Casting Call: Angela Bassett Joins THIS MEANS WAR; Dougray Scott to Co-Star in UNITED
by Matt Goldberg Posted: November 29th, 2010
We have a couple casting stories to report to you this morning. First up, Angela Bassett has joined the cast of McG’s action-romantic-comedy This Means War. The film centers on a couple of best friends/international spies (played by Chris Pine and Tom Hardy) who wage black-ops warfare on each other when they both fall in love with the same woman (Reese Witherspoon). According to Variety, “Bassett will play the boss to Pine and Hardy’s characters who has dedicated her entire life to the spy business and has no life outside the CIA.” Bassett will next be seen in the wedding comedy Jumping the Broom on May 6th and as Amanda Waller in Green Lantern on June 17th.Hit the jump for casting news regarding Dougray Scott signing on to star in the sports drama United.
We have received a press release announcing that Dougray Scott (Hitman) will star in the real-life sports drama United. The film is “based on the true story of Manchester United’s legendary ‘Busby Babes’, the youngest side ever to win the Football League, the 1958 Munich Air Crash that claimed eight of the their number and the extraordinary spirit of a city that rebuilt the team in the wake of the disaster.” Scott will play Manchester United Manager Matt Busby (the source of the team’s nickname). As we previously reported, David Tennant (Doctor Who) will play coach Jimmy Murphy. The film also stars Jack O’Connell (Skins) as youngest player Bobby Charlton and Sam Claflin (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) as star player Duncan Edwards.
Scott is currently filming on Simon Curtis’ My Week with Marilyn where he’s playing famous playwright Arthur Miller. The film stars Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe.
http://www.collider.com/2010/11/29/angela-bassett-this-means-war-dougray-scott-united/
New Images from SEASON OF THE WITCH Starring Nicolas Cage and Ron Perlman
by Matt Goldberg Posted: November 29th, 2010
New images have been released from the upcoming action-thriller Season of the Witch. The film was originally slated to be released this past March, but was yanked at the last minute and is now scheduled to come out on January 7, 2011. The story centers on 14th-century knights (played by Nicolas Cage and Ron Perlman) who must transport a suspected witch (Claire Foy) to a monastery.Hit the jump to check out the images. We’ll also have interview with members of the cast so be on the look out for those in the near future. Click here to see the trailer.
Here’s the official synopsis for Season of the Witch:
Oscar® winner Nicolas Cage (National Treasure, Ghost Rider) and Ron Perlman (Hellboy, Hellboy II, Sons of Anarchy) star in this supernatural action adventure about a heroic Crusader and his closest friend who return home after decades of fierce fighting, only to find their world destroyed by the Plague. The church elders, convinced that a girl accused of being a witch is responsible for the devastation, command the two to transport the strange girl to a remote monastery where monks will perform an ancient ritual to rid the land of her curse. They embark on a harrowing, action-filled journey that will test their strength and courage as they discover the girl’s dark secret and find themselves battling a terrifyingly powerful force that will determine the fate of the world.http://www.collider.com/2010/11/29/season-of-the-witch-movie-image-nicolas-cage/
The years of brutal warfare in the name of God have stripped Behmen (Cage) of his taste for bloodshed-and his loyalty to the Church. Looking forward to a quiet retirement, Behmen and his comrade-in-arms Felson (Perlman) are bewildered to find their homeland deserted, unaware that Europe has been decimated by the Black Plague.
While searching for food and supplies at the Palace at Marburg, the two knights are apprehended and called before the local Cardinal (Christopher Lee) to explain their unscheduled return from the East. The dying Cardinal threatens the pair with prison for desertion, unless they agree to a dangerous mission. The Cardinal’s dungeon holds a young woman (Claire Foy) accused of being a witch who brings the Plague with her. They can redeem themselves only by accompanying the girl to a distant abbey where she is to stand trial.
The girl’s brutal mistreatment in prison and powerlessness against the accusations of church officials move Behman. Convinced she is merely a convenient scapegoat and fearing she will be condemned without a fair hearing, he agrees to escort her on the treacherous journey.
In addition to his loyal companion Felson, he is accompanied by a well-traveled conman who knows the countryside (Stephen Graham), an eager young man who aspires to knighthood (Robert Sheehan), a bitter knight who has lost his family to the Plague (Ulrich Thomsen) and a naïve priest (Stephen Campbell Moore).
The route is long and arduous, made even more challenging by increasingly disturbing events, and takes the group through uncharted territory, across sheer-walled gorges and deep into wolf-infested forests. One by one his fellow travelers meet with misfortune, and the embattled Crusader finds himself facing his most terrifying adversary.
Season of the Witch stars Nicolas Cage (National Treasure, Ghost Rider), Ron Perlman (Hellboy, “Sons of Anarchy”), Stephen Campbell Moore (The Bank Job, History Boys), Claire Foy (“Going Postal,” “Little Dorrit”), Stephen Graham (“Boardwalk Empire,” Public Enemies), Ulrich Thomsen (Centurion, The International), Robert Sheehan (Cherrybomb) and Christopher Lee (The Lord of the Rings, Alice in Wonderland).
The film is directed by Dominic Sena (Gone in Sixty Seconds, Swordfish) from a screenplay by Bragi Schut (“Threshhold”). Producers are Charles Roven (The Dark Knight, Get Smart) and Alex Gartner (Get Smart, The Bank Job). Director of photography is Amir Mokri (Fast & Furious, Vantage Point). Editors are Mark Helfrich (X-Men: The Last Stand, Rush Hour 1, 2 & 3) and Dan Zimmerman (Predators, Max Payne). Production designer is Uli Hanisch (The International, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer). Original music is by Atli Övarsson. Costume designer is Carlo Poggioli (Miracle at St. Anna, Cold Mountain). Executive producers are Ryan Kavanaugh (Robin Hood, The Fighter), Alan G. Glazer (The International, Get Smart), Steve Alexander (Swimming with Sharks), Tom Karnowski (The Illusionist, Max Payne), and Tucker Tooley (McGruber, Dear John).