“The Hunger Games” tribute Dayo Okeniyi joins indie “The Spectacular Now” and gambling drama “Runner Runner”

July 19, 2012 | Posted by Rebecca Lewis in Casting 1 Comment

As casting for the sequel to “The Hunger Games”, “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” gets underway, the young actors who didn’t make it to the end of the first Games are beginning to make their own odds in Hollywood.

Dayo Okeniyi is the latest tribute to find life after the arena, with THR reporting that the Nigerian actor will be joining the cast of two Hollywood flicks – indie coming-of-age drama “The Spectacular Now” and the gambling drama “Runner Runner” starring Justin Timberlake.

In “The Spectacular Now”, Miles Teller stars as party-hard high school senior Sutter Keely, who has no ambitions beyond high school except to have as much fun as possible. When he wakes up on a random front lawn and meets shy, introverted Aimee – to be played by Shailene Woodley – she begins to turn his world upside down as he does hers. Based on the award winning novel by Tim Tharp, the film will be directed by James Ponsoldt and also stars Brie Larson.

In the Brad Furman-helmed “Runner Runner“, Okeniyi will be joining Timberlake, Ben Affleck, Oliver Cooper, Anthony Mackie and Gemma Arterton as a Princeton PhD student. The film follows two friends (Timberlake and Cooper) who get drawn in to the shadier side of gambling after being hired by Affleck’s billionaire online gambling business owner. Trouble soon comes in the form of Mackie’s FBI agent, who has been tracking Affleck for years. Arterton plays Timberlake’s love interest and filming is already underway in Puerto Rico.

“Project X” breakout Oliver Cooper joins “A Film By Alan Stuart Eisner”

June 7, 2012 | Posted by Rebecca Lewis in Casting Leave a comment

Oliver Cooper is definitely a rising star to watch!

After breaking out in the critically panned but commercially loved x-rated teen comedy “Project X“, the young thesp has signed on to several big projects including playing Justin Timberlake‘s college pal in gambling drama “Runner Runner”, and partying alongside Taylor Lautner as frat boys in the “Grown Ups 2″, the sequel to the 2010 comedy hit.

Now Deadline reports that the actor has joined Hollywood legends Robin Williams and Shirley MacLaine in ensemble comedy “A Film By Alan Stuart Eisner“.

The film follows a young documentary filmmaker (presumably Cooper), who has a “burning desire to bring his family’s amazing and bizarre World War II history to the screen.”

Andy Bergman, who hasn’t directed a feature film since 2000′s “Isn’t She Great“, is set to sit in the director’s chair. Bergman also penned the script.

“Parks and Recs” scene-stealer joins Timberlake, Mackie and Arterton in gambling drama “Runner Runner”

June 6, 2012 | Posted by Rebecca Lewis in Casting 1 Comment

“Runner Runner” is shaping up to be one heck of a film. Justin Timberlake and Ben Affleck jumped on board back in April, before being quickly joined by “Project X” breakout star Oliver Cooper, Anthony Mackie and Gemma Arterton. Now THR reports that Ben Schwartz has joined the cast.

Schwartz has been working for years but it’s only in the last few years that he has began to make a name for himself, recently as the scene-stealer Jean-Ralphio in NBC’s hit “Parks and Recreation”. He is currently filming “Better Living Through Chemistry” with Olivia Wilde.

“Runner Runner”, directed by “The Lincoln Lawyer”‘s Brad Furman is set to begin filming this summer in Pureto Rico, and follows two friends (Timberlake and Cooper) who get drawn in to the shadier side of gambling after being hired by Affleck’s billionaire online gambling business owner. Trouble soon comes in the form of Mackie’s FBI agent, who has been tracking Affleck for years. Arterton plays Timberlake’s love interest.

Gemma Arterton takes female lead in “Runner Runner” opposite Justin Timberlake and Ben Affleck

May 30, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

British actress Gemma Arterton will romance Justin Timberlake in online gambling thriller “Runner Runner”, according to Variety. Ben Affleck, Anthony Mackie and “Project X” star Oliver Cooper also star in the Brad Furman directed film.

Timberlake and Cooper play a couple of Ivy League college students who get drawn into the world of online gambling and find themselves in over their heads when they’re hired to work for Affleck’s shady billionaire online gambling business owner. Filming begins late June in Puerto Rico, with Mackie in the role of an FBI agent who’s been trying to take down Affleck for years, and Arterton as Timberlake’s love interest.

