Sharlto Copley Teams Up With Neill Blomkamp for a Third Time in Sci-fi Comedy “Chappie”

May 1, 2013 | Posted by Rebecca Lewis in Casting 2 Comments

As we’re awaiting director Neill Blomkamp and Sharlto Copley’s sophomore effort together “Elysium“, the twosome are already gearing up their third outing, as EW reports that Copley has joined Blomkamp’s “Chappie“.

Not much is known about Blomkamp’s third feature which he previously described to Empire Magazine as a “science-fiction comedy” but that’s enough to get us intrigued for now.

South African actor Copley previously starred in the Oscar nominated sci-fi hit “District 9″ and will team up with Matt Damon in “Elysium” which showcases the struggle between the haves and the have-nots in a distant future where the rich live on a space station called Elysium filled with every kind of luxury and such miracles as instantaneous-cancer-fixing machines, while Earth is the very definition of dystopian, scorched skyscrapers and scrap metal piled high everywhere.

Among Copley’s other future projects are the Angelina Jolie-starrer “Maleficent” where he will play the male lead King Stefan, and Spike Lee’s remake of the Korean horror classic “Oldboy“, playing the villian opposite Elizabeth Olsen and Josh Brolin.

Watch: “District 9″ Duo Neill Blomkamp and Sharlto Copley Bring Us to “Elysium” in First Trailer

April 9, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Videos 1 Comment

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As big, big fans of Neill Blomkamp’s Oscar-nominated sci-fi hit “District 9″, we are already the super psyched target audience for his bigger-scale follow-up, and today we have our first glimpse of “Elysium” in action, and it looks pretty incredible. The struggle between the haves and the have-nots, a big theme in “District 9″, are amplified here, a distant future where the rich live on a space station called Elysium filled with every kind of luxury and such miracles as instantaneous-cancer-fixing machines, while Earth is the very definition of dystopian, scorched skyscrapers and scrap metal piled high everywhere.

Matt Damon takes the lead here as a man who learns he has cancer and vows to infiltrate Elysium for its cure and instigates an all out war. “District 9″‘s reluctant hero Sharlto Copley is back, this time taking on a more villainous role, while the Big Bad will be played by Jodie Foster as a government official who strictly enforces immigration laws in order to keep the rich rich and the poor out. The visuals are stunning and the action looks intense, and it’s from the guy that did “District 9″ so it’ll probably go a lot deeper than that, so in short: Count us in.

After a few false starts, “Elyisum” will be released on August 9th. The first trailer can be viewed below.

First Look: Elizabeth Olsen sports dark hair and tattoos on the set of Spike Lee’s “Oldboy”

November 2, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Images Leave a comment

Elizabeth Olsen looks pretty badass in our first glimpse of the “Martha Marcy May Marlene” star on the set of Spike Lee’s remake of Korean revenge thriller “Oldboy.” E! Online and Just Jared snapped the first photos in New Orleans.

Sporting new dark brunette locks and a barb wired tattoo, Olsen looks more than ready to play Marie, a young social worker who aids an equally badass-looking Josh Brolin (see pics of his own startling transformation here) in his quest for answers after his character is held captive for over a decade without any idea why or who put him there. Who put him there is the film’s villain, played by “District 9″ star Sharlto Copley. It should be very interesting to see what his character looks like.

Lee’s currently filming remake of Park Chan-wook’s 2003 Korean cult classic will be released on October 11, 2013. A couple of images of Olsen on set can be viewed below, and more at the original sources.

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.

Aussie newcomer Brenton Thwaites will be Elle Fanning’s Prince in “Maleficent”

May 30, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

In a bit of casting that should round out the ballooning cast of Disney’s Sleeping Beauty redo “Maleficent”, Deadline reports Australian actor Brenton Thwaites will play the young Prince opposite Elle Fanning as Aurora, the slumbering princess. Angelina Jolie takes the titular role of the Evil Queen who curses her, while the supporting cast includes Sharlto Copley, Juno Temple, Miranda Richardson, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Lesley Manville and Kenneth Cranham.

Robert Stromberg will direct the fairy tale re-imagining that will be set before the events of Sleeping Beauty, and trace Jolie’s queen and her motives for cursing the young princess to 100 years of sleep. Temple, Staunton and Melville play the three pixies who look after Fanning’s Aurora while Richardson will be a fairy queen who is Maleficent’s aunt. Cranham plays Copley’s father and human king who plans a takeover of the fairy kingdom, while Riley will play Diaval, Maleficent’s right hand man who can transform into a raven. Filming is set to begin next month in Europe.

