Shia LaBeouf is a “Villain” in New Psychological Thriller

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

shia-labeouf Juan Carlos Fresnadillo is set to direct Shia LaBeouf in two-hander psychological thriller “Villain”, according to Deadline. The film was written on spec by Josh Zetumer and follows two brothers who confront their dark past and each other in an unforgiving wilderness. The other brother should be set soon, Deadline further reports. Under an earlier configuration with director David Slade, the film was to shoot in Alaska but no word if that’s still the case.

LaBeouf got high marks in Cannes last year for his turn as one of three bootlegging brothers in Prohibition-era Virgina in “Lawless”, and then appeared opposite Robert Redford in “The Company You Keep” and Evan Rachel Wood in “The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman.” He’s wrapped up filming on Lars Von Trier’s “Nymphomaniac” and is next set for David Ayers’ WWII tank actioner “Fury” opposite Brad Pitt and Logan Lerman.

SNL Comedian Bill Hader to Star in High School Reunion Comedy “Lawless”

May 13, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 3 Comments

bill-hader “Saturday Night Live” has typically been quite a career launcher for comedians, and now another star is hoping to cash in. THR reports Bill Hader, who is still a current cast member, is set to star in indie comedy “Lawless”, apparently the most popular movie title of the moment.

Comedy writers Jarrad Paul and Andrew Mogel, who penned Jim Carrey hit “Yes Man”, will make their directorial debut on this project. This “Lawless”, not to be confused with John Hillcoat’s violent Prohibition-era drama or Terrence Malick’s Texas-set romantic triangle drama, follows Hader as a high school reunion committee chairman who was an outsider in high school and is still looking for acceptance from his class. He pursues the attendance of the popular guy from high school, only he’s now a commercial actor, so Hader’s character travels to Los Angeles and gets entangled in the crazy world of Hollywood. A summer production in Atlanta is scheduled.

Hader has been an SNL cast member since 2005, and is probably most known for his outrageous New York tour guide Stefon, who appears on the sketch comedy’s popular Weekend Updates segments. On film he’s made cameos and had bit parts in films like “This is 40″ and “Men in Black 3″, in which he played Andy Warhol, and he recently filmed companion pieces “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: His” and “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Hers” with James McAvoy and Jessica Chastain. He’s also part of the upcoming voice cast for animated film “Turbo.”

Shia LaBeouf is a “Spy’s Kid” in Espionage Thriller Opposite Robert De Niro

April 22, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

Shia LaBeouf and Robert De Niro are attached to star as a father-son duo in true life spy thriller “Spy’s Kid”, according to THR.

Director DJ Caruso, who previously worked with LaBeouf on “Disturbia” and “Eagle Eye”, is attached to direct, but no writer has been set yet. The film will be based on a series of newspaper articles that chronicled the life and double-crossing spy career of Jim Nicholson, a CIA veteran who was convicted of selling secrets to the Russians in 1996 and sentences to a 20+ year prison sentence. His work didn’t stop there as his youngest son Nathan began visiting him and eventually became a courier carrying out his father’s work. De Niro and LaBeouf’s attachment is contingent upon the finished script, which appears to be a ways off.

After breaking out starring opposite giant alien robots in Michael Bay’s “Transformers” trilogy, LaBeouf got high marks in Cannes last year for his turn as one of three bootlegging brothers in Prohibition-era Virgina in “Lawless”, and then appeared opposite Robert Redford in “The Company You Keep” and Evan Rachel Wood in “The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman.” He’s wrapped up filming on Lars Von Trier’s “Nymphomaniac.”

Jason Clarke In, Chris Hemsworth Out of Thriller “Candy Store”?

February 27, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

jason-clarke Last we heard back in November, Australian action star Chris Hemsworth had attached himself to Stephen Gaghan’s crime thriller “Candy Store”, but that may no longer be the case. In an interview with MTV at the Oscars on Sunday, Hemsworth’s fellow countryman Jason Clarke offered up that he will star in the film.

The film follows an elite operative who retires to Brooklyn, only to find the enemy he once fought setting up shop in his new neighborhood. It’s possible Hemsworth is still attached to the role of the protagonist while Clarke will play the villain, but since Hemsworth’s attachment was tenuous at best even at the time we reported it, it seems much more likely that Clarke, with an increased profile in Hollywood, will be taking over the lead role.

