Emily Blunt to Play the Baker’s Wife in “Into the Woods”

May 16, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

emilyblunt Emily Blunt is the latest to head “Into the Woods” for director Rob Marshall. Variety reports Blunt is finalizing her deal to join James Corden, Johnny Depp, Meryl Streep, Chris Pine and Jake Gyllenhaal in Marshall’s big screen adaptation of Stephen Sondhein’s twisted fairy tale musical. She would take the female lead role of the Baker’s Wife opposite Corden as her husband.

The dark and twisted take on fairy tales sees a childless baker and his wife trek into some magical woods to find the witch who put the spell on them. Also heading into the woods are Little Red Riding Hood on her way to grandma’s house, Jack off to sell a cow (only to get some magic beans in return), Cinderella to sneak her way into a ball and more iconic characters. Streep is taking on the role of the Witch, Depp will have a bit role as a sexy version of the Wolf who preys upon Little Red and Pine and Gyllenhaal will play Cinderella’s and Rapunzel’s vain and self-absorbed Princes. The film has no official greenlight or start date yet, but is expected to shoot in the fall.

Blunt broke out in “The Devil Wears Prada” opposite Streep, then had a streak of duds like “Gulliver’s Travels” and “The Wolfman.” But 2012 was a major comeback year for the talented British star thanks to a star-making turn in Rian Johnson’s sci-fi thriller “Looper” opposite Joseph Gordon-Levitt. She’s been landing one high profile role after another since, with “Woods” following on the heels of futuristic wartime thriller “All You Need is Kill” and Emma Forrest’s memoir adaptation “Your Voice in My Head.”

Chris Pine and Jake Gyllenhaal May Go “Into the Woods”

May 14, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 2 Comments

Rob Marshall’s adaptation of Sondheim musical “Into the Woods” just got a little starrier and a little hunkier. THR reports Jake Gyllenhall and Chris Pine will soon be receiving offers to join the large cast of twisted fairy tale characters, joining James Corden as the Baker, Johnny Depp as the Wolf and Meryl Streep as the Witch.

THR reports both Pine and Gyllenhaal sang during their auditions for the roles of Cinderella’s and Rapunzel’s Princes, who are pompous and self-absorbed and can’t quite tell their princesses apart, and while official negotiations have not begun, they are expected to receive offers imminently. Still no word yet on who will play their Princesses, no other key characters like the Baker’s Wife, Jack (the one with the beanstalk) and Little Red Riding Hood, but the project is expected to attract more “big stars.” A fall production start is scheduled.

Pine will next be seen reprising his role as Captain Kirk in “Star Trek Into Darkness” and has also wrapped another iconic action hero in Kenneth Branagh’s “Jack Ryan” reboot. Gyllenhaal was last seen in David Ayer’s cop drama “End of Watch” and has wrapped thrillers “An Enemy” and “Prisoners.”

Tony Winners James Corden and Nina Arianda Up for Rob Marshall’s “Into the Woods” Leads

May 4, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

intothewoods In a pleasantly surprising twist, it seems director Rob Marshall is not chasing super A-Listers for his next big screen musical adaptation. The Daily Mail first reported that Broadway star Jamie Corden was meeting with Marshall about potentially taking a role in his upcoming “Into the Woods”, and now Showbiz 411 corroborates that the role he would take is the male lead of the Baker. Not only that, but fellow relative unknown Nina Arianda is up for the role of the Baker’s Wife, one of the female leads for the story. Marshall’s film is not without super A-Listers though, as Meryl Streep will play the Witch and Johnny Depp will cameo as the Wolf.

Corden and Arianda took part in a reading of Marshall’s screenplay of the Stephen Sondheim musical back in October, but there was no guarantee (and there still isn’t, presumably) that they would end up in the actual film. But it appears they might be cast after all, which leaves me back to hoping Anna Kendrick will land the role of Cinderella, which she read at the reading. There’s obviously plenty of casting still to go, and no official start date yet, though Streep herself has mentioned October as a possibility.

Corden won a Tony for his role as Francis Henshall in “One Man, Two Guvnors”, which he originated in Britain and followed to Broadway. Like many fellow rising Broadway stars, he’s started landing film roles, most recently opposite Mark Ruffalo and Keira Knightley in “Can a Song Save Your Life?” and “One Chance”, the biopic of Paul Potts, whom Corden plays. Arianda is on a similar trajectory after winning a Tony for her first Broadway play out of drama school, “Venus in Fur.” After supporting roles last year in “Win Win” and especially memorably in “Midnight in Paris”, Arianda will have her first shot at headlining a film with Sean Durkin’s “Joplin”, in which she’ll do her own singing of the late rock legend’s songs.

