1.) James Gunn (Super, Slither) has emerged as Marvel Studios’ top choice to direct Guardians of the Galaxy. The studio is said to like his Whedon-esque ability to mix comedy with action and horror and are now exclusively talking with the director, after also considering Peyton Reed (The Break-Up, Yes Man) and the team of Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck (Half Nelson, It’s Kind of a Funny Story). No matter who gets the gig, what’s important here is that the studio continues to favor emerging talents who specialize in character over spectacle. They seem to recognize that a large part of what made The Avengers so successful was the way the characters interacted with one another. Marvel has set an August 1, 2014 release date for the film. [THR]
2.) Winona Ryder is in talks to join Homefront, the Jason Statham-led actioner scripted by Sylvester Stallone. She’d play a biker chick partnered with James Franco, who recently joined the film as the lead villain, a druglord who threatens the peaceful community where the ex-DEA agent played by Statham lives. Gary Fleder (Runaway Jury) will direct. Sure, it sounds like a stock actioner, but I like the casting choices so there might be something there. [THR]
3.) Ken Watanabe (Inception) will play the Clint Eastwood role in a samurai remake of Unforgiven. Warner Entertainment Japan’s Yurusarezaro Mono (A Thing That Can’t Be Forgiven) will be directed by Lee Sang-Il (Hula Girls) and, like the original, will be set in 1880. It’s due for a Japanese release in fall 2013 and serves as a reminder that the American film industry isn’t the only one that seems short on original ideas at times. [THR]
4.) Speaking of remakes, Samuel L. Jackson has joined Spike Lee‘s version of Oldboy for a small, but crucial role. Sources indicate he’ll play the man being tortured by the protagonist (Josh Brolin) in a key revenge scene. Frequent Spike Lee collaborator and piano virtuoso Bruce Hornsby (Kobe Doin’ Work, Red Hook Summer) has also joined the project as its composer. [LA Times]
5.) Despite being Coming Soon]