Clarke, one of our Faces to Watch in 2013, had a hell of a 2012 with roles in John Hillcoat’s “Lawless” and Kathryn Bigelow’s “Zero Dark Thirty”, in which he gave a scene-stealing, Oscar-worthy performance opposite Jessica Chastain. In 2013 he’ll see Channing Tatum starrer “White House Down” and Baz Luhrmann’s “The Great Gatsby” released, and most recently he landed his biggest role yet, as the lead of Matt Reeves’ sequel “The Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.”

Tom Hardy to Tackle PTSD in Wartime Drama “Samarkand”

February 27, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

tom-hardy Busy British actor Tom Hardy has added one more project to his plate. Deadline reports Hardy will develop and star in “Samarkand”, a contemporary soldier’s tale which deals with the topic of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Brothers Greg and Olly Williams wrote the script after developing the story with Hardy and Solar Pictures’ Bobby Paunescu and Greg Williams, a famous celebrity photographer known for his portraits of Daniel Craig’s Bond among others, will make his directorial debut on the project. Hardy will play an SAS soldier who returns home from combat in the Middle East and has trouble reintegrating back into society.

It’s unclear when this will begin production as Hardy’s upcoming schedule locks up tighter. Up next for the “Inception” and “The Dark Knight Rises” breakout star is two back to back films with Noomi Rapace. The duo will film crime drama “Animal Rescue” in March, before moving on to spy thriller “Child 44″ in May. Hardy is also attached to Doug Liman’s “Everest” as well as Steven Knight’s “Locke.”

Jason Clarke to star in “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”

February 19, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

jason-clarke “Zero Dark Thirty” breakout star Jason Clarke has signed on to topline sequel “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”, the follow-up to 2011′s surprise hit “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”, reports THR. Matt Reeves is taking over directing duties from Rupert Wyatt and Clarke is the first actor to sign on to the sequel. Original stars James Franco and Freida Pinto are not expected to return.

Part of the reason they will likely not return is because the sequel takes place 15 years after the events of the first film, which saw genetically fortified apes – led by Andy Serkis as Caesar – launching a successful revolution and overtaking humans. Part of the story will follow a group of scientists still trying to survive alone in San Francisco, while another storyline will follow Caesar’s ongoing struggle to remain in control of his new kingdom. Presumably Clarke will play one of the scientists. Filming is set to begin this spring.

Clarke, one of our Faces to Watch in 2013, already had a hell of a 2012 with roles in John Hillcoat’s “Lawless” and Kathryn Bigelow’s “Zero Dark Thirty”, in which he gave a scene-stealing, Oscar-worthy performance opposite Jessica Chastain. In 2013 he’ll have Channing Tatum starrer “White House Down” and Baz Luhrmann’s “The Great Gatsby”, in which he plays Isla Fisher’s husband, to show off his considerable talents even more.

“Animal Rescue” co-stars Noomi Rapace and Tom Hardy to reunite for “Child 44″

January 30, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

The newest rising star duo to book back-to-back projects together are Tom Hardy and Noomi Rapace, who have not even began filming on their first collaboration, “Animal Rescue”, just yet, but are already making plans to do it again sometime soon. THR reports the two are in negotiations to star in Soviet-era spy thriller “Child 44″ for director Daniel Espinosa.

They were rumored to have been eyed for the film back in December when their crime drama “Animal Rescue” casting came together, but now it’s firming up. They will husband and wife in “Child 44″, with Hardy as a Soviet officer who becomes the target of suspicion from his own government and Rapace as his wife, who pretends to be loyal and doting but hiding secrets of her own. Richard Price wrote the script based on Tom Rob Smith’s novel. Hardy and Rapace will film “Animal Rescue” in March and then “Child 44″ in May.

After breaking out in Christopher Nolan’s “Inception” and then again in “The Dark Knight Rises”, Hardy has been undeniably deemed Hollywood’s favorite new star and seemingly has his pick of projects. He’s sticking to mostly dark fare, producing two separate features about illegal poaching and is attached to a big screen adaptation of video game franchise “Splinter Cell”, as well as Doug Liman’s “Everest.” He recently wrapped up shooting on “Mad Max: Fury Road” and was last seen on screen in John Hillcoat’s violent Cannes premiere “Lawless.”

