Posted on Tuesday, September 13th, 2011 by Angie Han
Oscar winner Colin Firth has just added another project to his slate: the epic drama The Railway Man. The film will be directed by Jonathan Teplitzky (Better Than Sex, Burning Man) from Andy Paterson and Frank Cottrell Boyce, adapted from Eric Lomax‘s memoir of the same title. Lomax’s book focuses on the torture he experienced at the hands of the Japanese during his time working on the Burma-Siam Railroad (a.k.a. the bridge on the River Kwai) as a World War II POW. Upon learning decades later that one of his torturers was still alive, Lomax arranged to meet with him.
The story certainly sounds compelling and intense, and worthy of an actor of Firth’s talent. The Railway Man is set to begin shooting February in Great Britain, Thailand, and Australia. [Variety]
After the jump, Shirley Maclaine, Alan Arkin, and Vera Farmiga team up for a spin on Romeo & Juliet, and Thomas Haden Church signs up for a horror flick produced by Slash of Guns N’ Roses.
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When Joe Johnston‘s Captain America: The First Avenger landed this summer and turned into a reasonable hit, one hope held by comic fans was that Johnston’s 1991 adaptation of Dave Stevens‘ ’30s-set comic The Rocketeer would finally be given a Blu-ray release.
The Disney film was a flop in the summer of ’91 but has earned a cult following thanks to Johnston’s lively use of ’30s action/adventure serial style and the simple appeal of a mechanic who becomes a sort of hero when a jetpack falls into his possession.
Disney talked about a sequel before the film flopped, and Johnston says he still wants to make another film featuring the characters. A sequel isn’t likely to happen if no one knows about the original film, however. The lackluster DVD release Disney once gave The Rocketeer hasn’t done anything to earn the film new fans. But in December the movie will hit Blu-ray, giving people a chance to get a good look at the movie that was among the first wave of modern comic book adaptations. Read More »
Warner Bros has sent out the obligatory press release to announce the commencement of filming on Ben Affleck‘s third film as director, Argo. We’ve known most of the cast for a while: Affleck, Alan Arkin, Bryan Cranston, and John Goodman, with more recent additions Kyle Chandler, Tate Donovan, Rory Cochrane and Taylor Schilling.
Now we’ve got an official synopsis for the film, which adapts the true story of a CIA team that posed as a film crew in order to extract diplomats from Tehran in 1979. But perhaps of more interest to some who already know the story is the confirmation of cast additions that include the great Michael Parks (above), as well as Clea Duvall and Richard Kind. Read More »
It’s not a stretch, I think, to call this the ‘fan-favorite actors’ edition of casting bits. Kyle Chandler, Alexander Skarsgård and Rob Corddry all fall into that catergory, I’d say. So after the break, you’ll find:
- Kyle Chandler joins Ben Affleck’s Argo,
- Rob Corddry looks set for zombification in Warm Bodies,
- and Michael Nyqvist & Alexander Skarsgård are among the crew joining the ‘modern communication’ indie story Disconnect.
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Sometimes there’s no way to make a casting roundup conform to any sort of sense. Such is the case here, as we’ve got info on a wild reality-based political thriller set in 1979, an animated sequel, and an indie family drama with a very unlikely cast. In other words, after the break you’ll find info on:
- Monsters star Scoot McNairy joining Ben Affleck’s Argo,
- Nick Frost and seven hundred other actors doing voices for the fourth theatrical Ice Age movie,
- and an indie called Little Boy, which has Kevin James and Emily Watson set to star.
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It has been fun to watch Disney remind audiences about The Muppets as it prepares to release a new feature starring Jim Henson’s classic characters. There have been some creative, playful trailers and a poster that was a little bit unusual as Muppet depictions tend to go — Muppets with legs! But this new international poster is a pure and simple old-school look at the crew, with no humans allowed. You’ll probably love it. Read More »
This is a piece of info that could probably be rounded up into an aggregate casting piece, but I love the idea of Ben Affleck‘s film Argo so much that we’ll give it some space. The movie is based on the true story of CIA agents posing as a movie crew in Tehran, while really attempting to smuggle diplomats out of the country. George Clooney and Grant Heslov are producing; the script is by Chris Terrio based on “How the CIA Used a Fake Sci-Fi Flick to Rescue Americans from Tehran” by Joshuah Bearman.
This week saw the confirmation that Ben Affleck would play the lead role, CIA agent Tony Mendez, and Alan Arkin and John Goodman have been recently confirmed, too. Now Bryan Cranston is negotiating for a role — this guy is on a tear lately. Read More »
Ben Affleck bailed on acting in Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby in order to direct his third film, a picture called Argo. (Good choice!) The film is from a Chris Terrio script that follows a true-life story about a CIA effort to pull diplomats out of Tehran in 1979. The hook: they use a plan that has them posing as a Hollywood studio crew making a sci-fi film called Argo. (Much more background detail is here.)
The first piece of casting (other than Ben Affleck, who is taking a role) is now out: Alan Arkin will play Lester Siegel, the OSS agent turned film producer who is key to the plan. The role is described as “equal parts bookie and rabbi,” in which case Alan Arkin is perfect. But then, when is he not close to perfect? George Clooney and Grant Heslov are producing the film, and if that conjures up images of the tone of Men Who Stare At Goats — another partially true military/political tale — then you’re probably thinking along the right track. Only, let’s hope, better. [Variety]
After the break, World War Z and the G.I. Joe sequel get new cast additions. Read More »
