Leighton Meester and Jeremy Strong Join Robert Downey, Jr. Dramedy “The Judge”

April 4, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

jeremy-leighton “Gossip Girl” star Leighton Meester and newcomer Jeremy Scott have rounded out the cast of family dramedy “The Judge” starring Robert Downey, Jr., according to Variety. Robert Duvall, Vera Farmiga, Vincent D’Onofrio and Billy Bob Thornton also star.

In the David Dobkin-directed film, Downey will play a big city lawyer who returns to his childhood hometown to defend his father (Duvall), the town judge, against murder charges. He sets out to investigate the crime and reconnects with his estranged family along the way. Farmiga beat out Elizabeth Banks for the role of Downey’s ex-girlfriend, while Meester will play her daughter. Scott will play Downey’s youngest brother.

The film marks Meester’s first acting role since “Gossip Girl” ended its run after six seasons on The CW in December. She was last seen in Adam Sandler comedy “That’s My Boy” and “The Oranges” opposite Hugh Laurie. Stage actor Scott has appeared on and off Broadway and most recently took supporting roles in “Lincoln” and “Zero Dark Thirty.” He’s currently filming the role of JFK assassin Lee Harvey Oswald in “Parkland.”

Elizabeth Banks Up for Robert Downey, Jr. Dramedy “The Judge”

March 13, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

elizabeth-banks “The Hunger Games” star Elizabeth Banks is in contention for the role of Robert Downey, Jr’s ex-girlfriend in a new family dramedy called “The Judge”, according to THR. Robert Duvall is in talks to play the titular judge and Downey’s father.

In the David Dobkin-directed film, Downey will play a big city lawyer who returns to his childhood hometown to defend his father, the town judge, against murder charges. He sets out to investigate the crime and reconnects with his estranged family along the way. Banks is up for the role of his ex-girlfriend, with the filmmakers having narrowed the choice down to her and “Bates Motel” star Vera Farmiga. Nick Schenk wrote the original script and Bill Dubuque rewrote the latest draft. It’s likely this will be Downey’s next film.

Banks struck franchise gold after she landed the role of Effie Trinket in “The Hunger Games”, which will see her through all four movies. She most recently completed filming on the first sequel, “Catching Fire.” She was last seen in (and produced) surprise comedy hit “Pitch Perfect.” Banks also recently wrapped rom com “Walk of Shame” opposite James Marsden and is attached to indie comedy “The Big Shoe” opposite Jim Sturgess and Kristen Stewart.

Newcomer Graham Phillips featured on first poster for indie comedy “Goats”

June 27, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Images Leave a comment

Well this has quirky indie comedy written all over it. Fandango have debuted the first poster for “Goats”, starring Graham Phillips as a mature, well-adjusted teenager who’s surrounded by crazy. And by crazy, we clearly mean David Duchovny’s beard. The film also stars one of our favorite rising stars, Dakota Johnson, and will be released on August 10th. The official synopsis and full size poster can be seen below.

“In GOATS, Ellis (Graham Phillips) is the most adult member of his eccentric family at 15 years old. His mom (Vera Farmiga) is a New Age hippie that spends all of her time working on self-help rituals with her hustler boyfriend (Justin Kirk). His dad (Ty Burrell) left home years ago and is more focused on his new wife (Keri Russell) and family. And then there’s Goat Man (David Duchovny), the goat-herding sage who has lived in their pool house since Ellis was a child, teaching him the meaning of stability, commitment, and expanding one’s mind. When Ellis decides to leave Tucson to go to the same East Coast prep school that his father went to, he easily assimilates to his new environment – even gaining the attention of a local girl (Dakota Johnson). But as he re-connects with his estranged father, he finds Goat Man’s influence and his life out West thrown into stark contrast. Based on Mark Jude Poirier’s best-selling novel, director Christopher Neil’s hilarious and poignant film is a witty reversal of the coming of age formula, a beautifully honest portrayal of life with its rough edges, awkward moments, and non-endings.”

Kit Harington signs on for psychological thriller “Greenland Time” with Vera Farmiga

June 7, 2012 | Posted by Rebecca Lewis in Casting 1 Comment

The summer months are here so it’s time to watch TV show actors and actresses hang up their small screen character for a few months and try on some big screen shoes instead.

One such actor making the most of his time away from HBO’s “Game of Thrones” is Kit Harington, who is currently filming WB’s “The Seventh Son”, starring opposite Ben Barnes and Alicia Vikander.

