Dominic Cooper replaces Clive Owen in “Cities”, may leave “Motor City” behind

February 13, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 2 Comments

Looks like conquering “Motor City” just isn’t enough for Dominc Cooper, who’s setting his sights on something more global, as Variety reports the busy and rising actor has replaced Clive Owen in international thriller “Cities”. The new casting could call into question Cooper’s previous commitment to “Motor City”, the ambitious dialogue-free revenge thriller he was slated to star in opposite Amber Heard.

Cooper will join Orlando Bloom, Kirsten Dunst and Anil Kapoor in “Cities” for director Roger Donaldson, which will tell “stories of characters around the globe, including a New York hedge fund manager, a Mumbai police officer and a couple who are house-hunting in London” in the months leading up to the Dow Jones stock market high. Filming will begin this spring in London, Mumbai and New York.

Cooper is currently filming romantic drama “Summer in February” with Emily Browning and appeared in several of 2011′s biggest movies, including superhero blockbuster “Captain America: The First Avenger”, Sundance hit “The Devil’s Double” and current awards contender “My Week with Marilyn.” He’ll next be seen as Abe’s vampire mentor Henry Sturgess in “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter”, which just released a pretty epic first trailer.

Dakota Fanning and Tom Sturridge replace Saoirse Ronan and Orlando Bloom in “Effie”

August 16, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 4 Comments

Last November, Saoirse Ronan was announced to be taking on the title role in Emma Thompson-penned period romantic drama “Effie”, but as is often the case in long-gestating projects, Ronan, along with co-star Orlando Bloom, has moved on. Deadline reports Dakota Fanning is now in negotiations for the part vacated by Ronan, and British up and comer Tom Sturridge will replace Bloom as her love interest.

Thompson, director Richard Laxton and actor Greg Wise remain on board. The film tells the story of Effie Gray, who marries a much older man, John Ruskin, only to fall in love with and run away with his more age-appropriate protege, the painter John Everett Millais. Sturridge will be Millais and Wise, Ruskin. Julie Walters, Derek Jacobi and Edward Fox have also joined the new cast. The film will begin production soon with the hope of having its world premiere at the 2012 Venice Film Festival.

Fanning recently took a short hiatus from work to finish high school, but has been back on the job with a vengeance. She recently completed work on gritty drama “The Motel Life”, jewelry heist thriller “Mississippi Wild” and is currently filming angsty teen drama “Now is Good” opposite “War Horse” star Jeremy Irvine. Sturridge is part of the impressive ensemble cast of Walter Salles’ adaptation of “On the Road” and will next star opposite Jeremy Irons in pre-WWI family drama “The Tree House”.

Greta Gerwig to star in “Lola Versus” while Orlando Bloom in final negotiations.

May 2, 2011 | Posted by Lindsey Young in Casting Leave a comment

An exclusive report from Variety announces that Greta Gerwig (“Arthur”) is set to star in Fox’s romcom “Lola Versus“. Meanwhile, Orlando Bloom is close to sealing a deal to star alongside Gerwig.

“Lola Versus” tells the story of a young woman (Gerwig) who is dumped by her college sweetheart a mere few weeks before they are set to wed. The break-up results in a journey of self discovery for Gerwig’s character as she struggles to find her place as an independent woman before she turns 30. All in all, it sounds like your typical soul-searching chick flick. No specific details yet on what role Bloom is in talks to play, whether he’s the runaway fiancé or the new guy who will undoubtedly help her on her quest.

Daryl Wein will direct the film, with a screenplay written by Wein & Zoe Lister-Jones. Jones will also co-star in the film. Production is scheduled to start in June in New York.

New Stills from “The Three Musketeers 3D”

January 20, 2011 | Posted by Tamara Manne in Images 1 Comment

Here are three new stills from Paul W. S. Anderson’s The Three Musketeers 3D, starring Ray Stevensen, Matthew Macfayden, and Luke Evans as the musketeers. Also seen in the stills is now nineteen-year-old Logan Lerman as D’artagnan.

Oscar winner Christoph Waltz is Cardinal Richelieu, Milla Jovovich, who worked with Anderson in the Resident Evil franchise, portrays M’lady De Winter, and Orlando Bloom, after barely laying down his Pirates of the Caribbean sword, picks up another one as the musketeers’ arch-nemesis The Duke of Buckingham.

This 3D action adventure will be released to theaters in October of this year.
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Aaron Johnson replaces Orlando Bloom in “Albert Nobbs”

December 6, 2010 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

The revolving doors on the cast of Glenn Close’s “Albert Nobbs” continues as The Playlist confirms Aaron Johnson will be joining the cast, most likely replacing Orlando Bloom. Just recently Mia Wasikowska replaced Amanda Seyfried in the role of Helen. A passion project that Close co-wrote is producing and also starring in, the 19th century drama about a woman who must pretend to be a man in order to survive is set to begin filming in and around Dublin any day now. Rodrigo Garcia is directing. Veteran actor Michael Gambon was also attached at one point but it remains to be seen if he will stay with the production or be replaced as well.

Johnson is one of the most in demand young actors of the moment following his break-out role in “Kick-Ass” and the indie critical darling “Nowhere Boy”. “Kick-Ass 2″ is officially a go, he was a “Spider-Man” and “X-Men” finalist, and is still on the shortlist to play the lead in Bryan Singer’s “Jack the Giant Killer”. Sidenote, it’s great to see indie actors like Johnson and Wasikowska straddling the fence between being indie actors and being sought for and in turn accepting high profile studio projects. The attempt to blend art and entertainment in films of all sizes is something that benefits the entire moviegoing community.

Mia Wasikowska replaces Amanda Seyfriend in “Albert Nobbs”?

November 15, 2010 | Posted by Rebecca Lewis in Casting 1 Comment

Earlier this year, it was announced that Amanda Seyfried, along with Jonathan Rhys Meyer, Glenn Close, Orlando Bloom and Michael Gambon, would be starring in Rodrigo Garcia’s “Albert Nobbs”, a drama, “featuring Close as a woman in Nineteenth Century Ireland who disguises herself as a man in order to survive”.

Not anymore, according to Bleeding Cool, who have announced that Mia Wasikowski, star of Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland”, has replaced her in the role of Helen.
Wasikowski starred in Garcia’s “In Treatment” in 2008, a role which many see as her breakout role in the US.

No news on why Seyfried is no longer available, but Bleeding Cool are also stating that Meyer, Bloom and Gambon are all no longer on the casting notice, so perhaps scheduling conflicts for all four?
Filming is due to start on December 13th in Ireland.

Saoirse Ronan to play title role in “Effie”

November 3, 2010 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

At only 16 years old, Saoirse Ronan might be one of the hardest working actresses in Hollywood. Consistently taking on diverse, challenging roles, it’s no surprise she’s already one of the youngest Oscar nominated actresses ever, and every new film seems to put her back into awards contention. This year she can be seen in the Peter Weir escape epic “The Way Back”, and she is currently in production on teenage assassins caper “Violet and Daisy” for director Jeffrey Fletcher.

Production Weekly is now reporting that Ronan will next take on being the center of a 19th century love triangle as the titular character in the Emma Thompson penned “Effie”. The film will be directed by Richard Laxton and tells the story of Effie Gray, who marries a much older man, John Ruskin, only to fall in love with and run away with his more age-appropriate protege, the painter John Everett Millais. Orlando Bloom, Greg Wise, Imelda Staunton and Thompson will co-star in unspecified roles, though one could logically assume Bloom and Wise make up the other two sides of the triangle.

orlando bloom