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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jeff buckley

Reeve Carney’s Jeff Buckley biopic gains Olivia Thirlby, Gemma Arterton and Harry Treadaway

May 25, 2012 | Posted by Rebecca Lewis in Casting 1 Comment

Looks like Reeve Carney‘s Jeff Buckley biopic – which finally has been titled “Mystery White Boy” – has his supporting cast, 6 months after production was set to begin in New York City.

Britain’s Daily Mail is reporting from Cannes Film Festival that Olivia Thirlby, and Brit actors  Gemma Arterton and Harry Treadaway have all joined the cast.

One of three films currently in some stage of production based on the life of musician Jeff Buckley who died tragically in a boating accident after only one album, the film is to be directed by Jake Scott (“Welcome to the Rileys”) and is the only one to to have exclusive rights to Buckley’s music and personal archives.

Arterton, a former Bond girl who can next be seen in vampire flick Byzantium with Saoirse Ronan, will play the partying woman in Buckley’s life, whilst Thirlby will represent the more responsible side to Buckley’s relationships.Thirlby broke out as Ellen Page’s dry best frend in the Oscar nominated “Juno” but has been sticking to indie flicks including Sundance entry “Nobody Walks”.

Brit actor Treadaway starred in 2007′s “Control” with Sam Riley and alongisde Ronan in 2008′s “City of Ember”, and will play Buckley’s first drummer, Matt Johnson.

First Look: Penn Badgley as Jeff Buckley on the set of “Greetings from Tim Buckley”

August 23, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Images 5 Comments

Celebrity gossip site Starcasm has secured the first photos from the Brooklyn set of “Greetings From Tim Buckley”, the first of three biopics about late singer Jeff Buckley to go into production. “Gossip Girl” star Penn Badgley has the distinct honor of starring as Jeff Buckley, along with Imogen Poots (also pictured) as his love interest.

In the Dan Algrant directed film, “Greetings” chronicles the four days leading up to Buckley’s revelatory performance in a 1991 tribute concert dedicated to his absent father Tim, which launched his recording career. Poots plays a young woman he meets at the show, and together they “embark on a four-day journey that changes both their lives.” Recently director Jake Scott announced he had chosen Broadway’s “Spider-Man” Reeve Carney to star in his own biopic of Jeff Buckley, which will encompass much more of Buckley’s life and death. A third biopic, tentatively titled “A Pure Drop”, is in development with Australian director Brendan Fletcher at the helm.

Does getting there first matter most? If so, “Greetings” has a jump on the competition. See the first set photos below (by our estimation, Badgley has a passable resemblance to Buckley, though the hair is a bit poofy), and head to Starcasm for more.

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Broadway’s Spiderman cast as late musician Jeff Buckley in Jake Scott’s biopic

August 15, 2011 | Posted by Rebecca Lewis in Casting Leave a comment


Reeve Carney, star of Broadway musical Spiderman: Turn off the dark is set to star as Jeff Buckley, in Jake Scott’s untitled biopic of the late musician’s life, reports Deadline. Director Scott described Carney as “the perfect combination of musical prodigy, impish charm, innate intelligence and sensitivity to play Jeff.”

Buckley only released one album before he died in a tragic boating accident. One of three films – all currently in pre-production and claiming to tell different stories about the musician – Scott’s film is a biopic about Buckley’s life, and the only film to have exclusive rights to Buckley’s music and personal archives. The script was penned by Ryan Jaffe, and it will focus on Buckley’s start in New York City, where he played in small clubs, up through the release of “Grace” in 1994 and then his death in 1997. The Dan Algrant-directed film Greeting’s From Tim Buckley, which stars Penn Badgely and Imogen Poots, tells the story of Jeff’s relationship with his father, and the third film is titled A Pure Drop and will be directed by Brendan Fletcher.

For Carney, who has previously starred in The Tempest with Felicity Jones, this will be his first major leading role. He currently stars as Peter Parker in the Broadway musical written by Bono and The Edge from band U2, and has spent time touring with the band on their 360 tour.

Production is due to start in November in New York City and Memphis.

Imogen Poots takes female lead in Jeff Buckley biopic “Greetings from Tim Buckley”

July 25, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 2 Comments

British actress Imogen Poots is about to make a splash in her first major American studio film – the 3D remake of horror comedy “Fright Night”, which put on an impressive panel at Comic-Con over the weekend – and it looks like she’s now looking to add some indie street cred to her growing resume. Deadline reports Poots has landed the female lead in the first of two biopics about Jeff Buckley, “Greetings from Tim Buckley”, which sees “Gossip Girl” star Penn Badgley as the beloved late musician.

In the Dan Algrant directed film, “Greetings” chronicles the four days leading up to Buckley’s revelatory performance in a 1991 tribute concert dedicated to his absent father Tim. Poots will play a young woman he meets at the show, and together they “embark on a four-day journey that changes both their lives.” Shooting begins next month, which puts this film well ahead of its competition from director Jake Scott, who is mounting his own big screen Buckley biopic, though he will use David Browne’s book “Dream Brother: The Lives and Music of Jeff and Tim Buckley” as a resource and will also have an advantage in having access and rights to Buckley’s full music catalog to use in the film. The question remains: Is being first the most important thing?

As for Poots, the fast rising actress was most recently seen in Cary Fukunaga’s new adaptation of “Jane Eyre”, was shortlisted for Warner Bros’ teen witchcraft epic “The Seventh Son” and is still in contention to be “The Invisible Woman” in Ralph Fiennes’ Charles Dickens biopic. “Fright Night” releases on August 19th.