1.) Legendary actor Bob Hoskins has retired from acting at the age of 69, following his diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease last autumn. I know many will understandably point to Who Framed Roger Rabbit, but what’s your most memorable Bob Hoskins performance? For me, it’s hard to top Mona Lisa, but the much younger version of myself would never forgive me if I failed to mention Super Mario Bros.
2.) Jimmy Fallon has confirmed he won’t host the Oscars this year, telling Matt Lauer on the “Today” show, “It’s an honor to be asked by the Academy, but it’s not my year.” He didn’t offer an explanation, but I can’t imagine ABC was ever a fan of the idea to begin with, as the gig would boost the profile of NBC’s “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” which directly competes with ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”. [/Film]
3.) Donald Faison (Clueless, “Scrubs”) is said to be very close to joining Kick-Ass 2, where he would play the baseball bat welding Kick-Ass ally Dr. Gravity. John Leguizamo has also joined the sequel in recent weeks as the bodyguard of Red Mist, Christopher Mintz-Plasse‘s character. New writer/director Jeff Wadlow (Never Back Down) is set to start filming in September, while original director Matthew Vaughn is still attached as a producer. [Deadline]
4.) Shia LaBeouf has entered talks to join Lars von Trier‘s Nymphomaniac, continuing his foray into independent film of late. The size of the role is unclear. The film will be released in two parts, with two cuts of each part (one softer, and one more explicit) and follows the erotic adventures of a woman (Charlotte Gainsbourg) from her youth to age 50. Stellan Skarsgard co-stars as Gainsbourg’s husband. Nicole Kidman also recently suggested she could make a brief appearance in the film. Of course, his involvement here bring instant memories of his not safe for work appearance in the Sigur Rós music video for “Fjögur pÃanó” included here. [THR]
5.) After recently directing a couple episodes of HBO’s “Treme,” Tim Robbins will return to directing features with City of Lies. Robbins previously directed a trio of films in the ’90s, most notably Dead Man Walking, for which he received a “Best Director” Oscar nomination. The film is based on Arthur Phillips‘ short story “Wenceslas Square,” which centers on a pair of spies who fall in love while working separate missions in Prague. Christopher Marksus and Stephen McFeely, who have collaborated on Captain America: The First Avenger and Michael Bay’s upcoming Pain & Gain, are penning the adaptation. Robbins replaces previously-attached director Phillip Noyce (Salt). [THR]