Rapace was the original Swedish “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” and has made a successful transition to Hollywood roles, culminating with Ridley Scott hand-picking her to star in his “Alien” prequel-esque “Prometheus.” She was last seen in Brian DePalma’s “Passion” opposite Rachel McAdams and will next appear opposite Colin Farrell in revenge thriller “Dead Man Down.”

Tom Hardy and Noomi Rapace teaming up for “Animal Rescue”

December 17, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 2 Comments

Tom Hardy is in final negotiations and Noomi Rapace has received an offer to star in crime drama “Animal Rescue”, according to Deadline. Michael R. Roskam will direct from a short story by “Gone Baby Gone” author Dennis Lehane, who adapted the script himself.

Hardy will play a man who wants to shed his criminal past but “gets mixed up in a bad heist and a killing resulting from a lost and contested pit bull.” Like most of Lehane’s stories, it takes place in Boston, but because of the influx of Boston-set tales in recent years, the screen version will take place in New York. Filming is set to begin on location in March and will be Hardy’s next film.

This also may not be the only time Hardy and Rapace work together, as Variety’s Jeff Sneider tweeted the two are also being eyed to star in spy thriller/murder mystery “Child 44″, which has Ridley Scott attached to direct. That project, though, sounds further off, and much less firm, especially with Hardy’s increasingly busy schedule.

Oscar Isaac and Jason Clarke journey into the “Mojave” for psychological thriller

December 4, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 3 Comments

Rising stars Oscar Isaac and Jason Clarke are teaming up for psychological thriller “Mojave”, according to Variety.

The two-hander is described as intense, and follows “a man who escapes into the desert only to encounter a doppelganger-like antagonist and subsequently enter a vortex of criminality and violence.” No word on who’s good and who’s evil, but Isaac and Clarke as doppelgangers? I guess I can kind of see it… William Monahan wrote and will direct, with production slated to begin begin in early 2013.

Clarke was last seen in John Hillcoat’s “Lawless” and will soon hunt for Osama Bin Laden opposite Jessica Chastain in Kathryn Bigelow’s Oscar favorite “Zero Dark Thirty.” He recently wrapped up shooting on Terrence Malick-produced early Lincoln biopic “The Green Blade Rises”, as well as Baz Luhrmann’s 3D “The Great Gatsby.”

Isaac last appeared in “Drive”, “W.E.” and Channing Tatum’s ensemble drama “10 Years”, for which he wrote and performed an Oscar-eligible original song. That musicality also served him well when he played the lead in the Coen Brothers’ upcoming 1960s musical drama “Inside Llewyn Davis.” He also recently wrapped up shooting on thriller “Two Faces of January” with Viggo Mortensen and Kirsten Dunst and French Victorian drama “Therese” opposite Elizabeth Olsen.

“Chronicle” star Dane DeHaan joins Andrew Garfield to play Harry Osborn in “The Amazing Spider-Man 2″

December 3, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 2 Comments

Peter Parker’s expanding class of friends and foes are nearly complete. Director Marc Webb announced via Twitter today that “Chronicle” star Dane DeHaan (one of our favorites!) has landed the pivotal role of Harry Osborn in the sequel to “The Amazing Spider-Man”, which sees Andrew Garfield returning as the webbed crusader, as well as Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy. Jamie Foxx was also recently cast as villain Electro.

DeHaan beat out not one but two shortlists of other young actors vying for the part, but we think Webb made absolutely the perfect choice in the end. Shailene Woodley is also joining the cast to play Mary Jane Watson, with both newcomers presumably having supporting roles in this first sequel but to be greatly expanded in the conclusion of the trilogy. Filming begins early next year with a release date already set for May 2nd, 2014.

Last seen on the big screen in “Lawless” opposite Tom Hardy and Shia Labeouf, DeHaan heads to Sundance next January with Beat generation origin pic “Kill Your Darlings” alongside Elizabeth Olsen and Danielle Radcliffe, and also has Derek Cianfrance’s “The Place Beyond the Pines” opposite Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper awaiting release.

See Webb’s Twitter announcement below.

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