Arterton was last seen on the big screen in the charming and underrated British comedy “Tamara Drewe” and recently wrapped up “Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters” opposite Jeremy Renner and “Song for Marion.” She’ll next be seen opposite Saoirse Ronan in Neil Jordan’s vampire epic “Byzantium” and is attached to play one half of comedic duo “The Wright Girls.”

Jennifer Lawrence’s “Games” rival Alexander Ludwig joins the cast of “Grown Ups 2″

May 24, 2012 | Posted by Rebecca Lewis in Casting 3 Comments

“The Hunger Games” may have truly made a Hollywood star out of Jennifer Lawrence, but the other supporting actors are now looking to capatalise on the film’s success by paving their own way. Variety today reports that Alexander Ludwig, who starred opposite Lawrence as bad guy Cato, has joined the cast of “Grown Ups 2“.

The sequel to 2010 comedy, “Grown Ups 2″ stars Adam Sandler, Kevin James, David Spade, Chris Rock and Salma Hayek, and Ludwig will star as Spade’s son. In recent months Taylor Lautner and “Project X” star Oliver Cooper have joined the cast as frat boys who challenge the original films stars. The film has already started filming in Massachusetts, with Dennis Dugan in the director’s chair again.

Ludwig originally auditioned for the role of Peeta, Katniss’s rival, partner and love interest in the Games, but lost out to Josh Hutcherson.

Anthony Mackie to gamble with Justin Timberlake in thriller “Runner Runner”

May 17, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

Anthony Mackie has joined the cast of online gambling thriller “Runner Runner”, according to Deadline.

Justin Timberlake, Ben Affleck and “Project X” breakout star Oliver Cooper have already been cast in the Brad Furman film about a couple of Ivy League college students (Timberlake and Cooper) who get drawn into the world of online gambling and find themselves in over their heads when they’re hired to work for Affleck’s shady billionaire online gambling business owner. Filming begins next month in Puerto Rico, with Mackie in the role of an FBI agent who’s been trying to take down Affleck for years.

After breaking out in Kathryn Bigelow’s Best Picture Oscar winner “The Hurt Locker” opposite Jeremy Renner, Mackie has been increasingly in demand, appearing in four movies in 2011 and set to have an even bigger 2012, with “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” set for release next month and Ruben Fleischer’s “Gangster Squad” recently bumped up to a September 7th release. He’s currently filming bodybuilder heist actioner “Pain and Gain” opposite Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson.

“Project X” partygoer Oliver Cooper to get in even more trouble with Justin Timberlake in thriller “Runner Runner”

May 15, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 2 Comments

Oliver Cooper, who played the instigator of the out of control house party in “Project X”, is set to get himself in even deeper as EW reports he has joined the cast of online gambling thriller “Runner Runner” opposite Justin Timberlake and Ben Affleck.

In the Brad Furman directed flick, Timberlake plays Richie Furst, an Ivy Leaguer who gets drawn into the world of online gambling in order to pay for his expensive Princeton education. Cooper will play a fellow student and computer nerd who Furst gets hired alongside by Affleck’s Ivan Block, a billionaire with an internet gambling company that may be a lot shadier than it first appears. “He’s kind of the young guy in this crazy world,” Cooper tells EW of his character. “He really represents the innocence of someone who would get into gambling.” Filming is set to begin in June on location in Puerto Rico.

Cooper made his feature acting debut in “Project X” just a few months ago, and has already started lining up more roles. In addition to “Runner Runner”, he will also star opposite Taylor Lautner as a couple of frat guys who challenge Adam Sandler, Kevin James and Co. in “Grown Ups 2″, the sequel to the 2010 comedy hit.

Watch: Thomas Mann throws the party to end all parties in first trailer for Todd Phillips produced “Project X”

November 2, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Videos Leave a comment

Stick to what you know seems to be the mantra of Todd Phillips, director of “The Hangover”, “Old School” and other similarly themed guys-partying-too-hard films. To his credit, all of them tend to score big time at the box office, so why fix what’s not broken, right? Though he’s only a producer on new found footage party pic “Project X”, Philips’ name – and the names of the aforementioned box office smashes – are all over the first trailer. A brand new, conspicuously younger face leads the partying masses this time, as rising star Thomas Mann takes advantage of a parent-free weekend to throw the biggest high school house party anyone’s ever seen. Of course, things quickly spiral out of control and before you know it, there are SWAT teams and flamethrowers involved.

Celebrate bad behavior when “Project X” releases in theaters on March 23, 2012 and don’t worry, the “Hangover” crew know full well that audiences are not quite sick of partying youngsters just yet. Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, who wrote both installments, are hard at work filming, as we speak, on the very similarly themed “21 and Over.”

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