Scorsese’s Cabret Signs Its Young Leads: Yesterday it was announced Sacha Baron Cohen and Ben Kingsley would star in Martin Scorsese’s next film The Invention of Hugo Cabret and now two more names join the cast of the kid’s flick. Asa Butterfield (The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas) will star as the title character and Chloe Moretz, the 13-year-old co-star in Kick-Ass, will play Isabelle. It’s also being reported the film will be released by Columbia Pictures. [Deadline]
Bettany and Sewell Join The Tourist: Paul Bettany and Rufus Sewell have joined the cast of The Tourist starring Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie for Lives of Others helmer Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. The film is already shooting in Venice, Italy and revolves around Frank (Depp), an American tourist visiting Italy to mend a broken heart. Elise (Jolie) is an extraordinary woman who deliberately crosses his path. Frank pursues a potential romance but soon finds himself the pursued as he and Elise are caught in a whirlwind of intrigue and danger. Julian Fellowes, Christopher McQuarrie and Jeffrey Nachmanoff penned the script. [Variety]
Seyfried, Bloom and Rhys Meyers Join Albert Nobbs: Amanda Seyfried, Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Orlando Bloom have joined Michael Gambon, Janet McTeer and Glenn Close in Albert Nobbs. The film is based on a short story by Irish author George Moore and centers on a woman (Close) who poses as a man in order to find work and survive in 19th Century Ireland. She becomes enmeshed in an unusual love triangle. After 20 years of gender-faking, she finds herself confined to a prison of her own making. Close played the same role in an Off-Broadway interpretation of the story and won an Obie. Close is producing and co-wrote the script with Man Booker prize-winning author John Banville. Production begins in June in Dublin. [Deadline]
Tatum and Phillippe Also In Line for Captain America: The casting for the lead role in The First Avenger: Captain America is extremely fascinating as it is now being reported Ryan Phillippe and Channing Tatum are being considered for the role and that Keira Knightley, Alice Eve (She’s Out of Your League) and Emily Blunt are under consideration for the lead female role. Tatum and Phillippe join a growing list that includes Chris Evans (Fantastic Four), Garrett Hedlund (Tron Legacy), Mike Vogel (Cloverfield) and Wilson Bethel (“Generation Kill”). [Deadline and Hit Fix]
Segel Starring in Muppet Movie: Jason Segel co-wrote the upcoming The Greatest Muppet Movie of All Time with Forgetting Sarah Marshall helmer Nicholas Stoller and has now signed on to star in the lead human role in the film, a man on a quest to find and reunite the Muppets. David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman of Mandeville Films/TV are behind the effort to bring the famed Henson characters back to the big screen with “Flight of the Conchords” co-creator James Bobin directing. Disney will release the feature. [Heat Vision]
Carrey and Hudson Rumors Spread Like Butter: Jim Field Smith (She’s Out of My League) is set to direct Butter, which follows a young orphan who, after being adopted by a Midwestern family, discovers she has an uncanny talent for butter-carving. She eventually finds herself up against the ambitious wife of the retired reigning champion in a town’s annual butter-sculpting contest.. Word is screenwriter Jason Micallef developed the film as a metaphor for 2008’s Hilary versus Obama Iowa caucus showdown. Jennifer Garner has been attached to the project since the script found its way onto the 2008 Black List and now reports say Jim Carrey and Kate Hudson may be getting involved with some saying Carrey is in, others saying he’s passed and another saying he may be in. Hudson appears to be considering the part. Should Carrey sign he’d be playing a Bill Clinton-esque character with Hudson playing his Lewinsky. [Vulture, Movieline and Production Weekly]
Goyo Tapped to Play Jackman’s Real Steel Son: 11-year-old Canadian Dakota Goyo has been cast to play Hugh Jackman’s son in Real Steel for director Shawn Levy and DreamWorks Pictures. The story is based on a short story by Richard Matheson (“I Am Legend”), set in a future world where robot-boxing has replaced human mano-a-mano, follows a former boxer (Jackman) who gets a shot at redemption when he teams up with his long lost son to train an unusual robot for a shot at the championships. Production is set to begin in June, with Disney releasing on November 18, 2011. [THR]
Caplan Cast in Boyle’s 127 Hours: Alphabetically, Danny Boyle’s upcoming 127 Hours was the first film on my list of 2011 Oscar contenders and only a few hours after posting the list we learn Lizzy Caplan has been added to the cast. The Hot Tub Time Machine actress was quoted in an interview saying, “It’s Danny Boyle’s new movie with James Franco and it’s about Aron Ralston the hiker, you probably read about him. He got caught in a cave with a boulder and then he cut off his own arm.” When pressed on what part she would be playing in the film Caplan only replied, “I play his sister.” [Movie Web]
Summit Takes Stab at Witches with Bekmambetov: Wanted helmer Timur Bekmambetov is attached to direct The Last Witch Hunter for Summit Entertainment based on a pitch by Cory Goodman (Priest). The story is said to center on one of the last remaining witch hunters, a breed that keeps the population of witches and warlocks in check. They are about to repopulate in a major way unless he can stop them. [Deadline]
