Who Should Play Augustus Waters in “The Fault In Our Stars” Opposite Shailene Woodley?

March 20, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting, Features 11 Comments

guscasting

It’s the question on everyone’s minds now that we have our Hazel Grace in “The Descendants” star Shailene Woodley: Who will play her sparring partner, love interest and fellow cancer survivor Augustus Waters in “The Fault in Our Stars”?

Josh Boone is directing the adaptation of the best-selling John Green YA novel, and the casting for Augustus will likely be even more scrutinized than Woodley as Hazel. Gus, described as long and lean with dark hair and blue eyes who’s witty and spouts off romantic soliloquies in his wooing of Hazel, is the ideal fictional boyfriend for many a teenage reader and no matter who is cast, he will undoubtedly meet with a fair share of resistance. Sure, there is no perfect Gus for everyone, but we did our best to come up with just a few suggestions of guys who can be trusted to bring this beloved character to the big screen and not screw it up for his legion of fans.

It should be noted that Boone has been pretty vocal that an actor who is 25 is “far too old” for the role, which immediately takes a few of our guys out of the running (and which frankly makes us think someone has already been chosen, but that’s another story). Clearly, we disagree with the director on this point, and this is just our wishful thinking, just let us have this. Okay? Okay.

Click below to see our choices for Augustus Waters and leave us yours!

The newest YA heroine needs a co-star. Who should play Four in “Divergent”?

January 31, 2013 | Posted by Lindsey Young in Casting, Features 1 Comment

With the announcement that Shaliene Woodley has been cast in the lead role in the upcoming dystopian “Divergent“, as well as Kate Winslet being in talks for an unknown role, this adaptation of the YA novel just got a little more real. Naturally, the next course of action will be to seek out other young individuals (well-known or perhaps not) to fill out the rest of the roles of Tris’ friends and foes alike. It’s no surprise that among Tris’ circle of friends is a love interest, and yes, it’s time to play the casting game again.

After Woodley’s negotiations became public knowledge last year, names were thrown into the casting mix for the pivotal role of “Four”, Tris’ mentor-turned-love interest. Alexander Ludwig (Cato of “The Hunger Games“) tweeted that he had a meeting with Lionsgate about the role. Not too long after, “Teen Wolf” star Colton Haynes caused much speculation among fans when he announced his departure from the MTV show and soon after followed Veronica Roth, author of “Divergent” on twitter while tweeting that he had some “news” to share soon. Related instances? Who knows. They were, however, perhaps meaningless ones as earlier this month, Alex Pettyfer, Lucas Till and Jeremy Irvine were reported to have auditioned for the role. The search is definitely on, but nothing and no one has been confirmed as of yet.

Of the names who have been thrown into the pool, there are some that we at Up and Comers could see as Four – but then there are also some that we think should stay far, far away from this adaptation lest they just turn him into another lacking portrayal of a character with so much to work with. In the words of our Tris Prior herself, “This character needs to be extremely masculine, and his eyes need to scream vulnerability and sensitivity.” We agree, Shailene. And so here are five actors that we think would be great as Tris’ mentor and eventual love interest.

Casting “Cinderella”: Who should play the next fairy tale princess opposite Cate Blanchett?

November 27, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting, Features 1 Comment

Move over, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, the next fairy tale princess is ready for her moment in the spotlight. Ok, so “Mirror Mirror” and “Snow White and the Huntsman” didn’t exactly light the box office on fire, and “Maleficent” is still a big question mark, but Disney is ready to move forward on another live action big screen adaptation of another fairy tale. This time, it’s “Cinderella”, and it’s happening fast, with Mark Romanek already set to direct and acclaimed Aussie actress Cate Blanchett in negotiations to join the ranks of Julia Roberts, Charlize Theron and Angelina Jolie in playing an iconic evil stepmother.

This project dates all the way back to 2010, when “The Devil Wears Prada” screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna wrote the original draft and Amanda Seyfried was cast in the titular role. But as The Wrap points out now, Blanchett is officially the first cast member of this new incarnation of the project, which has also gotten a rewrite from Chris Weitz, so we still need a girl to fit into those awfully specific and constricting glass slippers. Here are just five of our favorite suggestions:

“Sabrina the Teenage Witch” is headed for the big screen; here’s 5 actresses to consider for the role

April 12, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Features 1 Comment

This isn’t the article for you, kneejerk remake/reboot haters. “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” is heading to the big screen, according to Deadline, and we couldn’t be more excited. Of course it will be updated and modernized and inevitably, “edgier” than its 1960s Archie Comics origins, and undoubtedly quite a bit darker than the 1990s long-running sitcom starring Melissa Joan Hart was as well, but it still sounds like it could be really fun.