Now Screen Daily reports that Harington has signed on to play opposite Vera Farmiga (“Up in the Air”) in the psychological thriller “Greenland Time“. Scripted by David Newman and Catherine Linstrum, the pair will also direct, making this their directorial debut.

Set to start filming later this year, the film follows Farmiga’s character, a woman who is “out for revenge on the man who killed her daughter in a hit-and-run accident.”

Chloe Moretz and Rupert Grint headline “The Drummer”, indie music biopic based on Beach Boys drummer

March 14, 2012 | Posted by Rebecca Lewis in Casting 2 Comments

Chloe Moretz has been pretty quiet since promo ended on her Oscar-winning film “Hugo” but has today signed on to join the cast of Randall Miller’s “The Drummer”, a music biopic based on the life of Beach Boys drummer, Dennis Wilson.

Variety reports that Moritz will be joined by “Harry Potter” star Rupert Grint .

Moretz will play Wilson’s daughter Jennifer, whilst Grint will be Stan Shapiro, “a mail room intern at William Morris, who befriended Wilson during the last few years of the musician’s life.”

The film is set to begin production in mid June, and also stars Vera Fermiga as Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie, and Aaron Eckhart as Wilson.

Moritz broke out in 2010 as the superhero in “Kickass” and then in the Hollywood adaptation of vampire film “Let Me In”. She received critical acclaim for her role in Martin Scorcese’s 3D fantasy epic “Hugo” and can next be seen in Tim Burton’s adaptation of “Dark Shadows” set for release this coming May.

“The Drummer” wll mark Grint’s first major deal since “Harry Potter” ended last year. The rising Brit has stuck to small British indie flicks so far in his career, including “Cherrybomb” and “Wild Target”.

“American Horror Story” star Taissa Farmiga joins Emma Watson in Sofia Coppola’s “Bling Ring”

March 1, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

After a breakout role on hit FX series “American Horror Story”, Taissa Farmiga is following in big sister Vera Farmiga’s footsteps and taking a shot at the big screen, and she’s already off to a great start. Variety reports she has landed a lead role opposite Emma Watson in Sofia Coppola’s “The Bling Ring”, as well as the female lead in indie “Jamesy Boy.”

In “Bling Ring”, Watson and Farmiga will play two of the gang of affluent and popular Los Angeles teenagers who decided to rob a string of celebrities’ homes, including Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Rachel Bilson and Orlando Bloom. The group of six youngsters stole over $3 million worth of cash and belongings from October 2008 through August 2009.

“Jamesy Boy” follows a young member of a suburban street gang who gets sent to a maximum facility prison and is mentored by a convicted murderer. Spencer Lofranco plays James and the cast also includes Mary-Louise Parker, James Woods and Ving Rhames. Farmiga will play James’ love interest. Trevor White wrote the screenplay and will direct.

Farmiga is expected to shoot “Jamesy Boy” before “Bling Ring.”

Farmiga made her acting debut just last year in her sister’s directorial debut “Higher Ground”, playing the younger version of the main character (casting your younger sister to play a younger version of yourself – genius!). But it’s clearly “American Horror Story” that has put her on the map and into the minds of casting directors. The series is expected to return for a second season but with a brand new storyline with new characters and presumably, without most of season 1′s cast.

First Look: “Game of Thrones” star Harry Lloyd on the set of “Closer to the Moon” with Vera Farmiga

November 1, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Images Leave a comment

Romanian director Nae Caranfil is deep into filming on location on period drama “Closer to the Moon”, starring Vera Farmiga and “Game of Thrones” actor Harry Lloyd, and some promotional and behind the scenes photos and video have been snapped by local journalists.

Set in 1959 Bucharest, the film follows a group of Jewish former anti-Nazi revolutionaries who are arrested and sentenced to death after robbing a bank. Before their scheduled deaths, they are forced to star in a propaganda film for the enemy. Lloyd will play a cameraman assigned to the shoot, who falls in love with Farmiga’s character. She, in turn, has a child with one of the doomed men, played by Mark Strong. Christian McKay, Joe Armstrong, Tim Plester, Anton Lesser and Allan Corduner round out the cast.

The film is expected to shoot through November 7th in Bucharest and be completed by April of 2012 in time to submit to the Cannes Film Festival in May. Below are a behind the scenes video and some photos of Lloyd filming.

