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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jaume collet-serra

Joel Kinnaman to “Run All Night” with Liam Neeson

March 8, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

joel-kinnaman Joel Kinnaman is in final negotiations to play Liam Neeson’s son in action thriller “Run All Night”, according to a THR. Jaume Collet-Serra will direct the film, which revolves around Neeson’s aging hitman as he takes on his former boss to protect his family. Kinnaman will play Neeson’s estranged son, who witnesses a murder and becomes the target of a hit himself. Filming is scheduled to begin this fall.

Kinnaman already had a great career back in his native Sweden, but it was American TV series “The Killing” that put him on Hollywood’s radar. It didn’t hurt that Swedish thriller “Snabba Cash” became a crossover hit with English-speaking audiences as well, and soon Kinnaman began getting cast in big Hollywood movies. He starred in David Fincher’s “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” (with an expanded role if and when the sequels get rolling), and alongside Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds in “Safe House.” He recently wrapped up filming what could be his biggest break to date, in Jose Padilha’s reboot of 80s sci-fi action classic “Robocop.”

Scoot McNairy and “Downton Abbey” star Michelle Dockery join Liam Neeson flight thriller “Non-Stop”

October 10, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

Liam Neeson and Nate Parker are welcoming aboard some fellow passengers. Variety reports Julianne Moore, Scoot McNairy and “Downton Abbey” actress Michelle Dockery have all joined the cast of Jaume Collet-Serra’s in-flight thriller “Non-Stop.”

Neeson plays an air marshall who is confronted – via text message! – by an America terrorist who claims to be aboard his flight. The villain threatens to kill a passenger every 20 minutes unless Neeson kills himself. Parker will play a passenger on the flight who helps Neeson solve the mystery while there’s no word just yet on who the new cast additions will play. Filming is set to begin in New York City on November 1st. John Richardson and Chris Roach wrote the script.

McNairy has been on an upward swing since breaking out in Godzilla reboot director Gareth Edwards’ low budget thriller “Monsters.” He can be seen in Ben Affleck’s political thriller “Argo”, out this weekend, and soon in Andrew Dominik’s “Killing Them Softly” opposite Brad Pitt. He also recently wrapped up filming on Steve McQueen’s “Twelve Years a Slave.”

Dockery was last seen on the big screen in Joe Wright’s “Hanna” and will next also appear in Wright’s “Anna Karenina”, but is most known for her role as Lady Mary Crawley on PBS’ mega-hit “Downton Abbey.” Curiously, several of Dockery’s audition tapes for high profile films were leaked online in recent weeks – Rob Marshall’s “The Thin Man” and “Into the Woods” among them – indicating there’s interest from her side in a more visible big screen career.

“Arbitrage” breakout star Nate Parker boards “Non-Stop” flight thriller with Liam Neeson

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

Up and coming Nate Parker is turning heads after a breakout performance opposite Richard Gere in this month’s “Arbitrage”, and now Variety reports he has locked down his next project: “Non-Stop”, an in-flight thriller starring Liam Neeson.

Neeson’s “Unknown” helmer Jaume Collet-Serra will direct the film which sees Neeson as an air marshall who is confronted with an America terrorist aboard a flight. The villain threatens to kill a passenger every 20 minutes unless Neeson kills himself. Parker will play a passenger on the flight who helps Neeson solve the mystery. John Richardson and Chris Roach wrote the script and filming begins soon in New York City.

Parker was seen earlier this year in George Lucas’ “Red Tails”, then Spike Lee’s “Red Hook Summer”, and his turn as an unwitting accomplice to Richard Gere’s crimes in thriller “Arbitrage” is earning raves and has sparked his fair share of Oscar buzz. Parker recently wrapped up a role in David Lowery’s “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints” with Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck and will soon reunite with Spike Lee to film his remake of Park Chan-wook’s revenge thriller “Oldboy”, starring Elizabeth Olsen and Josh Brolin.

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.

“Akira” officially a go; Garrett Hedlund front-runner for lead

October 19, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 2 Comments

It’s been quite a roller coaster for Warner Bros’ ambitious big budget adaptation of iconic Japanese manga “Akira”, and it looks like the journey is not over, as perhaps many fans had hoped. The production began casting a net for young actors as potential leads in March, then the studio apparently got nervous with the lack of star power and offered it to Keanu Reeves… who promptly turned it down. Director Albert Hughes then vacated the chair, and in July “Unknown” helmer Jaume Collet-Serra stepped in, but whether the project would ever get off the ground was still very much in doubt, due in part to its high $100+ million budget. But now it appears the studio is keen to get the project going once and for all, as Variety reports it has been officially greenlit, with a trimmed down $90 million budget and a front-runner for the lead role in rising star Garrett Hedlund.

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.” Hedlund, who was said to be in the running for the role of carefree gang-leader Kanedu back in March, does not have an offer on the table yet, but both studio and director are keen on him and something official should be imminent. There is no word on who might play his best friend Tetsuo. Could it also be someone from the March shortlist, which included Robert Pattinson, Andrew Garfield and James McAvoy? Decisions should start happening soon as the pre-production process has been fast-tracked in preparation for a rapidly approaching March 2012 shoot.

Hedlund is no stranger to long-gestating, controversial films and iconic characters. Not only did he play son of Jeff Bridges’ ultimate nerd icon Kevin Flynn in 2010′s years-in-the-making “Tron: Legacy”, a sequel to the 1982 classic, he also has Walter Salles’ decades-in-the-making adaptation of “On the Road” coming up. That, of course, is based on the Jack Kerouac classic that many people believe simply can’t be adapted for the screen, and he’ll play Dean Moriarity, based on legendary Beat generation icon Neal Cassady. Sounds like “Akira” could be right up Hedlund’s alley.