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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tony gilroy

Jeremy Renner carries on “The Bourne Legacy” in first trailer and poster

February 8, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Videos 1 Comment

Even though half of the internet is already sick of him, Jeremy Renner looks pretty badass and well prepared to take the torch from Matt Damon in the first trailer for Tony Gilroy’s “The Bourne Legacy.” Cleverly using the tagline “there was never just one”, the trailer immediately references Damon’s amnesiac operative and sets the stage for Renner – and perhaps others, including Oscar Isaac as a fellow trained assassin – to come in and do their own thing.

The footage is well within the “Bourne” wheelhouse for action fans who need more than just comic book heroes and car crashes, with an emphasis on origins and backstories rather than mindless blowing-shit-up action (though there is plenty of that too). Purists might find it egregious to do Bourne without Damon, but I think this looks fantastic and it doesn’t trigger my Renner fatigue at all. If anything, it’s nice to see him actually given something to do after the disappointing throaway character he played in “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.”

See the new (delightfully synchronized in style) trailer and poster below. “The Bourne Legacy” will be released on August 3rd.

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Oscar Isaac lands pivotal role in “The Bourne Legacy” opposite Jeremy Renner

July 25, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

When rising star Oscar Isaac screen tested for the hotly contested lead role in spy spin-off “The Bourne Legacy”, he impressed Tony Gilroy so much that the director seriously considered giving the role to him. However, the politics of business and Isaac’s lack of star power resulted in a compromise between director and studio in giving the role to franchise king Jeremy Renner instead. But now Gilroy and Isaac seem to be getting their wish in working together on “Bourne” again, as Deadline reports Isaac has been cast in a different role in the film, as “Number 3″, another brainwashed assassin like Matt Damon’s original Jason Bourne and Renner’s Martin in the new franchise.

The role is said to be “major” and Isaac will be joining Renner, Rachel Weisz and Edward Norton in the cast. Though Damon is not expected to reprise his role in the new franchise, the journey of Renner’s Martin is said to mirror the trials and tribulations Bourne went through as an amnesiac ex-government operative on a mission to learn the truth about his own history.

Isaac, most recently seen in Zack Snyder’s “Sucker Punch”, is wrapping up filming indie drama “Steel Town” (formerly “Still I Rise”) opposite Maggie Gyllenhaal and Viola Davis. He also has a plethora of highly anticipated films awaiting release, including Nicolas Winding Refn’s Ryan Gosling-Carey Mulligan starrer “Drive”, Madonna’s directorial venture “W.E.” and the fantastically ensemble cast led “Ten Year” with Channing Tatum, Anthony Mackie, Kate Mara and more.

Jeremy Renner offered “The Bourne Legacy”

April 21, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 6 Comments

Sorry Joel Edgerton. Writer/Director Tony Gilroy and Universal have formally offered the lead role in “The Bourne Legacy” to Jeremy Renner, reports Deadline. Despite the fact that Renner is already set to take over the “Mission Impossible” franchise with “Ghost Protocol”, the studio apparently sees Renner as the next Matt Damon, who was in a similar place of rising stardom when they cast him as Jason Bourne, the amnesiac ex-government operative on a mission to learn the truth about his own history. Renner will play a new character, but will follow a similar character arc as Damon’s Bourne.

Both sides of the negotiating table are said to be keen on the deal, but as THR points out, Renner’s schedule is the last hurdle to clear. Paramount had to maneuver heftily in order to get Renner on board both “Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters” and “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol”, and now the “Bourne” team may have to make similar arrangements in order to not interfere with Renner’s commitment to “The Avengers”, in which he plays Hawkeye. “The Avengers” is scheduled to begin filming soon, with production ongoing through August and September, which is when “Bourne” is expecting to begin lensing. This also pushes back production on thriller “By Virtue Fall”, which Renner is attached to star in opposite Eric Bana. He will presumably film that in early 2012 after “Bourne” wraps.

Looks like the two-time Oscar nominee has his immediate future all mapped out. Other young actors can perhaps breathe a sigh of relief that Renner will be unavailable to take any more coveted roles for the time being.

Universal eyeing Joel Edgerton for “Bourne Legacy” and “Snow White”

April 21, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 3 Comments

One of our favorite up and coming Aussies, Joel Edgerton, who broke out in 2010′s awards-friendly Australian feature “Animal Kingdom”, has rivaling fans at Universal Pictures. Vulture reports that the studio is tossing Edgerton’s name around for two of their hot projects, “The Bourne Legacy” and “Snow White and the Huntsman”.

“Bourne” director Tony Gilroy is said to be keen on offering the lead role of a new Bourne-like agent named Martin to Edgerton, while Universal is hesitant as they don’t feel he has the star power of some of his competitors. The studio itself has a couple of other names in mind for the new franchise: Shia LaBeouf and James McAvoy. However, Edgerton’s lack of name recognition doesn’t seem to be a concern for the studio when it comes to “Snow White and the Huntsman”, as they are seriously considering the Aussie for the titular role vacated by Viggo Mortensen, then Hugh Jackman. Edgerton is certainly nowhere near the movie stars his predecessors were, but with Charlize Theron and Kristen Stewart already on board in the roles of the Evil Queen and Snow, respectively, that may not be a problem.

Vulture suggests the juggling act between the two films hinges on Edgerton. If Edgerton is announced as the Huntsman, odds are high that either LaBeouf or McAvoy will become the face of the new Bourne franchise, but if someone else takes on the revisionist fairy tale , it could mean Gilroy has gotten his wish. If it were up to us, “Bourne” certainly seems like a much better fit for a rising star like Edgerton, with broader appeal, brand recognition and industry cred. And frankly, the Julia Roberts-Armie Hammer-Lily Collins “Snow White” debuting six months before “Huntsman” has our vote of confidence.

Edgerton recently wrapped “The Odd Life of Timonthy Green” and can next be seen in “Warrior” opposite Tom Hardy.

Garrett Hedlund, Kellan Lutz and just about everybody you can think of in the running for “Bourne Legacy”

February 24, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

With “Superman”, “Jack the Giant Killer”, “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” and more high profile roles recently cast, the attention inevitably turns to the next must-have part every young actor in town is hungering after. Variety reports that one such hot project is “The Bourne Legacy”, the spin-off to the Matt Damon starring billion-dollar grossing spy action trilogy that won’t star Damon but a new character with a similar history. And in contention for the highly sought after role includes five actors, three very up and coming and two more established: Garrett Hedlund, Taylor Kitsch, Kellan Lutz, Jake Gyllenhaal and Tobey Maguire. The trade adds that while writer/director Tony Gilroy has a certain kind of actor in mind, Universal, the studio behind the film, have thrown in their own wishlist of names as well. There is no distinction which of the five falls into which category. The chance for an upset landing a lesser known actor in the role is also high because Gilroy is insisting on screen-testing all candidates, something that could alienate more established actors like Gyllenhaal or Maguire.

Deadline updates that Joel Edgerton, Josh Hartnett, Paul Dano, Michael Pitt, Oscar Isaac, Michael Fassbender, Luke Evans, Alex Pettyfer and Benjamin Walker have also met with Gilroy or are in the mix in some way, but some may have scheduling conflicts right off the bat. Other roles still also need to be cast but will come after the male lead is locked down.

The film already has an August 2012 release date and a planned production start this spring, so Gilroy and Universal should make their decision soon.