Movies

Departures: Lake Bell Leaves Scream 4, Teresa Palmer Out Of Mad Max 4

By Peter Sciretta

We have a couple updates on previously reported casting news today. It looks like Lake Bell won't be in Wes Craven's Scream 4, and Teresa Palmer is now claiming that she was never cast in Mad Max 4: Fury Road. Full details on both departures, after the jump.

Lake Bell

Actress Lake Bell has revealed on Twitter that she will no longer have a part in Scream 4 due to scheduling conflicts:

Sucks: Scheduling conflicts with my current gig means I cant do #Scream4! (Hey horror bloggers, I know who the killer is...) #i'llnevertell

Bell was to play Duputy Judy Hicks, a police officer who knew Sidney (Campbell) from high school. The casting call described the character as follows: "A police officer, decidedly sexy but a bit off, she knew Sidney from high school. Didn't make a big enough impression for Sidney to remember her. Likes her boss, Dewey, perhaps a little too much. NAME CAMEOS PREFERRED;"

Teresa Palmer

Also, ComingSoon has talked to the lovely Teresa Palmer (The Sorcerer's Apprentice) who now claims that she never had any involvement in Mad Max: Fury Road. What an odd statement to make, as I've seen quotes from her Apprentice co-star Jay Baruchel talking about how Palmer is going to be working on Mad Max for over a year, and even Apprentice director Jon Turteltaub, who told a small group of press during an editing bay visit a couple months back that he's heard from Palmer a bit about the costumes she's going to wear in the Mad Max sequel (we even have a recording of this).

In fact, at a WonderCon party, I talked to Palmer briefly about Mad Max, and while the conversation is completely off record, I'm sure its safe to say she seemed excited about the project and definitely didn't act like it was just "internet rumors". So why is the actress now claiming it never happened? Strange...

Previously for Scream 4:

The first part of a new trilogy written by screenwriter Kevin Williamson and directed by Wes Craven. Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox and David Arquette have all previously committed to reprise their respective roles in the fourth film.

The movie will be set ten years later in Woodsboro, and is described as "an ensemble" which will introduce several new characters. The new film will take place a decade later, a decade without the ghostface killer. But that doesn't mean that movie-within-the-movie-series Stab has come to an end. Williamson has said that Scream 4 will reference manga comics, Asian ghost girl movies, PG-13 horror movies, vampire films, M. Night Shyamalan movies and even torture porn. Scream 4 will begin shooting in Michigan in June 2010, aiming for a April 15th 2011 release.

Here is information on the new characters in the new movie Beware of possible minor spoilers. You could assume things about the characters that list "NAME CAMEOS PREFERRED" judging from the previous films in the series.

  • Emma Roberts will play Jill Kessler, "one of the film's primary heroines," a cousin to Neve Campbell's character in the series. Described as "pretty in an ingenue way. Smart, strong. A little goofy, but she makes it sexy. Full of contradictions, but instantly likeable. Not a mean bone in her body. They're not close, but Jill is Sidney's cousin."
  • Hayden Panettiere will play Jill's best friend, Kirby Reed — a nerdy film geek. Described as "Cute and quirky, was a tomboy until a year ago, now she's alternative, cool and sexy. Jill's best friend. She's a pop culture and horror aficionado;"
  • Rory Culkin will play Charlie Walker, a potential love interest for Jill. Here is the character description: "Messy cute. Friends with Jill, Trevor, Kirby, and Olivia. A little cocky, he likens himself to 'Randy' from Scream 1 without the nerd part. No such luck, he's definitely a nerd. May or may not have a crush on Jill. He'd never admit it if he does;"
  • Nico Tortorella will play Trevor Sheldon, described as: "Handsome high school jock, but quiet and intense, as though a secret hangs over his head."
  • Lauren Graham (Gillmore Girls) will be playing Kate, the mother of Emma Roberts' character Jill Kessler.
  • Anthony Anderson has played a cop on Law and Order and The Shield, so I'm guessing he plays one of the two detective roles:
  • DETECTIVE HOSS (MALE 30s-40s; any ethnicity) New school cop. College graduate raised on the CSI TV series. NAME CAMEOS PREFERRED;
  • DETECTIVE PERKINS (MALE 30s-40s; any ethnicity) Old school cop. Cocky, bigoted, and snarky. NAME CAMEOS PREFERRED;
  • 20-year-old California model turned actress Marielle Jaffe likely plays one of the new teens:
  • OLIVIA MORRIS (17-18; any ethnicity) Sexy and hot. A fun girl who knows how to be bitchy without being a bitch. She finds a way to make every situation about her, but somehow does it in a charming way. Part of the Jill, Kirby, Charlie, Trevor friend group;
  • BETTE (20s; any ethnicity) Sidney's personal assistant. Type A who gets the job done. Secretly yearns for Sidney's fame and fortune;
  • REBECCA (17-18; any ethnicity) Cute, vain, over-achieving student at Woodsboro High School. Editor in Chief of the high school newspaper. She's a future Gale Weathers.
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