The film will be re-imagined as more of a superhero origin tale, but will still follow Sabrina Spellman as a teenager who discovers her lineage and powers for the first time. Her beloved sidekick, Salem the talking black cat, will be back as well, but he, too, is changed, and will be “a transformed prince creating unique love stories for Sabrina.” I’m not really sure what that entails, but I do hope a Salem/Sabrina romance isn’t in the works and her nice-guy soulmate Harvey shows up along the way somewhere.

Even with the edgier tone, we expect Sabrina to be the funny, precocious and resourceful teenage witch she’s always been, maybe just with a more modern, twisted sense of humor. Sony is said to be looking to “discover” an unknown actress to take on the titular role, and here are five suggestions from us. You may have heard of some of them already, but they are all still on the rise and still waiting for that big breakout franchise role, and, more importantly, any of them would be more than capable of bringing “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” to life on the big screen for a new generation.

Who will have “Sex on the Moon”? Ten guys we could see as daring NASA thief Thad Roberts

March 1, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Features 5 Comments

The team behind the massive critical and commercial success “The Social Network” are at it again. Producers Scott Rudin and Dana Brunetti have teamed up with author Ben Mezrich – whose book “The Accidental Billionaires” was the basis from which the Oscar-winning film was made – for another film. Mezrich’s new book, “Sex on the Moon”, is another true story that’s no less juicy and scandalous and filled to the brim with young, morally ambiguous and party-hard geniuses, and the filmmakers have fittingly set “Easy A” helmer Will Gluck to direct.

Our lead character, Thad Roberts, is a 25-year-old upstart working in NASA’s highly selective co-op program, with very real ambitions to go to space one day (as “the first man on Mars” to be exact). But Roberts is no nerdy rocket scientist. In order to prepare for space, he is in tip top physical shape, and has earned a pilot’s license. With effortless charm and cool, Thad becomes a leader amongst his fellow students and stages elaborate adventures to take them on. When he meets and falls in love with beautiful fellow co-op student Rebecca, his next adventure becomes even more daring – and a lot more illegal, as the two conspire to lead a small team on a mission to steal and sell priceless moon rocks from NASA’s seemingly impenetrable facilities.

Ambitious, competitive, charming, rebellious, beyond intelligent, and madly in love. No small task, but here are ten young actors we think would thrive in this role.

Don’t let the zombies win: Five actresses who could still salvage “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies”

October 5, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge and Rebecca Lewis in Casting, Features 1 Comment

Emma Stone won’t be Elizabeth Bennet. And neither will Blake Lively. Nor Anne Hathaway, Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, or Mia Wasikowska.

We’re stumped. And so is most of Hollywood. What is it about this script that is stopping these talented young actresses from taking on, what we feel, is a new and exciting adaptation of a much-loved character?

In Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, an adaptation of the Jane Austen novel by Seth Grahame-Smith, the classic love story has been turned on it’s head with the inclusion of zombies and an ass-kicking, straight-talking, zombie-killing Elizabeth Bennet. But the film adaptation has gone through not only several casting changes but directors as well, with Richard Kelly first attached, then David O. Russell and next Mike White. Most recently, Craig Gillespie has signed on to direct the Lionsgate film, which for some reason unbeknownst to everyone, cannot hold on to a lead actress.

This is a cause for concern but we love the concept and hope it can still come together despite the setbacks, so here we present our five favorites for the role of Elizabeth Bennet. Some are still waiting for a big break out role, and others are on the cusp of something big, but they’ve all got the talent and that classic Victorian look to turn this film’s bad luck around and save us all from a zombie apocalypse.

Do You Hear the People Sing? Our votes for who should join Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe in “Les Miserables”

September 20, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge and Rebecca Lewis in Casting, Features 4 Comments

Hands down, one of our most highly anticipated upcoming movies is the long-gestating big screen adaptation of worldwide blockbuster musical “Les Miserables”. Australian actors Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe – both acting and singing heavyweights, well done, Tom Hooper – have been officially set for the lead roles of Jean Valjean, a reformed escaped convict and Javert, the by-the-numbers police inspector relentlessly on his tail, but there are plenty of other crucial roles to be cast.

