Dominic Cooper to Face Off Against Luke Evans’ “Dracula”

May 8, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

dominic-cooper British actor Dominic Cooper is in talks to join Luke Evans and Sarah Gadon in origin tale “Dracula”, according to Variety.

Gary Shore is making his directorial debut on the long-gestating project formerly titled “Dracula: Year Zero”, which sees Evans as a young Prince Vlad who offers up his soul to a bloodthirsty sultan in exchange for the lives of his wife (Gadon) and child, and thus becomes the world’s first vampire. There’s no word on who Cooper will play, but with the isolated nature of a character such as Dracula, an adversary of some sort is probably the most logical conclusion. Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless wrote the latest draft of the script and filming will begin soon with a tentpole-friendly August 8th, 2014 release date already set.

This will not be Cooper’s first brush with vampires, as he played one in “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” opposite Benjamin Walker’s axe-wielding 16th President. He was last seen in revenge thriller “Dead Man Down” and the Oscar-nominated “My Week with Marilyn” as well as “Captain America: The First Avenger”, and has recently wrapped shooting on another 2014 potential blockbuster, video game adaptation “Need for Speed” opposite Aaron Paul and Imogen Poots.

David Cronenberg Gives Mia Wasikowska a “Map to the Stars” With Robert Pattinson

May 8, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 4 Comments

mia-wasikowska David Cronenberg continues to build an impressive cast for his next feature, and today has added Mia Wasikowska, Olivia Williams and “The Killing” kid actor Evan Bird to “Map to the Stars.” The trio join previous cast members Julianne Moore, John Cusack, Robert Pattinson and Sarah Gadon for the LA-set drama.

Bruce Wagner wrote the script on the long-gestating project, which involves Hollywood characters like actors, agents and managers, with both Cronenberg and Pattinson using words like weird and absurd to describe the tone of the piece. Deadline also gives us our first hint of the characters that will populate this world, with Bird as a troubled child star, Williams as his mother and Wasikowska in apparently a very juicy role as his “disfigured, schizophrenic, fame-obsessed sister.” “Map” will be Canadian director Cronenberg’s first time shooting in the US, Los Angeles, specifically. Filming will begin in July.

After breaking out in Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland”, Aussie Wasikowska has stuck solely to small, interesting films like this one, earning raves for her portrayal of “Jane Eyre” and most recently in Park Chan-wook’s “Stoker.” She has wrapped filming on a few more intriguing projects, including Jim Jarmusch’s Cannes-bound “Only Lovers Left Alive” opposite Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston, Australian outback set survival tale “Tracks” and Dostoyevsky adaptation “The Double” with Jesse Eisenberg.

Sarah Gadon in Talks to Be Wooed by Luke Evans’ “Dracula”

May 2, 2013 | Posted by Rebecca Lewis in Casting Leave a comment

As “Dracula” gears up for production after years in development, Universal is building a strong cast of rising stars to lead the origin tale. Luke Evans signed on earlier last month as the titular character, and now Sarah Gadon is in talks to star as the main female character.

Variety reports that the Gary Shore-directed film, from a revised script by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless, will be “a mix of mythology and history”, following a young Prince Vlad, (who was the inspiration for Stoker’s Dracula) who offers his soul up to a bloodthirsty sultan when his wife and child are threatened, becoming the world’s first vampire.

Gadon is a favourite of the Cronenberg’s, starring in David Cronenberg’s “Cosmopolis” last year with Robert Pattinson, as well as taking the lead in Brandon Cronenberg‘s body-horror pic “Antiviral” – both of which premiered at last year’s Cannes Film Festival. The Canadian actress has a busy year ahead of her as she will next be seen in psychological thriller “An Enemy“, is expected to premiere BAFTA winning director Amma Asante’s true life historical drama, “Belle”, and will reunite with Pattinson and the elder Cronenberg on “Map to the Stars“.

Sarah Gadon to Reunite With Robert Pattinson For David Cronenberg’s “Map to the Stars”

April 18, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

sarah-gadon The “Cosmopolis” duo of Robert Pattinson and Sarah Gadon are reuniting, and will star together in their director David Cronenberg’s next feature, “Map to the Stars”, according to Deadline. John Cusack and Julianne Moore have also joined the cast of the LA-set thriller, replacing previously-rumored cast members Viggo Mortensen and Rachel Weisz.

