Octavia Spencer to Battle Kevin Costner in Legal Drama “Black and White”

May 8, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

octavia-spencer Octavia Spencer will go to (custody) battle with Kevin Costner in Mike Binder’s courtroom legal drama “Black and White”, according to Coming Soon.

Spencer and Costner will play warring grandparents to a bi-racial granddaughter, Eloise. While Costner has cared for the little girl since her mother (his daughter) died in childbirth, he’s now become a widower following the car crash death of his wife. As if that weren’t enough, in comes Spencer as the child’s paternal grandmother, who believes now Eloise should be put under the care of her father (Spencer’s son), who happens to be a drug addict. “Black and White” is described as “a searing portrayal of a broken man caught up in a struggle clouded by bitterness, blame and racial tension who learns to forgive and how to provide for the only family he has left.”

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 this year’s Sundance juggernaut “Fruitvale Station” with Michael B. Jordan. She’s wrapped Diablo Cody’s directorial debut “Paradise” opposite Julianne Hough and Russell Brand and will next be seen in Bong Joon-ho’s English directorial debut “Snow Piercer” opposite Chris Evans and Jamie Bell.

Jessica Chastain Joining Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar”

May 2, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

Christopher Nolan’s space epic “Interstellar” just got a little more stellar. Deadline reports Jessica Chastain is now in talks to join the cast that already boasts Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway.

The project has been in development for years, at one point with Steven Spielberg attached to direct, but now it’s being fast-tracked with Nolan on board directing from a script written by his brother and frequent collaborator Jonathan Nolan. Like everything he does, there are very few plot details available, but it deals with a group of scientific explorers who encounter time travel and alternate dimensions through a wormhole, or “a heroic interstellar voyage to the farthest borders of our scientific understanding.” Filming will probably begin soon as the film already has a November 7, 2014 release date.

Chastain is staying as busy as ever since being nominated for her second Oscar for Kathryn Bigelow’s “Zero Dark Thirty.” She’s already filming the first follow-up, Liv Ulman’s adaptation of “Miss Julie”, and will do Guillermo Del Toro’s “Crimson Peak” in the spring of 2014. That film reunites her with Emma Stone, with whom she co-starred in “The Help”, which landed her her first Oscar nom in 2011. Just yesterday she became attached to WWII drama “The Zookeeper’s Wife.”

Jessica Chastain Reunites with Emma Stone for Guillermo Del Toro’s “Crimson Peak”

April 5, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 2 Comments

jessica-chastain Guillermo Del Toro continues to assemble an incredibly impressive young cast for his haunted house horror flick “Crimson Peak”, with Variety reporting Jessica Chastain is the latest to move in, joining the previously announced Emma Stone, Charlie Hunnam and Benedict Cumberbatch.

There are no plot details available other than to say it involves a haunted house, but with Del Toro and this cast, who needs ‘em, really? Del Toro and Lucinda Coxon are working on a rewrite of the script which he first co-wrote with Matthew Robins. With such a hot cast, all busy with other projects for the foreseeable future, filming on “Crimson Peak” isn’t expected to begin until February of 2014.

Chastain, who first starred alongside Stone in 2011′s massive hit “The Help”, earned her first Oscar nomination for that film and then her second one this year for “Zero Dark Thirty.” She’s also worked with Del Toro before, as he produced January’s surprise horror hit “Mama.” She’s sought after for the role of Jane in David Yates’ new adaptation of “Tarzan”, but negotiations on that are ongoing and nowhere near finalized yet. In the meantime she’s committed to her first and only role since her second Oscar nomination, an adaptation of the August Strindberg play “Miss Julie” opposite Colin Farrell that Liv Ullman will direct.

Jessica Chastain Sought to be Jane to Alexander Skarsgard’s “Tarzan”

March 6, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

jessica-chastain Well, this is hardly a surprise and it’s probably too early to tell if they can actually get her, but The NY Post reports two-time Oscar nominee Jessica Chastain is the first choice to play the female lead role of Jane in David Yates’ new live-action adaptation of “Tarzan.”