Hailee Steinfeld Joining Tommy Lee Jones’ “The Homesman”

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

She landed an Oscar nomination for her first Western and now Hailee Steinfeld is ready to head back to the frontier with Deadline reporting the “True Grit” actress has joined the cast of “The Homesman”, which Tommy Lee Jones co-wrote, will direct and star in. Meryl Streep, Hilary Swank, James Spader, John Lithgow and Tim Blake Nelson round out the all-star cast.

Jones, who co-wrote the script with Kieran Fitzgerald and Wesley Oliver, plays a man who teams up with a pioneer woman (Swank) to transport three insane women across the prairie and back into civilization. Steinfeld will play Tabitha Hutchinson, presumably one of the three women, who is a simple-minded, poor and barefoot teenager.

One of our Faces to Watch in 2013, Steinfeld has not been seen on the big screen since her feature film debut in the Coen Brothers’ “True Grit.” But this year we could see her in as many as four movies, starting with the sure thing: Gavin Hood’s adaptation of “Ender’s Game”, set for release in November. She’s also got Carlo Carlei’s new version of “Romeo and Juliet”, musical drama “Can a Song Save Your Life?” and romantic comedy “Hateship, Friendship” awaiting solid release dates.

First look at Abigail Breslin on the set of “August: Osage County” with Julia Roberts and Juliette Lewis

October 5, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Images Leave a comment

Filming is now underway on the highly anticipated and super star-studded big screen adaptation of Tracy Letts’ Pulitzer- and Tony-winning play stage play “August: Osage County”, and today we have our first look at at Abigail Breslin on the set, along with co-stars Juliette Lewis and Julia Roberts.

Letts’ play follows one dysfunctional family in Oklahoma over the course of several weeks one summer as they come together in the wake of the father’s disappearance and John Wells is currently directing his A-list cast in Oklahoma. Meryl Streep’s Violet is the pill-popping matriarch, while Roberts plays her oldest daughter Barbara, who’s separated from her husband. Lewis plays youngest daughter Karen, self-absorbed and willfully ignorant of the problems in her own life. Breslin’s Jean is 14 and already a pot-smoking rebel. The ladies are all dressed in black from head to toe in these first set photos, which seems to imply a funeral scene may be on the docket for this day of shooting. The cast also includes Ewan McGregor, Benedict Cumberbatch, Chris Cooper and Dermot Mulroney.

The first image of Breslin as Jean can be viewed below. Roberts fan website About Julia got the first snaps of the cast on set, and you can head over there for even more.

Nina Arianda, Anna Kendrick and more take part in reading of Rob Marshall’s “Into the Woods” musical adaptation

October 2, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 2 Comments

“Les Miserables” is on its way, and now “Into the Woods” is ready to follow in its footsteps. Director Rob Marshall has committed to filming the famous Stephen Sondhein Broadway musical for the big screen, and yesterday, Broadway World (via The Playlist) reports, a star-studded reading of the screenplay kicked things off.

The cast in attendance at yesterday’s reading, in alphabetical order, are: Nina Arianda as The Baker’s Wife; Christine Baranski as the Stepmother; Tammy Blanchard as Florinda; Victoria Clark as Cinderella’s Mother/Giant; James Corden as the Baker; David Garrison as the Narrator; Ivan Hernandez as the Wolf; Megan Hilty as Lucinda; Cheyenne Jackson as Rapunzel’s Prince; Allison Janney as Jack’s Mother; Anna Kendrick as Cinderella; Michael McGrath as the Steward/Baker’s Father; Donna Murphy as the Witch; Laura Osnes as Rapunzel; Taylor Trensch as Jack; Casey Whyland as Little Red Riding Hood; and Patrick Wilson as Cinderella’s Prince.

None of the actors are actually confirmed to be starring in the film itself just yet, though Broadway World reports one person who is in talks to star in the film – for the lead role of The Witch – is none other than Meryl Streep. If you ask us, the twisted fairy tale adaptation could do a lot worse than the cast Marshall put together for this reading.

Both Arianda and Kendrick are intriguing inclusions here, as both have Broadway experience and have been garnering more and more attention on the big screen. Kendrick scored a Tony nomination at the age of 12 for her role in musical “High Society”, and Arianda won the Tony just last year for “Venus in Fur.” Kendrick recently showed off her pipes in current a capella comedy “Pitch Perfect”, and Arianda will be doing some singing as Janis Joplin in biopic “Joplin” next year.

Abigail Breslin joins Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep in “August: Osage County”

July 20, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

Abigail Breslin will play Julia Roberts’ daughter in “August: Osage County”, according to Deadline. Meryl Streep plays the family matriarch and Juliette Lewis has also joined the cast (replacing Andrea Riseborough) of the big screen adaptation of Tracy Letts’ Pulitzer- and Tony-winning play.