Thwaites is an alum of famous Australian soap and proven Hollywood starmaker “Home and Away”, which also exported the likes of Chris Hemsworth, Heath Ledger, Isla Fisher and another potential star in the making, Elizabeth Blackmore. Thwaites recently completed work on Lifetime’s redo of “Blue Lagoon”, in which he plays the male lead opposite fellow Aussie Indiana Evans.

“On the Road” star Sam Riley joins Angelina Jolie in “Maleficent”

May 7, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

Disney’s Sleeping Beauty redo “Maleficent” continues to get more star-studded with every new announcement. Angelina Jolie is already toplining as the titular villain with Elle Fanning as the slumbering princess and Sharlto Copley as her half-fairy father, and today THR reports joining them will be some of England’s most revered: Imelda Staunton, Miranda Richardson, Lesley Manville, Kenneth Cranham and rising star Sam Riley.

In the Robert Stromberg directed re-imagining of the classic fairy tale, “Maleficent” will explore Jolie’s character’s backstory and tell the tale of why she decides to curse the innocent princess to 100 years of slumber. Staunton and Melville play two of three pixies who look after Fanning’s Aurora while Richardson will be a fairy queen who is Maleficent’s aunt. Cranham plays Copley’s father and human king who plans a takeover of the fairy kingdom, while Riley will play Diaval, Maleficent’s right hand man who can transform into a raven. Confused yet? Same here.

British thesp Riley earned high marks for 2007′s “Control” and even in the less well received “Brighton Rock” in 2010, and is poised to have a breakout year when he stars in in the lead role of Sal Paradise in Walter Salles’ long-gestating adaptation of “On the Road”, heading to Cannes next week. He also recently completed work on Neil Jordan’s vampire flick “Byzantium” opposite Gemma Arterton and Saoirse Ronan.

“District 9″ star Sharlto Copley in talks to play King Stefan in “Maleficent” opposite Angelina Jolie

May 3, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 3 Comments

“District 9″ breakout star Sharlto Copley is apparently back on Hollywood’s radar in a huge way three years after the film that launched his star. Deadline reports Copley is now in negotiations to play the male lead of King Stefan opposite Angelina Jolie as fairy tale villain “Maleficent” in the live-action re-imagining directed by Robert Stromberg.

Greenlit in the boom of fairy tale madness in Hollywood, “Maleficent” will tell the backstory of Aurora, the princess more known as Sleeping Beauty, who falls into a 100 year slumber after pricking her finger on a cursed spinning wheel, from the perspective of Jolie’s character and perhaps make the once one-dimensional villain somewhat more sympathetic. Elle Fanning will play the princess, with Copley playing her father. Rumors had Jude Law playing King Stefan – who’s apparently half-human and half-fairy – though that appears to be false after all. Copley is certainly a worthy replacement. Filming is scheduled for June.

Copley made his feature film debut in “District 9″, which went on to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture, and then quickly lined up American roles in the remake of “The A-Team”, in which he played Murdock opposite Bradley Cooper, and a reunion with “District 9″ director Neil Blomkamp in sci-fi epic “Elysium”, the plot of which is still tightly under wraps despite filming having concluded several months ago. Before “Maleficent” and taking on the villain role in Spike Lee’s “Oldboy” in the fall, Copley will head to Hungary to shoot Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego’s “Open Grave.”

“District 9″ star Sharlto Copley in early talks for Spike Lee’s “Oldboy” opposite Josh Brolin and Elizabeth Olsen

April 12, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

Third time was the charm for landing Elizabeth Olsen as the leading lady in Spike Lee’s remake of Korean horror classic “Oldboy” (Rooney Mara and Mia Wasikowska both said no), will the same work for the villain? After Christian Bale and Clive Owen passed on the chance to torment Josh Brolin, the filmmakers are turning to South African actor Sharlto Copley. Variety reports Copley has been offered and is now in early talks to play the film’s mysterious villain.

Brolin plays a man who goes on a quest for answers and revenge after he emerges from a hotel room after fifteen years of imprisonment without any knowledge of why or who put him there. Copley will be the mysterious billionaire responsible for the aforementioned fifteen years of imprisonment and torture. While the female lead had formerly been described as a chef (just like in the Korean film), Variety’s new report indicates Olsen will actually be playing a casemaker who helps Brolin investigate his past.

Copley made his feature film debut in “District 9″, which went on to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture, and then quickly lined up American roles in the remake of “The A-Team”, in which he played Murdock opposite Bradley Cooper, and a reunion with “District 9″ director Neil Blomkamp in sci-fi epic “Elysium”, the plot of which is still tightly under wraps despite filming having concluded several months ago. Before taking on “Oldboy” – if he takes on “Oldboy” – Copley will head to Hungary in May to shoot Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego’s “Open Grave.”

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