British actor Robert Emms to play Insect Man in “Kick-Ass 2″

August 21, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

Aaron Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Chloe Moretz are about to get a new superhero sidekick. Deadline reports British rising star Robert Emms has been tapped to play the role of Insect Man in “Kick Ass 2″, the sequel to Matthew Vaughn’s 2010 comic book adaptation.

Jeff Wadlow takes over the directing chair from Vaughn on the sequel, since the original director will be too busy prepping an early 2013 shoot for the “X-Men: First Class” sequel. In the 2010 film based on the comic book of the same name by by Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr, Johnson played Dave Lizewski, an ordinary teenager and comic book fan who decides to become a real life superhero, giving himself the moniker Kick-Ass. He was aided by the foul-mouthed and highly trained Hit-Girl, played by Moretz. Emms’ Insect Man is a cop by day, but chooses street justice in his off-time since the law can’t take care of everything, as we well know from every action movie ending with sirens being heard only after the bad guy has been neutralized. Lyndsy Fonseca is also returning for the sequel, and a September shoot is scheduled.

Emms made his feature film debut only last year, in Roland Emmerich’s Shakespearean actioner “Anonymous”, and also had roles in Tarsem Singh’s Snow White redo “Mirror Mirror” opposite Armie Hammer, as well as Steven Spielberg’s “War Horse” opposite Jeremy Irvine. He also starred in British indie “Broken” opposite Cillian Murphy.

Armie Hammer and Teresa Palmer take on crime thriller “Cut Bank”

April 24, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

Two of our favorite up and comers are joining forces, as Deadline reports Armie Hammer and Teresa Palmer have signed on to star in indie crime thriller “Cut Bank.” They will be joined by an impressive cast that also includes Sir Ben Kingsley, John Malkovich and Michael Sheen.

Matt Shakman will make his feature directorial debut on the project from a 2009 Black List script by Roberto Patino. Hammer will play Dwayne McLaren, a small town auto mechanic in Cut Bank, Montana, who will do anything to get out of his tiny town, which sets into motion “a series of events that will change his life, and the life of Cut Bank, forever.” Filming will begin in the fall and filmmakers will be selling the project at the Cannes Film Festival next month.

“The Social Network” breakout star Hammer is currently on location with director Gore Verbinski and star Johnny Depp as he plays the titular role in “The Lone Ranger”, and is also attached to revenge thriller “By Virtue Fall” opposite Eric Bana. Palmer recently appeared in Sundance hit “Wish You Were Here” opposite Joel Edgerton and has zombie romance “Warm Bodies” with Nicholas Hoult and Vietnam war drama “AWOL” with Liam Hemsworth awaiting release.

Lily Collins and Logan Lerman join indie family drama “Writers” with Jennifer Connelly and Greg Kinnear

March 6, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 3 Comments

Back in January Greg Kinnear and Jennifer Connelly signed on to headline indie family drama “Writers”, playing exes and parents, and now it looks like their children may have been found. Variety reports that Lily Collins and Logan Lerman are the new additions to the cast, along with Nat Wolff, Liana Liberato and Kristen Bell and even a cameo from novelist Stephen King. “Writers”, indeed. Josh Boone wrote and will make his directorial debut on the film.

“Writers” is touted to be a “funny and touching tale of a fractured family trying to rediscover one another over the course of a tumultuous year.” Kinnear is the successful novelist and Connelly plays his ex-wife. Collins plays their college student daughter, studying writing herself, who is pursued by a fellow aspiring writer (Lerman). Connelly and Kinnear have another son, who is a teen, so Wolff may presumably play him. King will cameo as – who else? – himself, and no word on who the other new additions will be playing. Filming is set to begin on March 12 in North Carolina.

Collins will be seen later this month as Snow White in revisionist fairy tale “Mirror Mirror” opposite Armie Hammer and recently wrapped up shooting on indie dramedy “The English Teacher” opposite Michael Angarano and Julianne Moore. She’s also in talks to play Juliet in comedy “Rosaline” and will will test for the female lead in Akiva Goldsman’s sci fi epic “Winter’s Tale” next week as well. Lerman will soon be seen in the highly anticipated adaptation of “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”, and will return for “Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters”, reprising his role from the original Greek myth teen novel adaptation.

Juliet switcheroo comes full circle: Lily Collins replaces Hailee Steinfeld in “Rosaline”

February 23, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 2 Comments

Now this is what we call coming full circle. Hailee Steinfeld and Lily Collins have pulled a complete Juliet switcheroo on us and Variety is reporting it is Collins, not Steinfeld, who is now in negotiations to play Juliet in revisionist romantic comedy “Rosaline”, which retells the famous Shakespearean classic from the point of view of the young woman Romeo claimed to have been in love with at the beginning of the story – right before falling in love at first sight with the fair Capulet. As previously reported, Deoborah Ann Woll is still on track to being the titular Rosaline, while Dave Franco is still likely to be Romeo.

