1.) With the release of Monsters director Gareth Edwards‘ “gritty” Godzilla reboot just 15 months away, it’s hard to believe we still don’t have anything official in terms of casting. The film is currently awaiting a rewrite from Frank Darabont (The Green Mile, The Shawshank Redemption), while simultaneously trying to build its cast in time for a March start date, though no deals will officially be made until the script is completed.
The artist formerly known as Aaron Johnson was previously discussed as a possible lead, and it seems he is still in talks for the role. The latest news has Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene) and Argo‘s Bryan Cranston in talks to co-star. There are no character details of yet, but expect something more in the coming days as Legendary Pictures only has a few weeks to pull this thing together. [Variety]
2.) Matt Smith (“Doctor Who”) has landed the male lead in Ryan Gosling‘s directorial debut How to Catch a Monster. The film stars Gosling’s Drive co-star Christina Hendricks as a single mother who gets swept away into a dark fantasy underworld while her teenage son discovers a secret road leading to an underwater town. The film co-stars Killing them Softly‘s Ben Mendelsohn, while Eva Mendes also joined the cast earlier this week. [Variety]
3.) Director Gabriel Range (Death of a President) will tackle the relationship between legendary rockers Iggy Pop and David Bowie in a project called Lust for Life. If you’re interested in the subject matter, it was previously explored in a more unofficial biopic called Velvet Goldmine. That 1998 film starred Christian Bale, Ewan McGregor and Jonathan Rhys Meyers, only the rock stars played by Rhys Meyers (as the faux Bowie) and McGregor (Pop) went by different names. Any ideas for who should play them this time around? Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins recently filmed a role as Iggy Pop in an upcoming film about the legendary New York rock club CBGB, though I assume that’s a relatively small part. [THR]
4.) Jesse Eisenberg, Emile Hirsch and Diane Kruger will star in the 1940s-set drama Midnight Sun for writer/director Chris Eigeman (Turn the River). Set against the backdrop of the creation of the atomic bomb, the story follows two young post-grads who are recruited by the government to work on a top-secret project in New Mexico. The film will shoot this summer. [Screen Daily]
5.) Here’s your first look at Nicolas Cage in David Gordon Green‘s Joe, and that kid holding the shotgun behind him is Tye Sheridan from Tree of Life. The film is described as a gritty (there’s that word again) southern drama that we can only hope will mark a return to form for a once interesting director whose career has since devolved into a run of mediocre mainstream comedies like Your Highness and The Sitter. The logline will follow, if you’re into that sort of thing.
“In the dirty unruly world of small-town Texas, ex-convict Joe Ransom (Cage) has tried to put his dark past behind him and to live a simple life. He works for a lumber company by day, drinks by night. But when 15-year-old Gary (Sheridan) – a kid trying to support his family – comes to town, desperate for work, Joe has found a way to atone for his sins – to finally be someone’s hero. As Joe tries to protect Gary, the pair will take the twisting road to redemption in the hope for a better life in this tough, hard-hitting but incredibly moving story.”
