Posted on Friday, December 9th, 2011 by Angie Han
There’s still no word on who’ll be playing Éponine in Tom Hooper‘s Les Misérables, but the project has landed yet another well-known star to play her father. According to LondonNet, Sacha Baron Cohen is set to join Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, and Eddie Redmayne in the musical, in the role of the villainous inn owner Monsieur Thénardier. Helena Bonham Carter was said to be in talks to play Thénardier’s wife earlier this year, but it’s not clear whether she’s actually attached at this point.
Cohen did a bit of singing in his last big-screen musical, Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, and is slated to do still more as the lead of that Freddie Mercury biopic from producer Graham King. In terms of non-singing roles, Cohen recently appeared in Martin Scorsese’s Hugo, and already has three more movies scheduled to open next year — The Dictator, Madagascar 3, and Django Unchained. Get used to that face, because you’ll be seeing a lot of it in 2012.
Les Misérables opens December 7, 2012. [via The Playlist]
After the jump, a Disney gal decides it’s time to break into more mature territory, and Diablo Cody’s next project finds a mom for Julianne Hough.
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Posted on Friday, December 2nd, 2011 by Angie Han
Things are indeed shaping up quickly for David Dobkin‘s Arthur & Lancelot, which Warner Bros. fast-tracked over the summer at the cost of Bryan Singer’s Excalibur remake and Guy Ritchie’s King Arthur film. Last month saw the casting of Game of Thrones star Kit Harrington and The Killing star Joel Kinnaman in the two title roles, and now WB favorite Marion Cotillard has been offered the part of Morgana, a powerful sorceress and Arthur’s half-sister.
The Arthur retelling, which was written by Dobkin, follows the rise of the legendary leader from his humble beginnings as an illegitimate son being raised by a poor knight, while Lancelot starts out as “a rebellious noble who distrusts the established government.” Arthur & Lancelot will likely begin shooting in March. [Vulture]
After the jump, Friday Night Lights star Kyle Chandler lands another high-profile movie role, while several more actors join Michael Chiklis and Forest Whitaker in Pawn — though sadly, none of the new folks are from The Shield.
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Posted on Wednesday, November 30th, 2011 by Angie Han
The cast of Tom Hooper‘s Les Miserables is already plenty star-studded, with Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, and up-and-comer Eddie Redmayne all signed on at present — but as anyone familiar with the book or stage musical can attest, that still leaves several juicy roles remaining to be filled.
One of the most notable is the part of Éponine, perhaps best remembered for her big solo number “On My Own,” but that could change soon. According to a new rumor, Scarlett Johansson, Evan Rachel Wood, Lea Michele, and Taylor Swift are competing for the role, though a decision has yet to be made. More details after the jump.
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Akiva Goldsman is still working towards the realization of his first effort as a feature film director. For quite some time, the writer/producer has wanted to bring to the screen an adaptation of Mark Helprin‘s novel Winter’s Tale. In February Warner Bros. agreed to make the film, though at the time it looked like the project was going to have to wait until after the shoot for the first feature in the Dark Tower series, which Goldsman is writing and producing.
With The Dark Tower sidelined for the time being, Goldsman is actively working on Winter’s Tale. A casting shortlist has emerged, and while the picks aren’t final by any means, this will give you an idea of where he’s going with the project. Read More »
Posted on Tuesday, November 1st, 2011 by Angie Han
My Week with Marilyn star Eddie Redmayne will join Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, and Anne Hathaway in Tom Hooper‘s prestige musical Les Miserables. Based on the hit Broadway show and Victor Hugo‘s classic novel of the same title, the film follows an ex-con named Valjean (Jackman) in 19th century France as he seeks to redeem himself. Redmayne will play Marius, who falls in love with Cosette, daughter of Fantine (Hathaway) and eventual charge of Valjean.
Les Miserables is already being touted as a likely Oscar contender, with a release date of December 7, 2012. Redmayne isn’t exactly a household name yet, but has marked himself as a talent to watch in projects like The Good Shepherd, My Week with Marilyn, and Hick. [Deadline]
After the jump, Rashida Jones and the guy who played Ernest Hemingway in Midnight in Paris befriend Samantha Morton, while David O. Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook picks up a Boardwalk Empire star.
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Posted on Sunday, October 23rd, 2011 by Angie Han
Catherine Zeta-Jones has had a slow couple of years, but the Chicago actress stepping it up again. She recently wrapped three films — Lay the Favorite, Playing the Field, and Rock of Ages, all of which are due out next year — and has now landed one more. Zeta-Jones recently finalized a deal to star opposite Mark Wahlberg and Russell Crowe in Broken City, a noirish tale directed by Allen Hughes. The script, by Brian Tucker, revolves around a Brooklyn detective (Wahlberg) who’s hired by the mayor (Crowe) to find out if his wife (Zeta-Jones) is cheating on him. Then things take a turn for the Chinatown-esque as the wife’s lover ends up dead and a major conspiracy begins to unravel.
Zeta-Jones’ last high-profile project was 2007′s No Reservations, so it’s great to see her coming back to the big screen in full force. Broken City is scheduled to begin shooting next month in New York City. [Deadline]
After the jump, Warner Bros. turns to two rising TV stars for David Dobkin’s Arthur & Lancelot.
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Posted on Tuesday, October 18th, 2011 by Angie Han
We’ve been hearing rumors for a while, but now it’s official: Anne Hathaway has closed a deal to star opposite Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe in Les Misérables, King’s Speech director Tom Hooper‘s adaptation of the hit Broadway show and Victor Hugo novel. Read more after the jump.
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Posted on Wednesday, October 5th, 2011 by Angie Han
Olivia Wilde has landed the coveted role of ’70s supermodel Suzy Miller in Rush, Ron Howard‘s Peter Morgan-scripted drama about the real-life rivalry between British Formula One driver James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and Austrian racer Niki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl). Miller married the womanizing Hunt, but then fell in love with Hunt’s friend Richard Burton. Burton agreed to pay the $1 million divorce settlement that Hunt owned Miller, and then married Miller.
Howard is reportedly eyeing Russell Crowe to play the supporting role of Burton, but it doesn’t sound like negotiations are too far along at this time. Rush began preliminary shooting last month, but real principal photography is starting soon. [Deadline]
After the jump, Billy Crudup gets to show off his comedic chops while Helen Hunt, Maggie Grace, and Aaron Paul get to fight breast cancer.
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