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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snow piercer

Jamie Bell joins Shia LaBeouf in Lars Von Trier’s “Nymphomaniac”

August 27, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

Jamie Bell is among the new actors who have jumped on board to round out the cast of Lars Von Trier’s “Melancholia” follow-up, “Nymphomaniac”, according to Screen Daily. Bell, along with Connie Nielsen, Mia Goth, Jens Albinus, Severin von Hoensbroech, Peter Gilberg Cotton, Nicolas Bro, Tabea Tarbiat, Janine Romanowski, Jesper Christensen, Tania Carlin, Felicity Gilbert and Shanti Roney join previously cast stars Shia LaBeouf, Charlotte Gainsburg and Stellan Skarsgard.

Gainsburg plays Joe, a self-diagnosed nymphomaniac who recounts her erotic adventures from birth to age 50 to a charming bachelor, played by Skarsgard. Stacey Martin plays the younger version of Joe in the flashbacks. The filmmmakers call it “a monumental film about the female erotic desire, with claims and counter-claims, conflicting angles, and moral or perhaps precisely immoral observations.” Shooting on the 11-week production begins tomorrow in Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany and for a shorter period in Flanders, Belgium.

Bell recently wrapped up shooting futuristic actioner “Snowpiercer” with Chris Evans and Octavia Spencer as well as British thriller “Filth” with James McAvoy and Imogen Poots. The “Adventures of Tin Tin” star is also gearing up to shoot indie rom com “Fighting Jacob” opposite Kate Mara.

Jamie Bell is “Fighting Jacob” in romantic comedy opposite Kate Mara

April 27, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 3 Comments

Rising stars Jamie Bell and Kate Mara will star in quirky romantic comedy “Fighting Jacob”, according to Variety. Bell plays the titular character Jacob ‘The Manic Maniac’ Rosenthal, an up and coming boxer whose “whose extreme OCD is the key to his success in the ring.” When Mara’s character breaks up with him, likely due to that same extreme OCDness, he’s forced to reexamine all of his quirks and neuroses and evaluate whether he wants to stay the way he is and be a great fighter or tone it down to find happiness outside the ring. Charlie McDowell will make his feature directorial debut on the indie project written by Justin Lader. Filming is scheduled for this summer in Los Angeles.

Bell was recently mo-capped as the titular character in Steven Spilberg and Peter Jackson’s “The Adventures of Tin Tin” and was also recently seen in “Jane Eyre” and “Man on a Ledge.” He’s currently filming post-apocalyptic “Snow Piercer” opposite Chris Evans and recently wrapped up British thriller “Filth” opposite James McAvoy. Mara, sister to “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” Rooney Mara, is following in her sister’s footsteps and working with David Fincher on Netflix series “House of Cards.” She was recently a regular on hit FX series “American Horror Story” and just premiered Eric Bana-Olivia Wilde actioner “Deadfall” at the Tribeca Film Festival.

“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.

Octavia Spencer joins Chris Evans and Jamie Bell in sci-fi thriller “Snow Piercer”

February 2, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

Korean director Bong Joon-ho’s English directorial debut is about to get some boost from Oscar. Likely Best Supporting Actress winner Octavia Spencer has signed on for sci-fi thriller “Snow Piercer”, according to THR.

Bong also wrote the script and Park Chan-wook, equally acclaimed Korean director who also recently made his English directorial debut on Nicole Kidman-Mia Wasikowska starrer “Stoker”, will produce. Spencer, along with Chris Evans, Jamie Bell and Tilda Swinton, among others, will play passengers on a full train barreling down unknown tracks in a world that is covered in ice. Class differences, nationalities and more collide as passengers struggle to co-exist. Korean actor Song Kang-Ho is already on board, and more international actors are expected to jump on board as well.

Spencer, who has been toiling in supporting roles since 1996, landed the role of a lifetime when longtime friend Tate Taylor cast her as scene-stealing maid Minny Jackson in “The Help”, a character that, as it turns out, was partly inspired by Spencer herself, after Taylor introduced her to author Kathryn Stockett, who he grew up with in Mississippi. The role has already won her plenty of accolades but the biggest is expected to come on the night of February 26th. Spencer also has a supporting role in Sundance premiere “Smashed” with Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Aaron Paul, and is set to star with Julianne Hough and Russell Brand in Diablo Cody’s directorial debut (formerly titled “Lamb of God”).

Jamie Bell joins Chris Evans in sci-fi thriller “Snow Piercer”

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

Jamie Bell and Chris Evans are heading for an ice age in new post-apocalyptic thriller “Snow Piercer”, according to Variety. “We Need to Talk About Kevin” star and Oscar hopeful Tilda Swinton is also joining the cast of acclaimed Korean director Bong Joon-ho’s English directorial debut.

Bong also wrote the script and Park Chan-wook, equally acclaimed Korean director (of the original “Oldboy”, among others) who also recently made his English directorial debut on Nicole Kidman-Mia Wasikowska starrer “Stoker”, will produce. Evans, Bell and Swinton will play passengers on a full train barreling down unknown tracks in a world that is covered in ice. Class differences, nationalities and more collide as passengers struggle to co-exist. Korean actor Song Kang-Ho is already on board, and more international actors are expected to jump on board as well.

Evans, aka “Captain America”, recently wrapped up reprising the quintessential American superhero in Joss Whedon’s all-star superhero team-up “The Avengers” and has been turning towards darker fare, recently earning raves playing a drug addict in “Puncture” and currently filming serial killer drama “The Iceman” opposite Michael Shannon. Bell was seen this year in “Jane Eyre” and animation Oscar favorite “The Adventures of TinTin.”