Letts’ play follows one dysfunctional family in Oklahoma over the course of several weeks one summer as they come together in the wake of the father’s disappearance. Streep’s Violet is the pill-popping matriarch, while Roberts plays her oldest daughter Barbara, who’s separated from her husband. Lewis plays youngest daughter Karen, self-absorbed and willfully ignorant of the problems in her own life. Breslin’s Jean is 14 and already a pot-smoking rebel. John Wells will direct on location in Oklahoma this fall, and the rest of the large ensemble cast still needs to be assembled.

Breslin, one of the youngest Oscar nominees ever for her role in “Little Miss Sunshine” back in 2006, has had a somewhat patchy career since as she begins to traverse that awkward stage of transitioning from child to adult roles. She most recently appeared in Garry Marshall’s ensemble comedy “New Year’s Eve” and recently wrapped up a key supporting role in Gavin Hood’s adaptation of seminal sci-fi novel “Ender’s Game.” Indie flicks including horror “Final Girl” and comedy “Virgin Mary” are also on her horizon.

Andrea Riseborough set to join Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep in adaptation of Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning play “August: Osage County”

July 10, 2012 | Posted by Rebecca Lewis in Casting 1 Comment

Andrea Riseborough may still be a relative unknown but it’s looking more and more likely we’ll start to see her name everywhere. After turns in 2010 films “Never let Me Go” and “Made in Dagenham”, she spent 2011 promoting Madonna’s panned “W.E.“. But the British actress also signed on to some potential hits, including “Shadow Dancer” and “Welcome to the Punch”, both of which are set for release this year, and during the early months of 2012 won one of the lead roles in the Tom Cruise sci-fi flick “Oblivion” as well as joining smaller, indie film The Hidden with Alexander Skarsgard.

Now Britain’s Daily Mail (via Playlist) is reporting that Riseborough may be about to land her biggest role yet, working alongside Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts in John Wells’ adaptation of Tracy Lett’s Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning play “August: Osage County“.

The star is still in negotiations but if successful, Riseborough will be set to play Karen, Streep’s youngest daughter. The story “follows the women of the Weston family whose lives have splintered in many directions until their alcoholic father’s disappearance brings them back to their childhood home and to the dysfunctional woman who raised them”. Streep will play matriarch Violet, with Roberts set to play Barbara, the eldest daughter.

“August: Osage County” is currently looking to go into production in September, ready for an early 2013 release … just in time for awards season.

“The Artist” wins big with New York Film Critics; Jessica Chastain takes Best Supporting Actress

November 29, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Awards 1 Comment

“The Artist” is definitely the first big winner of Awards Season 2011. Following on the footsteps of leading the nominations for the Independent Spirit Awards, the New York Film Critics have just announced they have chosen the silent French film their Best Picture of the year, also naming Michel Hazanavicius Best Director. Indie flick “Margin Call”, which has seen a groundswell of support from bloggers who have seen it, also got a big surge by winning Best First Feature.

Meanwhile, one of our favorites, Jessica Chastain, has cemented her status as a major player by winning Best Supporting Actress for three of her performances this year: “The Tree of Life”, “Take Shelter” and “The Help.” The question now becomes which equally deserving performance other organizations who only allow one film per performer per category will choose to honor – and hope there is no vote-splitting.

Overall, it really was the year of the Pitt with “The Tree of Life” and “Moneyball” each taking major categories, and Brad Pitt himself winning Best Actor for both. Meryl Streep edged out the young upstarts by taking Best Actress for “The Iron Lady” while Albert Brooks was a surprise win for Best Supporting Actor for Nicolas Winding Refn’s ultra-violent actioner “Drive.”

Full list of winners below.

Newcomer Ben Rappaport to play Meryl Streep’s son in “Great Hope Springs”

September 8, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

An almost TV star is making a play for the big screen in a big way. Variety reports Ben Rappaport, star of ill-fated NBC comedy “Outsourced”, has been cast in “Great Hope Springs” as the son of an aging couple facing intimacy issues, played by Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones. Not bad for a 25 year old guy who’s only been on the industry’s radar for a year!

In the David Frankel directed comedy for Sony Pictures, Streep and Jones play “a long-married couple struggling with intimacy issues who receive an intense week of marriage and sex therapy from a famed relationship guru, to played by Steve Carell.”

Rappaport, a graduate of the drama department at Julliard, made his onscreen debut just a year ago in “Outsourced”, which saw him as the manager of a newly outsourced call center in India for an American novelties company. The show saw declining ratings and was not picked up for renewal after its full first season run. But it seems Rappaport is finding continued success, with Variety reporting he has already completed his big screen feature debut in the upcoming Michael Angarano-Juno Temple dark comedy “The Brass Teapot.”

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