Berenice Marlohe Replacing Diane Kruger to Join Anton Yelchin in “5 to 7″; Olivia Thirlby Also In

May 1, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

Diane Kruger is out, “Skyfall” Bond Girl Berenice Marlohe is in for indie romantic comedy “5 to 7″, according to Deadline. Frank Langella, Glenn Close, Olivia Thirlby and Lambert Wilson are also joining the cast, which is led by Anton Yelchin.

Yelchin will play a young aspiring writer in the Victor Levin scripted and directed film. He romances an older woman (Marlohe), the beautiful wife of a French diplomat, and “cultures, world views, personal ethics and dietary preferences clash as love deepens.” Filming had been slated for February, but will now, with cast finally in place, begin next month in New York.

Marlohe had worked steadily in France before landing a breakthrough role as Severeine in the latest Bond flick “Skyfall” opposite Daniel Craig. Like her fellow former Bond Girl Olga Kurylenko, she quickly found herself cast in a Terrence Malick film, the Texas-set musically themed one with Michael Fassbender, Ryan Gosling and Rooney Mara, though it’s too soon to tell if she will survive the editing room. Thirlby broke out alongside Ellen Page in “Juno” and was last seen remake “Dredd 3D.”

Zoe Kazan, Analeigh Tipton and more vying to join Taylor Swift in female rocker biopic “Girls Like Us”

September 22, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 2 Comments

A plethora of rising young actresses are lining up for the chance to star in a biopic of three of the most influential women in music. Country singer Taylor Swift is already attached to the role of Joni Mitchell in “Girls Like Us”, and now Variety reports actresses are being auditioned for the remaining two roles of Carole King and Carly Simon.

For the role of King, filmmakers are reading actresses Analeigh Tipton, Allison Williams and Jessica Pare; while Alison Pill, Olivia Thirlby, Zoe Kazan and Ari Graynor are up for the role of Simon. When Swift became attached to the project, Pill was already in consideration for the role of Simon, but it appears she’s got it far less locked up than Swift. Variety also warns this project is in the exploratory stage, with casting needing to be firmed up – and the chemistry between the three leads passing muster – before it gets the green light at Sony Pictures.

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.

Amanda Seyfried, Aaron Paul, Olivia Thirlby, Joel Edgerton, many more headed for Sundance

November 30, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in General News 6 Comments

It’s that time of year again. The 2012 Sundance Film Festival has unveiled its competition line-up for next January’s festivities and as always, plenty of young up and comers will be represented in films that could propel them to another level in their career. Just ask Ryan Gosling, Ellen Page, Carey Mulligan and Jennifer Lawrence how Sundance has changed their lives.

Of course, it will be impossible to predict who will eventually become the next Mulligan or Lawrence or this year’s trifecta of Elizabeth Olsen/Felicity Jones/Brit Marling. Only the indefinable festival “buzz” can solidify that come January. At this very early stage, we can only earmark and be on the look out for the films that star some names already familiar to us, like “For Ellen” starring Paul Dano and Jena Malone, “The First Time” with Britt Robertson, “Smashed” starring Aaron Paul, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Octavia Spencer, just to name a few. There’s also the World Cinema Dramatic Competition, an early standout hailing from Australia in the form of “Wish You Were Here” starring Joel Edgerton and Teresa Palmer.

Be sure to check back for frequent updates on the festival from now through January, one notable being the announcement of who will be part of this year’s 7 Fresh Faces to watch. Looks like last year’s list missed the mark outside of Felicity Jones, will this year’s fare better? The first set of films announced are listed below.

Watch: Emile Hirsch and Olivia Thirlby vs. invisible aliens in first “The Darkest Hour” trailer

August 3, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Videos Leave a comment

If you’re young and hot and partying in some exotic location in a movie, you know you’re in trouble. Do kids ever go on vacation in a foreign country without running into some situation that leaves them bloody and running for their lives? While others have encountered rich guys with torture fantasies and human organ traffickers, the kids in “The Darkest Hour” run into something a little more alien. Emile Hirsch, Olivia Thirlby, Rachael Taylor and Max Minghella are four friends on a dream vacation in Moscow, but a night of partying goes south when orbs of light descend from the skies and immediately begin sucking up the earth’s electricity and killing every person that gets close enough to touch them.

Though the aliens and special effects look a bit childish and non-threatening from what we’ve seen, being glowing spheres of orange light and all, it’s still a nice change from the usual robot/giant bug model used by nearly every other alien invasion movie. Will the movie live up to its promise of “highlighting the classic beauty of Moscow alongside mind-blowing special effects from the minds of visionary filmmaker Timur Bekmambetov (‘Wanted,’ ‘Night Watch’) and director Chris Gorak”?

