We’ll kick things off today with Deadline‘s list of actresses reading for key parts in Sony Pictures’ Total Recall remake, starring Colin Farrell. Kate Bosworth and Eva Mendes are said to be reading for the part of Lori, the femme fatale played by Sharon Stone in the original. Diane Kruger was also on Sony’s list, but she has apparently opted out of the reading. Mendes, along with Paula Patton, is also reading for the role of Melina, previously played by Rachel Ticotin. Jessica Biel and and Eva Green are also in contention for Melina, who helps the protagonist get to the bottom of the futuristic scandal on Mars. No word yet on who might take on the film’s most important female role: the woman with three breasts.
Deadline also reports that the script for the live action adaptation of the graphic novel Akira has been sent to a short list of actors. The story follows the leader of a biker gang who saves his friend from a medical experiment. Producers have Robert Pattinson, Andrew Garfield and James McAvoy in mind for the role of Tetsuo, while Garrett Hedlund, Michael Fassbender, Chris Pine, Justin Timberlake and Joaquin Phoenix are being eyed for the role of Kaneda. I never thought I’d see the day when Justin Timberlake and Joaquin Phoenix were being considered for the same role and apparently others are concerned for other reasons over at RaceBending.com as they’re upset only white actors are only being considered for a pair of Asian characters. Albert Hughes (Book of Eli, From Hell) is attached to direct, with an August start date on the horizon.
According to THR, Universal has picked up the script for the romantic comedy Unreasonable Doubt, written by Marc Klein (Serendipity, A Good Year), with Jon Turteltaub (National Treasure, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice) in line to direct. The story centers on two jurors who fall in love during a court case. I know it’s easy to dismiss that is just another formulaic rom-com, but it could be a nice change-up from the swashbuckers Turteltaub has been confined to of late. He also has a good track record in the genre, helming the solid While You Were Sleeping in 1995.
Heatvision reports Ian McShane will play a king and the father of the lead female character Bryan Singer’s Jack the Giant Killer. He’ll be none too thrilled about the union between his daughter and a farm boy, a relationship that develops when the young farmer leads an expedition to free a princess taken hostage by a giant. Nicholas Hoult (A Single Man, About a Boy) and Eleanor Tomlinson (Alice in Wonderland) will play the leads, with Stanley Tucci, Ewan McGregor and Bill Nighy also on board.
I’ve said it before, but I’ll never understand how Clash, and now Wrath of the Titans manage to assemble such great casts. I didn’t even realize Edgar Ramirez (Carlos, The Bourne Ultimatum) was involved in this until now and today we learn Danny Huston and Bill Nighy are the latest to join the sequel via a recent press release announcing the start of production, which also seems to indicate Gemma Arterton won’t be back as Io. A full (lengthy) plot synopsis can be found on the film’s preview page giving you a better idea of which characters all involved are playing. Any chance this sequel will improve on the remake, which didn’t impress as much as it just simply existed?
Jerry Stahl, the author and subject of the Ben Stiller film Permanent Midnight, has been tapped by Warner Bros to pen the script for their remake of The Thin Man, which will star Johnny Depp as the former detective-turned-professional drunkard. Back in the ’80s, Stahl fueled his out-of-control heroin habits by thriving as a TV writer, penning episodes of “Alf,” “Moonlighting” and “Twin Peaks.” He has since recovered to work on scripts for Bad Boys 2 and a number of “CSI” episodes.
Deadline reports Paramount has pulled the plug on their remake of Dune, at least for now. The studio has been working with Richard P. Rubinstein, who controls the rights to Frank Herbert’s classic sci-fi novel, for the past four years. The two parties never reached an agreement on the financials of the project, and the studio’s deal expired. Peter Berg (Hancock, The Kingdom) was set to direct at one point in the project’s development, but he dropped out to board Battleship. Rubinstein seems determined to get the project off the ground, but it would likely take a financier willing to put up the $100 million production budget to do so. Perhaps this is one story that actually deserves to be remade, as David Lynch’s 1984 version has become a mere punchline. Is anyone disappointed by this?
Total Film caught up with director Matt Reeves, who gave them an update on Cloverfield 2. Reeves said “Drew Goddard, who wrote the original, is going to pen the sequel and JJ Abrams is very much involved.” The three of them have been so busy that getting the right ideas together has taken a while. One of those ideas is whether or not to shoot in real-time, as in the first go-round.
Both The Playlist and Latino Review have new interviews with director Zack Snyder regarding Superman. There’s not a whole lot to report as he’s doing his best to keep everything a secret, but he did confirm with the latter that Viggo Mortensen will NOT be in the movie. That’s news, right? It must be strange trying to promote a movie coming out in less than a week knowing everyone cares far more about the one that’s still nearly two years away.
Last one (I promise): THR reports Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will star in the action thriller Snitch for writer/director Ric Roman Waugh (Felon). He’ll play a suburban father, hit hard when his teenage son is sentenced to 30 years under mandatory minimum drug laws. He then goes undercover to serve up a senior drug lord in hopes of reducing his son’s sentence. The story was inspired by a “Frontline” documentary.