But the Steinfeld/Collins Juliet saga is where it gets interesting. Bear with us, because it’s kind of a long and convoluted timeline that led us to this new development. Almost a year ago, Steinfeld replaced Collins in Carlo Carlei’s new adaptation of Shakespearean classic “Romeo and Juliet”, which is now filming in Italy. A few months later, Collins was rumored to be a strong contender for “Rosaline” – but in the titular role, not as Juliet. Instead, a couple of months later Woll, Franco and Steinfeld entered talks for “Rosaline” instead, with Steinfeld apparently and inexplicably keen to play Juliet in two different movies. In any case, it seemed like that would be the end of Collins’ possible associations with that particular Shakespearean tale, and with playing casting musical chairs with Steinfeld. Evidently not! Is this the end of the road? Will Collins finally be playing Juliet after all? We hope so, but as Variety reports, talks are still in the early stages.

Collins, daughter of Phil Collins, made her big screen debut in 2009′s Sandra Bullock Oscar contender “The Blind Side” and has been on an upward swinging career trajectory ever since. She headlines Tarsem Singh’s Snow White redo “Mirror Mirror” in March and has long been attached to the lead in potential teen genre franchise “The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones.” She recently completed work opposite Michael Anagarano and Julianne Moore in indie dramedy “The English Teacher.”

Watch: New look at Lily Collins and Armie Hammer in Tarsem Singh’s Snow White tale “Mirror Mirror”

January 25, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Videos 1 Comment

So, we were pretty hard on the first trailer for Tarsem Singh’s Snow White film “Mirror Mirror” and honestly, it seemed like maybe Relativity Media were starting to have doubts as well, since it’s been a few months since that release and there’s been nary a peep from the movie til now, even though it releases in less than two months. The jokes seem somewhat toned down (or better hidden) in the new trailer/behind-the-scenes clip, with an emphasis on Lily Collins and the “modernized” Snow White she embodies, but we are still eyeing this one with some suspicion. Armie Hammer acting like a puppy is just a step too far beyond ridiculous for our tastes.

The clip debuted on Parents Connect, perhaps an indication we are a bit older than the target audience for the movie, and are judging it too harshly. Or maybe it really sucks, who knows? Find out if “Mirror Mirror”, err, lives up to its trailers, on March 16, 2012.

Lily Collins: from Snow White to drug addict in “Evil Dead” remake

January 4, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

Looks like Lily Collins is getting to that stage in her career where she wants to start distancing herself from that kid-friendly, good-girl image that’s made her a rapidly rising star in the last couple of years. Bloody Disgusting reports the actress is the first to sign on to the remake of Sam Raimi horror classic “Evil Dead”, and she will be playing an ex-drug addict whose past erratic behavior makes her something of an unreliable “girl who cried demonic monsters” to her friends.

Raimi wrote the script for the new take on his original film, and this time five friends – David, Natalie, Eric, Olivia, and Mia – vacation in a remote cabin in the woods and discover a Book of the Dead, which unleashes an evil demonic force that possesses each of them until only one is left to survive. David and Natalie are engaged, while Collins’ Mia is an ex-drug addict hoping to detox in the cabin. Olivia is her best friend while Eric is the one who unleashes the demons upon the group. Collins’ Mia is recovering from a recent overdose and has trouble convincing people when she begins seeing weird stuff again this time around. Diablo Cody did revisions on the script and Fede Alvarez will direct.

Armie Hammer joining revenge thriller “By Virtue Fall” opposite Eric Bana

December 7, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

Dashing, princely, nice guy Armie Hammer will take a turn for the dark side next year, according to Deadline. The “Social Network” star has signed on to play the lead role in “By Virtue Fall”, the revenge thriller directorial debut of Sheldon Turner, who co-wrote the Oscar-nominated “Up in the Air” with Jason Reitman. Hammer will star opposite Eric Bana, who had previously been cast as the film’s villain.

Hammer, in a storyline that’s starting to sound familiar, stars as an ATF agent who is framed on a corruption charge and sent to a maximum security federal prison. There, in order to survive, he “becomes a badass” and emerges a new man, determined to get revenge on the person who was responsible for his false imprisonment, his former partner (Bana).

The role will be quite a departure for Hammer, who broke out in a big way when be played privileged, arrogant twins in David Fincher’s modern masterpiece “The Social Network.” This year he starred as longtime confidant, right hand man and possible lover to Leonardo DiCaprio’s “J. Edgar”, Clyde Tolson, and will really show off that Princely presence in next year’s horrific looking Snow White retelling, “Mirror Mirror.” Hammer will shoot “By Virtue Fall” in summer/fall 2012, after he completes work on the title role in Gore Verbinksi’s “The Lone Ranger”, in which he stars opposite Johnny Depp as Tonto.