“Game of Thrones” star Harry Lloyd gets “Closer to the Moon” (and Vera Farmiga)

August 31, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

Spoiler alert: Harry Lloyd will not be returning to season two of HBO’s mega-hit fantasy epic “Game of Thrones”. You see, when you have boiling hot gold poured over your head, as Lloyd’s character Viserys Targaryen did in the show’s first season, it’s hard to bounce back. Luckily for the actor, his character’s ill fate has opened up his schedule to have a chance to make the leap to the big screen. Deadline reports the British up and comer has landed the lead role in period drama “Closer to the Moon” opposite Vera Farmiga.

Set in 1959 Bucharest, the film follows a group of Jewish anti-Nazi revolutionaries who are arrested and sentenced to death after robbing a bank. Before their scheduled deaths, they are forced to star in a propaganda film for the enemy. Lloyd will play a cameraman assigned to the shoot, who falls in love with Farmiga’s character. She, in turn, has a child with one of the doomed men, played by Mark Strong. Nae Caranfil will direct this fall on location in the capital city of Romania.

Recently named a Brit to Watch by BAFTA, Lloyd is a veteran of hit British series like “Robin Hood” and “Doctor Who” and was recently seen in Cary Fukunaga’s new adaptation of “Jane Eyre.” He has wrapped the role of a young Denis Thatcher in the Margaret Thatcher biopic “The Iron Lady”, starring Meryl Streep as the former Prime Minister, and will next film the role of Herbert Pocket in the BBC miniseries version of “Great Expectations” opposite Douglas Booth as Pip.

Mia Wasikowska and Sebastian Stan take in “A View from the Bridge”

January 18, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 3 Comments

Mia Wasikowska (one of our 2010 Breakout Stars) and Sebastian Stan (One to Watch for 2011) are teaming up, joining Vera Farmiga, Anthony LaPaglia and Sam Neil in “A View from the Bridge”, based on the classic play by Arthur Miller. Variety reports that the film will shoot in June in Melbourne and New York.

LaPaglia starred in a 1998 Broadway production of the play, earning a Tony win for Best Actor and secured the rights to make the film, along with Miller’s personal approval. He will reprise his role as Eddie Carbone, with Farmiga playing his wife Beatrice and Wasikowska their orphaned niece Catherine. Though Variety does not specify, Neil and Stan would presumably play Beatrice’s cousins from Italy, who are illegal immigrants. Eddie is consumed with jealousy when Catherine develops a romance with Rodolfo, the younger cousin, and taking action against the young couple leads to tragic results.

“A View From the Bridge” was last seen on the big screen in 1962, with the French title “Vu Du Pont” and starring Maureen Stapleton, Carol Lawrence and Raf Vallone. The new version will be directed by Robert Connolly, while in 2005 Barry Levinson was attached. LaPaglia was on board even back then, along with Scarlett Johansson as Catherine and Frances McDormand as Beatrice.

Wasikowska is currently filming “Albert Nobbs” opposite Glenn Close and Aaron Johnson, and will next be seen in a new adaptation of “Jane Eyre”. Stan has a big year with “Captain America: The First Avenger” coming in the summer and his first starring studio picture, “The Apparition” in the fall.

Graham Phillips headlines indie dramedy “Goats”

January 10, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

Seventeen year old Graham Phillips will star in indie dramedy “Goats”, filming next month, according to Variety. Phillips will be supported by a plethora of veteran actors, including David Duchovny, Vera Farmiga, Ty Burrell, Keri Russell, Minnie Driver and Will Arnett. Christopher Neil will direct from a screenplay by Mark Jude Poirier, who is adapting from his own novel of the same name.

“Goats”, which was previously in production with the likes of Kevin Kline and Rooney Mara attached to star, fell apart after an investor backed out at the last minute. Now it’s back on with Red Crown Prods.’ Daniela Taplin Lundberg producing with Eric Kopeloff and Shannon Lail, exec produced by Daniel Crown and Riva Marker. The plot follows fourteen year old Ellis (Phillips), who arrives at an East Coast prep school and is mentored by Goat Man (Duchovny). Burrell plays Ellis’ father, Russell will play his new wife, Farmiga as his mother, Arnett will be her boyfriend, and Driver her friend.

Phillips is a series regular on CBS’ “The Good Wife” and was last seen on the big screen as one of Steve Carell’s sons in “Evan Almighty”.

Page 1 of 212 »

vera farmiga