Tom Cruise Joins ROCK OF AGES
by Matt Goldberg Posted: February 11th, 2011
After circling the project for several months, Tom Cruise is closing a deal to star in the musical Rock of Ages. The film is an adaptation of the popular stage musical about 1980s rockers. According to THR, Cruise will play “Stacee Jaxx, the arrogant and charming star at the top of his career. Jaxx sings Bon Jovi’s “Wanted Dead of Alive” in the theater production. Adam Shankman (Hairspray) will direct from a script by Chris D’Arienzo. Mary J. Blige, Gwyneth Paltrow, Russell Brand, and Alec Baldwin are also considering roles in the film.
Production on the film is scheduled to start in May. Cruise is also being courted for for the lead in Guillermo del Toro’s At the Mountains of Madness. The role will most likely require less singing than Rock of Ages.
Nicholas Hoult Nabs Lead Role in Bryan Singer’s JACK THE GIANT KILLER
by Matt Goldberg Posted: February 11th, 2011
Nicholas Hoult is set to star in Bryan Singer’s Jack the Giant Killer. The story is a darker spin on the fairy tale of “Jack and the Beanstalk”. In this re-telling, Jack is on a mission to rescue a princess from the kingdom of the giants. Earlier this week, we reported that casting was ramping up and that Stanley Tucci would play the film’s villain Roderick while Bill Nighy would play one of the two heads of two-headed leader of the giants (the other is played by John Kassir). Deadline reports that Hoult got on Singer’s radar after being cast as Beast in X-Men: First Class, which Singer is producing.
Hit the jump for more on Hoult.
Bruce Willis in Talks to Join Rebecca Hall in LAY THE FAVORITE, TAKE THE DOG; DIE HARD 5 Goes Back to the Drawing Board
by Matt Goldberg Posted: February 11th, 2011
A couple weeks ago, we reported that rising star Rebecca Hall (The Town) would lead Stephen Frears’ adaptation of Beth Raymor’s Lay the Favorite: A Memoir of Gambling. Hall will play Raymor, who chronicled her years working in the world of Vegas sports gambling. Today, Vulture reports that Bruce Willis has signed on to play Raymor’s mentor/boss Dink Heimowitz in the flick, which is now titled Lay the Favorite, Take the Dog. In the synopsis of the book, “Dinky” is described as “lovable, irascible, and big-bellied.” I’m not sure Willis is willing to pack on the pounds, but he’s got “irascible” down to a science.