Bruce Wagner wrote the script on the long-gestating project, which involves Hollywood characters like actors, agents and managers, but beyond that there’s very little plot details, though both Cronenberg and Pattinson have used words like weird and absurd to describe the tone of the piece. It will also be Canadian director Cronenberg’s first time shooting in the US, Los Angeles, specifically. No word yet on when filming might begin, but the film will be out to buyers next month at Cannes, and with such stars attached, it probably won’t take too long to get funded.

Gadon can surely be considered a Cronenberg regular by now, even more than Pattinson, with this being her third film with David Cronenberg (“Cosmopolis” and Michael Fassbender-Viggo Mortensen period drama “A Dangerous Method” came previously), and she’s also done a movie with his son, Brandon Cronenberg, “Antiviral.” She recently wrapped up filming on thriller “An Enemy” opposite Jake Gyllenhaal and Melanie Laurent historical drama “Belle” with British thesps Sam Claflin and Gugu Mbatha-Raw.

First photos of Sarah Gadon and Gugu Mbatha-Raw in true life historical drama “Belle”

November 2, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Images 1 Comment

THR and Britain’s The Daily Mail have the first two production stills from BAFTA winning director Amma Asante’s true life historical drama, “Belle”, starring Gugu Mbtha-Raw in the titular role and Sarah Gadon, Sam Reid, Tom Wilkinson, Miranda Richardson, Penelope Wilton, Tom Felton, Matthew Goode, James Norton and Emily Watson in supporting roles.

Mbatha-Raw, one of BAFTA’S Brits to Watch of the year, plays Dido Elizabeth Belle, who was born to an African slave mother and British Naval officer father, and who was raised as an aristocratic lady in 18th century England. Gadon plays Belle’s cousin, and Reid the handsome lawyer/love interest. The backdrop of the story involves a legal case concerning the end of slavery in England. As The Daily Mail points out, “Belle” marks one of very few historical stories featuring a black heroine who does not play a slave, and the film will wrap up shooting on November 9th.

The first two photos from “Belle”, which does not yet have a release date but is expected to bow in the UK first, can be viewed below.

Sam Reid to replace Sam Claflin in historical drama “Belle” after “Hunger Games” causes scheduling conflict

September 10, 2012 | Posted by Rebecca Lewis in Casting Leave a comment

Not all “The Hunger Games” fans may have been pleased with Sam Claflin joining the cast of the hotly anticipated sequel “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire“, but for one lucky actor it’s been a blessing.

Deadline reports that Sam Reid, a British actor who also studied at LAMDA where Claflin graduated in 2009, has taken the lead role in the historical drama, “Belle“, after Clafin was forced to exit due to scheduling conflicts.

The film, directed by Amma Asante, is based on the true story about a mixed-race young woman raised as an aristocratic lady in Great Britain at the end of the 18th Century, set against the backdrop of a legal case concerning the end of slavery in England. Fellow British actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw will play the titular character, full name Dido Elizabeth Belle Lindsay, while Canadian Sarah Gadon, most recently seen on screen in David Cronenberg’s “Cosmopolis” will play her cousin. Reid will take the lead male character, John Daviner, a man of high social standing who Dido falls in love with.

The film also stars Miranda Richardson, Tom Wilkinson and Matthew Goode, and production begins at the end of the month.

Reid has recently finished filming on “The Railway Man” with Colin Firth and Jeremy Irvine, and stars alongside Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper in the upcoming “Serena“.

Sarah Gadon gives Adam Brody “All the Wrong Reasons” in new indie drama

July 10, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

Up and coming Canadian actress Sarah Gadon has been set to star opposite Adam Brody in indie drama “All the Wrong Reasons”, according to Variety. Gadon’s “Cosmopolis” co-star Emily Hampshire and Kevin Zegers have also joined the cast. The quartet will play “four friends as they wander around New York City over the course of one eventful day,” with filming set to begin under the direction of Gia Milani later this month in Halifax, Canada.

