Ansel Elgort Is Augustus Waters in "The Fault in Our Stars" Opposite Shailene Woodley

From siblings to star-crossed lovers! EW reports rising star Ansel Elgort has been offered the male lead in "The Fault in Our Stars" opposite Shailene Woodley - who plays his sister in the currently-filming dystopian adaptation "Divergent." The two Read more

Dylan O'Brien Lands "The Maze Runner" Lead; Ki Hong Lee Also Joins

UPDATE: Director Wes Ball tweets that Ki Hong Lee has also joined the cast as Minho, a fellow Glader and ally to Thomas throughout the series. Lee is probably best known as a regular on short-lived ABC Family Read more

Shailene Woodley Confirmed for "The Fault in Our Stars"

I mean, duh, we called it. It has now been officially confirmed with glowing quotes from director, producer and author in tow that the increasingly in demand Shailene Woodley will play the lead role of Hazel Grace Lancaster Read more

Up and Comers Presents: 20 Faces to Watch in 2013

After a somewhat unpredictable year in which the stars we expected to break out largely didn't but fresh faces came out of nowhere to surprise us all, we are ready to look ahead to the new talent waiting to Read more

Up and Comers Presents: The Breakout Stars of 2012

Another year, another new crop of fresh talent. Just like last year, the hardest part is narrowing down which of the dozens of the year's rising stars shone the brightest. This year we heralded the arrival of the unlikeliest Read more
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red tails

“Arbitrage” breakout star Nate Parker boards “Non-Stop” flight thriller with Liam Neeson

October 5, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

Up and coming Nate Parker is turning heads after a breakout performance opposite Richard Gere in this month’s “Arbitrage”, and now Variety reports he has locked down his next project: “Non-Stop”, an in-flight thriller starring Liam Neeson.

Neeson’s “Unknown” helmer Jaume Collet-Serra will direct the film which sees Neeson as an air marshall who is confronted with an America terrorist aboard a flight. The villain threatens to kill a passenger every 20 minutes unless Neeson kills himself. Parker will play a passenger on the flight who helps Neeson solve the mystery. John Richardson and Chris Roach wrote the script and filming begins soon in New York City.

Parker was seen earlier this year in George Lucas’ “Red Tails”, then Spike Lee’s “Red Hook Summer”, and his turn as an unwitting accomplice to Richard Gere’s crimes in thriller “Arbitrage” is earning raves and has sparked his fair share of Oscar buzz. Parker recently wrapped up a role in David Lowery’s “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints” with Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck and will soon reunite with Spike Lee to film his remake of Park Chan-wook’s revenge thriller “Oldboy”, starring Elizabeth Olsen and Josh Brolin.

Nate Parker joins Spike Lee’s “Oldboy” opposite Elizabeth Olsen

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

After collaborating on “Red Hook Summer”, rising star Nate Parker has inked a reunion with director Spike Lee, signing on to star opposite Elizabeth Olsen, Josh Brolin and Sharlto Copley in the remake of Korean thriller “Oldboy.” Variety reported the news earlier this morning.

Brolin will play a man who was imprisoned and tortured for over a decade without any knowledge of why. When he is finally freed, he goes on a quest for answers and revenge against Copley as the man who put him there. Olsen will play a social worker who helps him along the way, and Parker will play a doctor who works with her. Samuel L. Jackson is also expected to take on a key role as the manager of the hotel where Brolin’s character was held hostage. After a long gestating period of casting musical chairs, filming is finally set to begin next month.

Parker appeared in George Lucas’ “Red Tails” earlier this year and can currently be seen in Lee’s “Red Hook Summer”, as well as in Richard Gere thriller “Arbitrage” starting September 14th. He reportedly gives a standout performance in that film, and he also just wrapped David Lowery’s “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints” opposite Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara.

“Chronicle” star Michael B. Jordan to play Oscar Grant in “Fruitvale”, Octavia Spencer also in negotiations

April 17, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

Amidst the controversy surrounding the death of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin comes a timely dramatization of a similar incident that took place in Northern California in 2009. THR reports “Chronicle” star Michael B. Jordan is in talks to take on the role of Oscar Grant in “Fruitvale”, the indie drama that will seek to tell the story of how Grant was detained by police and then shot in the back and killed on New Years Day 2009. Recent Oscar winner Octavia Spencer is in talks to play his mother.

Grant was one of several passengers of the Oakland, CA sunway system detained by police at the Fruitvale BART station after reports of fighting in the early hours of New Years Day 2009. With Grant prostrate and bound on the ground, police officer Johannes Mehserle stood back and shot him in the back, fatally wounding him. The incident was captured by various recording devices and cell phones and widely seen after being disseminated to the media. Mehserle was charged with murder but pleaded not guilty, insisting he meant to shoot Grant with his taser and not his pistol. When he was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter but not premeditated murder, demonstrations and eventually violent riots broke out in protest.

The film, marking the writing and directing debut of Ryan Coogler, will follow Grant throughout his last day. A July production in Northern California is scheduled.

Jordan, a veteran of two of TV’s most critically acclaimed dramas “The Wire” and “Friday Night Lights”, was seen this year in “Red Tails” and surprise breakout sci-fi hit “Chronicle.” Spencer won her first Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in February for her role as Minny Jackson in “The Help.” She was part of Sundance hit “Smashed” with Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Aaron Paul and is currently filming Diablo Cody’s directorial debut opposite Julianne Hough and Russell Brand, previously titled “Lamb of God.” She’ll next film Bong Joon-ho’s English directorial debut “Snow Piercer” opposite Chris Evans and Jamie Bell.

Lee Daniels wants David Oyelowo to be “The Butler” in political biopic; Mila Kunis approached to play Jackie Kennedy

February 15, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

British actor David Oyelowo’s conquering of Hollywood continues, as THR reports “Precious” director Lee Daniels is interested in his “The Paperboy” star to take on the titular role in “The Butler”, a biopic about Eugene Allen, the black butler that served eight presidents in the White House from 1952 to 1986. THR further reports that Daniels is assembling a hell of a supporting cast with the likes of Mila Kunis, John Cusack, Hugh Jackman and even Oprah Winfrey being offered roles of real life American historical figures.

Based on Wil Haygood’s 2008 Washington Post story “A Butler Well Served by This Election”, the story will follow Allen as he goes from an entry level “pantry man” in pre-Civil Rights 1952 to serving eight presidents over 30 years and witnessing firsthand such historical events as the Vietnam War and the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr, John F. Kennedy, and Robert Kennedy. THR reports Kunis has been offered the role of Jackie Kennedy, Cusack President Richard Nixon and Winfrey Allen’s wife. Financing and scheduling are still being shuffled around and as we know from Daniels’ past projects, the cast could look totally different by the time cameras roll, but it’s certainly an inspired grouping as is.

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