“The Darkest Hour” opens in theaters on December 23, 2011.

First Look: Emile Hirsch tries to escape “The Darkest Hour” in first still from alien invasion flick

July 20, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Images Leave a comment

Emile Hirsch doesn’t look to be enjoying the gorgeous sights of Moscow too much in our first look at alien invasion thriller “The Darkest Hour”, thanks to Coming Soon. Hirsch looks appropriately dirty and terrified for a young man under attack from monsters, hiding from an unseen assailant while the tranquil beauty of the Saint Basil’s Cathedral looks on, untouched in the background.

Olivia Thirlby, Max Minghella and Rachael Taylor co-star alongside Hirsch in the film about five young people who become stranded in Moscow and try to survive in the aftermath of a devastating alien attack. Summit Entertainment also stresses “the 3D action thriller highlights the classic beauty of Moscow alongside mind-blowing special effects from the minds of visionary filmmaker Timur Bekmambetov (‘Wanted,’ ‘Night Watch’) and director Chris Gorak.”

“The Darkest Hour” opens in theaters on December 23, 2011. Click below for the full resolution still.

Emile Hirsch joins Penelope Cruz in Sarajevo drama “Twice Born”

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

More news from Cannes! Screen Daily have confirmed that Emile Hirsch has signed on to play opposite Penelope Cruz in Twice Born.

Based on the book “Venuto Al Mondo” by Margaret Mazzantini, the film will be directed by Sergio Castellitto, who has also adapted the novel for the screen. The story follows “a woman who returns to Sarajevo with her son in tow and revisits the tumultuous past she shared with his late father.”

After a quiet couple of years, Hirsch‘s resume is beginning to see new life, as both Killer Joe with Matthew McConaughey and The Darkest Hour with fellow up and comers Olivia Thirlby and Max Minghella are now in post production, and filming is currently underway on The Motel Life, starring Dakota Fanning and Stephen Dorff.

Next up for Hirsch is a role in the eagerly anticipated Savages alongside Blake Lively, Taylor Kitsch and Aaron Johnson, before filming on Twice Born begins in September.

“Nobody Walks” with John Krasinski and Olivia Thirlby

April 20, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

John Krasinski and Olivia Thirlby have joined the cast of “Nobody Walks”, reports Variety. Rosemarie DeWitt also stars in the indie drama directed by Ry Russo-Young from a script by breakout indie sensation Lena Dunham, who recently won the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay for “Tiny Furniture”.

The film takes place over the course of one week as a Los Angeles family takes a charismatic artist into their home and end up having their lives turned upside down. It is slated to begin filming at the end of May in Los Angeles.

Krasinski narrowly missed out on being “Captain America”, and will next be seen in rom-com “Something Borrowed”. He recently wrapped the seventh season of “The Office” and feature “Everybody Loves Whales” opposite Drew Barrymore. Thirlby is a staple on the indie scene, recently wrapping an adaptation of “Judge Dredd” and currently filming “Another Bullshit Night in Suck City” opposite Paul Dano. She’ll next be seen on the big screen in alien invasion flick “The Darkest Hour” opposite Emile Hirsch.

Olivia Thirlby to have “Another Bullshit Night in Suck City” with Paul Dano

March 3, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

Olivia Thirlby has joined the cast of “Another Bullshit Night in Suck City”, the Nick Flynn memoir adapted and to be directed by Paul Weitz for Focus Features. Deadline also reports that a title change is imminent, for perhaps obvious reasons.

Paul Dano and Robert DeNiro star in the indie drama about the unconventional relationship between father and son. Dano is Flynn, a poet working at a homeless shelter, who crosses paths often with his ex-con, alcoholic father, wandering around Boston aimlessly. Soon Flynn begins downward spiraling himself as the antics of his father drive him to hopelessness, almost landing on the streets. Thirlby will play Dano’s love interest who helps him land the job at the shelter. Filming starts today in New York City.

Thirlby, one of our favorite up and comers but criminally underused, recently wrapped the female lead in “Judge Dredd” and sci-fi actioner “The Darkest Hour” opposite Emile Hirsch. Dano is one of 413 actors up for the lead in “The Bourne Legacy” and will next reunite with the “Little Miss Sunshine” team on “He Loves Me”, co-written by real life girlfriend Zoe Kazan.

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