Michael Cera Cast In 'Magic Magic'

The last year has been pretty quiet for Michael Cera. Scott Pilgrim vs the World was released last summer (you might remember that we liked it quite a bit) and the actor hasn't been seen in much since then. He shot a part in an indie project from Scott Pilgrim co-star Mark Webber, but aside from some smaller comedy work, that's been it in the past few months.

Now Sebastian Silva (director of The Maid) has written and will direct Magic, Magic, a thriller set in Chile, and Michael Cera is polishing up his Spanish language skills for a role.

Cera isn't actually the lead in Magic Magic; he'll plan an unknown supporting role. The story follows, "a girl vacationing with her friends in a remote area of Chile who slowly starts losing her mental faculties. She tries to get her friends' attention, but they ignore her until it's too late." (That's per Variety.)

That's just about all we've got on the film, though a couple months back The Playlist spoke to Cedar Rapids director Miguel Arteta, and he said then that Michael Cera would be working with Sebastian Silva on a film that is obviously this one. He said, "he's gonna do a movie with him in Chile. He's spending five hours a day learning Spanish. He follows his own heart."

So that's an interesting wrinkle and will, I hope, forestall the predictable comments about Michael Cera always playing the same character. This seems like it could be a dramatic departure for him, and we'll be waiting with real interest to see what comes of it. Magic, Magic still has to cast the female lead, and once that is done it should shoot later this year.