Watch: Lily Collins and Armie Hammer can’t save the awful first trailer for “Mirror Mirror”

November 15, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Videos 13 Comments

The first trailer for “Mirror Mirror” has arrived, and… oy. The combined puppy dog charms of Lily Collins and Armie Hammer aren’t enough to overcome an especially grating Julia Roberts, disappointingly limp costumes and sets and dialogue full of puns so terrible I can’t even make a pun here to clever this sentence up. We were rooting for your Snow White movie, Tarsem Singh (even, at times, over that other one), but why are you making it so hard?

Looks like Tarsem and Co. were aiming for family-friendly comedy adventure and overshot it by about a mile. A beautiful and charming Collins seems well cast, as does the dashing Hammer, except for when he’s made to act ridiculous (which is, unfortunately, more often than not) and the two do provide some moments of genuine likeability, but they are way too easily overrun by Roberts’ Evil Queen, who’s looking like the least funny funny character that’s come along in a great while. Upside? While a certain other Snow White is looking to be greatly overshadowed by her Evil Queen, Collins should have no problem coming off as the bright spot and highlight here.

“Mirror Mirror” opens on March 16, 2012, three months before “Snow White and the Huntsman.” So, you know, it has that going for it.

Up and Comers Podcast #4: “The Hunger Games”, dueling Snow Whites and TV actors turned movie stars

November 15, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge and Rebecca Lewis in Podcast 6 Comments

Thank you for joining us again if you listened to our earlier podcasts or if you are new to the program, welcome! Once a week, Linda and Rebecca will take to the internet airwaves to discuss a variety of subjects, including all the latest news, movies we’ve seen recently, the Oscar season and more topics that interest us (or you! Please send us your suggestions for topics to talk about).

• 00:00 – 28:40 – We discuss some of the big news that broke over the past week or so, including that awesome “The Hunger Games” trailer; Jeremy Irvine as Pip in “Great Expectations”; “The Host” casting its two male leads and more.

• 28:45 – 33:20 – A couple of Oscar tidbits/updates; could two of our favorite “longshots” – Melissa McCarthy (“Bridesmaids”) and Mia Wasikowska (“Jane Eyre”) – be back in the race?

• 33:20 – 43:40 – We discuss Sundance hit “Another Earth” in depth, INCLUDING (from 35:05 – 38:40) SPECIFIC SPOILERS REGARDING THE ENDING. Please skip this section if you have not seen the film and do not wish to know, in great detail, how it ends.

• 43:40 – 48:15 – Linda discusses, briefly and without spoilers, “Haywire”, “Shame”, “The Adventures of Tin Tin” and “The Kid with a Bike”

• 48:15 – END – In depth discussion about actors who star on currently running TV shows and mapping out a pretty solid movie career at the same time. We discuss Blake Lively and her “Gossip Girl” co-stars, the young risings stars of HBO over on “True Blood” and “Game of Thrones” like Alexander Skarsgard, Dane DeHaan, Kit Harington and more.

Podcast: Play in new window
| Download

Watch: Enchantment and warfare mingle in “Snow White and the Huntsman” trailer

November 10, 2011 | Posted by Lindsey Young in Images, Videos 1 Comment

Following the new poster of “Snow White and the Huntsman,” Universal has released a full length trailer of their adaptation of the classic tale, as well as an additional poster featuring an armored Kristen Stewart in the title role of Snow White. The new poster mirrors the earlier promo shot of Stewart released the past summer, but she’s now accompanied by her seven (soldier) dwarfs. In the almost two minute glimpse into the film, we’re finally treated to real-life action that mixes magical warfare and intrigue. Judging by the trailer, the film looks like it’ll include mostly all of the traditional elements of the tale, give or take. Incorporated into trailer is the classic “Mirror Mirror” line, which coincidentally was recently announced as the official title of Tarsem Singh’s Snow White film that’s also due for release next year.

The Queen as depicted by Charlize Theron dominates the trailer and although the character has always been known as a cruel and jealous dictator, here she’s shown as way more malicious and domineering in her quest to be “the fairest of them all. The film’s two title characters also make appearances, but really nothing beyond quick flashes of wielding weapons and riding horses. Stewart’s Snow White, who has no speaking lines in the trailer, doesn’t appear to do much else besides fleeing or gazing around at the pretty and/or scary sights. Meanwhile, Chris Hemsworth is looking very Thor-like as the huntsman. Sam Claflin as the Prince also makes a brief, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appearance. Although the poster this past week hinted at a bit more of a fantastical element to the story, the trailer indicates that perhaps the story truly is as dark and brooding as that forest Snow White hangs out in.

Medieval playground or enchanted battlefield, we’re not entirely sure yet. The trailer and the posters all proudly state that the film comes from the producer of Disney’s Alice in Wonderland, so perhaps Universal is hoping to target that same audience. We’ll find out next summer when the film hits theatres!

Via ComingSoon.net, view the trailer and the posters below:

mirror mirror