dylan O'Brien Lands "The Maze Runner" Lead; Ki Hong Lee Also Joins

UPDATE: Director Wes Ball tweets that Ki Hong Lee has also joined the cast as Minho, a fellow Glader and ally to Thomas throughout the series. Lee is probably best known as a regular on short-lived ABC Family Read more

Shailene Woodley Confirmed for "The Fault in Our Stars"

I mean, duh, we called it. It has now been officially confirmed with glowing quotes from director, producer and author in tow that the increasingly in demand Shailene Woodley will play the lead role of Hazel Grace Lancaster Read more

Up and Comers Presents: 20 Faces to Watch in 2013

After a somewhat unpredictable year in which the stars we expected to break out largely didn't but fresh faces came out of nowhere to surprise us all, we are ready to look ahead to the new talent waiting to Read more

Up and Comers Presents: The Breakout Stars of 2012

Another year, another new crop of fresh talent. Just like last year, the hardest part is narrowing down which of the dozens of the year's rising stars shone the brightest. This year we heralded the arrival of the unlikeliest Read more
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in the heart of the sea

Benjamin Walker Joining Chris Hemsworth in Ron Howard’s “In the Heart of the Sea”

May 7, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

benjamin-walker Stage and screen actor Benjamin Walker has landed a major role opposite Chris Hemsworth and Tom Holland in Ron Howard’s nautical actioner “In the Heart of the Sea”, according to Deadline.

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 incident that served as inspiration for Meville’s “Moby Dick.” 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, while Walker has the plum role of George Pollard, Jr., the unqualified, antagonistic captain of the Essex who would be come to be immortalized in fiction as Captain Ahab. Filming begins in September in London.

Broadway vet Walker starred in cult hit “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson” and most recently in a revival of “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” opposite Scarlett Johansson. His big screen metal has not been fully tested following the disastrous “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter”, while other potential star-making films like Ed Zwick’s “The Great Wall” and Alex Proyas’ “Paradise Lost”, fell apart before filming even began. Luckily this project seems solid and has great potential to be the breakout that the talented and charismatic Walker is long overdue for.

“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.

Chris Hemsworth attached to untitled Michael Mann thriller

February 14, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

Director Michael Mann has not made a movie since 2009′s “Public Enemies” but appears finally ready to get back behind the camera, and Variety reports he has boarded an untitled thriller set up at Legendary Pictures which has Australian action star Chris Hemsworth attached to the lead role. There are not plot details, other than to say the film takes place “in a world of cyber threats and attacks.” Mann has been developing the project for over a year and co-wrote the screenplay with Morgan Davis Foehl. Filming is tentatively scheduled for June.

Hemsworth is looking to fill the rest of his year now that Steven Spielberg’s “Robopocalypse”, which had been slated to begin this spring, is on hold for the time being. Having just wrapped “Thor: The Dark World” in London, the plan is to film the Mann pic over the summer and then transition to maritime actioner “In the Heart of the Sea”, which Ron Howard is in negotiations to direct. Howard first directed Hemsworth in F1 racing biopic “Rush”, which is slated for release in September. All this activity likely leaves Hemsworth just enough time to catch his breath before picking up Mjilnor to play Thor again in “The Avengers 2.”

Chris Hemsworth attached to 19th century maritime actioner “In the Heart of the Sea”

June 11, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

Chris Hemsworth seems to have found a nice niche in being an action star with humanity and depth, and looks to be continuing his streak by attaching himself to star in “In the Heart of the Sea”, based on true events that inspired Melville’s “Moby Dick.” Deadline reported the news earlier today, and the project is now out to studios from Hemsworth’s “Snow White and the Huntsman” producers.

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. Charles Leavitt adapted the book, and the film has been in development in some form or another since 2000, with Ed Zwick attached to direct at one point, though that is no longer the case. With Hemsworth’s skyrocketing star power now part of the package, it seems the film may finally make its way into production.

Hemsworth has had a pretty good start to 2012, appearing in “Cabin in the Woods”, “The Avengers” and “Snow White and the Huntsman”, and he also recently wrapped up playing Formula One racer James Hunt for Ron Howard’s “Rush.” He’s getting ready to head back to Asgard to reprise his titular role in “Thor 2″, and is also attached to Navy SEALs pic “Shadow Runners.”