Gadon’s film career has been on the rise ever since being discovered by acclaimed director David Cronenberg, who cast her in his latest two films, “A Dangerous Method” opposite Michael Fassbender, and the upcoming “Cosmopolis” opposite Robert Pattinson. She also worked for Cronenberg’s son Brandon Cronenberg on his feature directorial debut, “Antiviral.” Both “Antiviral” and “Cosmopolis” premiered at Cannes earlier this year. She recently wrapped up filming on thriller “An Enemy” opposite Jake Gyllenhaal and Melanie Laurent, and is attached to historical drama “Belle” with British thesps Sam Claflin and Gugu Mbatha-Raw.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Sam Claflin and Sarah Gadon to star in historical drama “Belle”

May 15, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

British rising stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Sam Claflin, along with Canadian up and comer Sarah Gadon, will star in historical drama “Belle”, according to Variety. Miranda Richardson, Tom Wilkinson and Matthew Goode will also be part of the ensemble cast.

BAFTA-winning director Amma Asante will direct the film based on the true story about a mixed-race young woman raised as an aristocratic lady in Blighty at the end of the 18th Century. Mbatha-Raw will play the titular Belle while Gadon will play her cousin. The film is out to buyers this week at the Cannes Film Festival.

Mbatha-Raw, one of BAFTA’s Brits to Watch this year, is currently a regular on Fox series “Touch” and can be seen opposite Anton Yelchin in the upcoming “Odd Thomas.” Gadon will be twice represnted at Cannes this year as the star of David Cronenberg’s “Cosmopolis” and Brandon Cronenberg’s “Antiviral.” Claflin was last seen in “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” and will soon be seen as the Prince in “Snow White and the Huntsman.”

Sarah Gadon and Melanie Laurent join Jake Gyllenhaal in psychological thriller “An Enemy”

May 14, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

Jake Gyllenhaal-starrer psychological thriller “An Enemy” has added a trio of actresses, according to Deadline. Up and comers Melanie Laurent and Sarah Gadon are joining Isabella Rossellini in the Denis Villeneuve-directed film that will begin shooting next week in Toronto.

Gyllenhaal plays a history teacher living a quiet life with his girlfriend until he stumbles upon a physically identical man living nearby with a pregnant wife. He begins stalking his double until the couples’ lives become intertwined with deadly consequences. Javier Gullón adapted José Saramago’s novel “The Double”, though it appears the adaptation is loose at best.

Laurent broke out in Quentin Tarantino’s Oscar nominated “Inglorious Basterds” and was most recently seen opposite Christopher Plummer’s Oscar-winning performance in “Beginners.” She just wrapped up shooting on magician heist thriller “Now You See Me” opposite Jesse Eisenberg and Dave Franco. Gadon was a little known Canadian TV actress until director David Cronenberg gave her a double-hitter of opportunity, first casting her as Michael Fassbender’s wife in “A Dangerous Method” then opposite Robert Pattinson in the Cannes-bound “Cosmopolis.” Gadon will also be in Cannes representing David’s son Brandon Cronenberg’s futuristic sci-fi thriller “Antiviral.”

First look at Sarah Gadon with Caleb Landry Jones in new stills from Brandon Cronenberg’s Cannes-bound “Antiviral”

May 9, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Images Leave a comment

We’ve seen Caleb Landry Jones in a still from Brandon Cronenberg’s totally absurd and surreal sounding futuristic sci-fi thriller “Antiviral”, and today Twitch Film brings us our first look at leading lady Sarah Gadon in two new stills.

Cronenberg’s Cannes-bound Un Certain Regard selection revolves around Landry Jones’ Syd March, who works at a shady clinic that sells injections of celebrity diseases to obsessed fans. He also smuggles vials of the stuff to sell for his own profit off the books, and when he’s infected with the diseases that ultimately killed superstar Hannah Geist, he must solve the mystery of her death before it takes him too. Judging by the image of Gadon’s giant likeness plastered all over Syd’s walls, we have to assume she plays that late celebrity he becomes obsessed with.

“Antiviral”, which also stars Malcolm McDowell, Douglas Smith, Matt Watts and James Cade, has no distributors or release dates in place yet, though news should come soon as it gears up for its big splashy premiere on the Croisette next week. See the two new images below.

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