It appears at this point that no actors have been officially cast yet, though last we heard, “True Blood” star Alexander Skarsgard was Yates’ first choice to play Edward Rice Burroughs’ famous jungle-born hero, in this tale set years after he has reintegrated back into human society. One day, “he’s asked by Queen Victoria to investigate the goings-on in the Congo. Tarzan teams with an ex-mercenary named George Washington Williams to save the Congo from a fierce warlord who controls a massive diamond mine.” Samuel L. Jackson is reportedly being eyed for the role of the mercenary, and the film had been tentatively scheduled for a shoot this summer, though as far as we know, it still doesn’t even have an official green light yet. But you gotta believe if they could snag someone of Chastain’s level for Jane, a green light would come a lot easier.

It’s not out of the realm of possibility that Chastain could say yes to such a commercial project after making a name for herself in serious dramas like her Oscar-nominated roles in “The Help” and “Zero Dark Thirty.” She first said yes but then dropped roles in both “Iron Man 3″ and upcoming Tom Cruise sci-fi thriller “Oblivion.” She has only booked one new project since her second Oscar season winded down, an adaptation of the August Strindberg play “Miss Julie” opposite Colin Farrell that Liv Ullman will direct

Emma Stone Among Star-Studded Cast Joining Dark Comedy “Birdman”

March 5, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

emma-stone Emma Stone, Zach Galifianakis, Michael Keaton and Naomi Watts have been cast in dark comedy “Birdman”, according to THR.

Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu will direct the Fox Searchlight project, which follows a washed-up former comic book movie star who sets out to mount a Broadway play based on a Raymond Chandler short story, but things get out of control with the arrival of the egotistical leading man. Keaton will play the former movie star while Stone will be his daughter-turned-assistant, who’s just out of rehab. Watts will play an actress in the show while Galifianakis will play the production’s conniving producer. The role of the egotistical leading man and Keaton’s ex-wife remain to be cast.

It’s unclear when filming on “Birdman” will take place, as Stone’s schedule is pretty well booked. She’s currently reprising her role as Gwen Stacy in Marc Webb’s “The Amazing Spider-Man 2″ and next heads to Hawaii to film Cameron Croewe’s next with Bradley Cooper. She’s also attached to Guillermo Del Toro’s haunted house horror “Crimson Peak”, which is eyeing a spring 2014 start date. Last seen on the big screen in “Gangster Squad”, Stone can next be heard voicing a character in animated “The Croods.”

Jessica Chastain books “Miss Julie” as first role post-Oscar nomination

January 30, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

Two-time Oscar nominee Jessica Chastain has decided on her first role since “Zero Dark Thirty” landed her her second nom in as many years (she was nominated last year for “The Help.”) Variety reports Chastain will star opposite Colin Farrell and Samantha Morton in “Miss Julie”, an adaptation of the August Strindberg play that Liv Ullman will direct.

Chastain, in the titular role, will play a young upper class woman in 19th Century Sweden, who decides to go dance at the servants’ annual midsummer party for a bit of fun, and becomes drawn to Jean (presumably Farrell), who is particularly well-read and worldly despite his lower class standing. The two bond and form an attraction to each other even as they battle each other over issues regarding power, sex and freedom. Morton’s role is not specified but is likely that of Jean’s fiancee, a servant who works for Julie’s father. Not surprisingly, this isn’t the only offer Chastain has been considering. Variety reports she’s putting together her 2013 schedule and is deciding on other potential roles.

After having an amazing year in 2011, appearing in no less than six films and receiving her first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for “The Help”, Chastain is still having a bit of a Moment two years later. Bin Laden thriller “Zero Dark Thirty” earned her her first Best Actress Oscar nomination, and the film, along with ghost flick “Mama”, put Chastain as the star of both films atop the American box office last weekend. She recently wrapped up companion films “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: His” and “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Hers” and is currently on Broadway as the star of “The Heiress.”

“The Help” and “Fruitvale” star Ahna O’Reilly joins Paul Newman’s final film “Lucky Them”

January 29, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

Paul Newman had been working on “un-romantic comedy” “Lucky Them” when he passed away in 2008, and his wife Joanne Woodward signed on to executive produce the film last year in order to see it get made. Now, it looks like it finally will, with a cast that includes Thomas Haden Church, Toni Colette, “The Help” star Ahna O’Reilly and “90210″ star Ryan Eggold and Oliver Platt. Deadline reports the film began filming in Seattle last weekend.