As Jean Valjean journeys through 19th century France with Javert hot on his heels, they meet plenty of new friends and foes along the way. Who will be the tragic symbol of the plight of the poor, Fantine? Her lovely daughter Cosette? The student revolutionaries Enjolras and Marius? There are rumors abound for most of these roles, including the likes of Helena Bonham Carter and Geoffrey Rush for Monsieur and Madame Thenardier, the crowd-pleasing, hilariously greedy innkeepers tasked by Fantine to take care of Cosette, but one fact remains crucial: Whoever joins the cast must be talented in both acting and singing at the level that Victor Hugo’s classic story and Claude-Michel Schönberg’s libretto demands. Here’s a few actors that fit the bill who we would love to see join Jackman and Crowe in the film.

In honor of “If I Stay” sequel “Where She Went”, we cast our votes for who should play Adam

April 10, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting, Features 4 Comments

We already gave our suggestions for who should play Mia, the teenager who must decide to live or die after a car accident claims the life of her entire family in Gayle Foreman’s successful teen novel “If I Stay”, and now with the release of its sequel “Where She Went”, the first person narrative turns to that of Adam, the aspiring rock star boyfriend who stayed by her side and now must deal with the aftermath of her choice.

With Brazilian director Heitor Dhalia taking the reins on an adaptation of the first novel but no casting decisions made since Dakota Fanning dropped out of starring as Mia back in December, we go ahead and take a look at five young actors who have that certain something to play Adam, both the teenage devoted boyfriend and the slightly older and slightly more lost adult we meet in the sequel. Beware of spoilers before reading on.

Now that Henry Cavill is Superman, who should play Lois Lane? Ten names for your consideration

January 31, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting, Features 33 Comments

Since Zack Snyder is obviously peeking in on us, as our choices for Clark Kent were eerily similar to his finalists (including eventual winner Henry Cavill), we thought it would only be fair to Mr Snyder if we help him out and offer up our choices for Clark’s partner in love and banter, Lois Lane, as well. Given the disappointing limp and boring Lois played by Kate Bosworth in Bryan Singer’s “Superman Returns”, here are ten actresses who we think will put zingy, spitfire and intelligent back into the iconic role in Snyder’s reboot.

Sure, we, too, love the universally popular choices like Emily Blunt, Olivia Wilde and Anne Hathaway (who’s undoubtedly unavailable now), but we want to present some more unconventional or even conventional but maybe you wouldn’t have thought of choices, as it’s always our goal to look ahead to who’s “next”. Of course there is the matter of how Snyder envisions the character, as even in the decades of comics appearances, she’s gone through various incarnations that see her range from take-charge ass-kicker to damsel in distress. No matter how Snyder chooses to “re-imagine” his Metropolis, there’s plenty of variety in our choices for Lois to choose from, while all maintaining the smart and sassy reporter at the heart of the character.

The “Cosmopolis” shuffle: We offer up a few names for Mrs. Robert Pattinson

January 21, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Features 22 Comments

Robert Pattinson is still looking for a wife. First it was Marion Cotillard, then Keira Knightley attached to play the young, mysterious wife to his Eric Packer in David Cronenberg’s “Cosmopolis”. Now Knightley’s involvement is back in question as Alfama Films website has removed her name from the film’s page, after an internet firestorm was set off proclaiming she was on board based solely on their inclusion of her name in the first place. Truthfully, though Pattinson would be lucky to work with such great talents as Cotillard and Knightley – and who knows, Knightley might still sign on after all – they always seemed a little out of the league of “Cosmopolis”, which would cast them in the supporting role of a mysterious wife. Cotillard, 35, had been attached since the days when Colin Farrell was set to play the lead role of Eric Packer, which would have been a much more age-appropriate coupling.

In Knightley’s favor is that she has worked with Cronenberg before, on “A Dangerous Method”, is a much more fitting 25, and certainly looks more like the character Elise Shifrin as described in the book, an heiress to a bank fortune and poet, “in her mid-twenties, with an etched delicacy of feature and large and artless eyes”, who seems to disappear into thin air and who Eric often has a hard time recognizing at their various run-ins. However, should her involvement with the film fall through, here are a few young actresses we think could jump into the role, and truthfully, who would have a lot more to gain from doing this film than the much more established Knightley would.

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