Emily Wachtel and Huck Botko wrote the script and Botko is directing the film about a female rock journalist (Colette) who, on assignment, goes on a journey to track down on musician ex-boyfriend (Church). The semi-autobiographical story is described as a “late bloomers coming-of-age quirky romantic comedy” and will see Colette’s character living in New York and finding herself while most of her friends have already settled down. Eggold, O’Reilly and Platt play unspecified supporting roles.

O’Reilly is fresh off her first trip to the Sundance Film Festival, where she was part of Ashton Kutcher-led Apple origin tale “jOBS” and the Grand Jury Prize-winning film “Fruitvale”, which stars Michael B. Jordan and Octavia Spencer. O’Reilly and Spencer previously worked together in last year’s Oscar-winning “The Help.” She has wrapped up filming in James Franco’s adaptation of Faulkner’s “As I Lay Dying” and rock club drama “CBGB.”

Emma Stone the first to move into Guillermo Del Toro’s haunted house flick “Crimson Peak”

January 15, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

Funny girl Emma Stone may be moving into a genre she’s never tackled before: horror. And who better to introduce her to the genre than Guillermo Del Toro himself? Variety reports Stone is the first to enter early negotiations for Del Toro’s next feature, a haunted house horror film called “Crimson Peak.”

Plot details are scarce and Del Toro and Lucinda Coxon are working on a rewrite of the script which he first co-wrote with Matthew Robins. Of course, Del Toro is busy at the moment finishing up on his potential summer blockbuster “Pacific Rim”, and filming on “Crimson Peak” isn’t expected to begin until February of 2014.

It’s smart to lock down the ever-busy Stone quickly, as her dance card tends to fill up fast. She’s due to begin shooting “The Amazing Spider-Man 2″ imminently and also has Cameron Crowe’s next feature opposite Bradley Cooper awaiting production this year. Stone managed to eschew the Scream Queen role that seemingly every other young actress has not been able to avoid early in their careers, earning her stripes on comedies like “Superbad” and “Easy A” instead. She’s proven herself talented and increasingly bankable since, with the one-two punch of “The Help” and “The Amazing Spider-Man” quickly solidifying Stone’s stance at the very pinnacle of the go-tos of Young Hollywood.

Emma Stone to announce Oscar nominations

January 7, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Awards Leave a comment

“The Amazing Spider-Man” star Emma Stone will be announcing this year’s Academy Award nominations on the morning of this Thursday, January 10th, along with the telecast’s host for the evening, “Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane, it was announced today. Jennifer Lawrence did the honors last year, and Anne Hathaway the year before.

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – Nominations for the 85th Academy Awards® will be announced by the show’s host, Seth MacFarlane, and actress Emma Stone on Thursday, January 10. This will be the first time since 1972 that an Oscar show host has participated in the nominations announcement.

MacFarlane and Stone will unveil the nominations at a 5:30 a.m. PT news conference at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, where hundreds of media representatives from around the world will be gathered.

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“True Blood” star Nelsan Ellis to play Martin Luther King, Jr. in Lee Daniels’ “The Butler”

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

The cast of Lee Daniels’ “The Butler” is still growing. Today Deadline reports Daniels has found his MLK in “True Blood” actor Nelsan Ellis, who joins a cast that already includes Forest Whitaker, David Oyelowo, Alan Rickman, Jane Fonda, Oprah Winfrey, Liam Neeson, Nicole Kidman, Minka Kelly, Cuba Gooding Jr, Alex Pettyfer, Terrance Howard and Lenny Kravitz in the true historical tale.

Whitaker plays Eugene Allen, the White House butler who started out as 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. Winfrey and Oyelowo play his wife and son, respectively, while the rest of the cast all play real life historical and political figures, which now includes Ellis as the iconic Civil Rights leader. Filming is underway.

Ellis appeared in “The Help” with Oyelowo, as well as sports films “Secretariat” and “The Express”, though he’s most well known for his role as short order cook and gay witch Lafeyette Reynolds on HBO’s “True Blood”, now in its 6th season. He recently wrapped up shooting indie films “The Reluctant Fundamentalist” opposite Keiefer Sutherland and Kate Hudson, and “Gods Behaving Badley” with Christopher Walken and Sharon Stone.

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