Clint Eastwood Wants Leonard DiCaprio to Join Beyoncé in A STAR IS BORN
by Jason Barr Posted: June 27th, 2011
I’m sure plenty of filmmakers want Leonardo DiCaprio to star in their film. That said, there aren’t many working directors who have the type of clout that Clint Eastwood carries around. So, although it is anything but a done deal, when we hear that Eastwood is courting DiCaprio for his take on the musical A Star Is Born, it becomes news. Deadline reports that the director is using his time with DiCaprio on their J. Edgar Hoover biopic to discuss the possibility of him joining the pic which is set up at Warner Bros.
There has long been talk that Will Smith would join Beyoncé in the film as the aging alcoholic star who sparks a relationship with the up-and-coming beauty. While those rumors are free to continue circulating, Eastwood’s apparent interest in DiCaprio may very well steal some of its thunder for the time being. There have been several theatrical versions of A Star Is Born to grace the silver screen with the 1976 version pairing Kris Kristofferson and Barbra Streisand and 1954′s starring James Mason and Judy Garland. Will Fetters (Remember Me) wrote the script for the upcoming remake. http://collider.com/leonardo-dicaprio-a-star-is-born-clint-eastwood/99087/
David Strathairn Cast as William Seward in Steven Spielberg’s LINCOLN
by Jason Barr Posted: June 27th, 2011
Oscar-nominee David Strathairn (Good Night, and Good Luck.) has been cast in the Steven Spielberg-directed Abraham Lincoln biopic, Lincoln. Straithairn will make a turn as Lincoln’s Secretary of State, William Seward, in the film which is scheduled to begin filming this fall in Virginia in time for a fourth quarter 2012 (a.k.a. “Oscar season”) theatrical release. The actor joins a cast that already includes Daniel Day-Lewis in the title role and Sally Field as Mary Todd Lincoln. Spielberg had this to say of Strathairn’s casting:
“Throughout his career, David Strathairn has consistently delivered performances of strength and character. That’s why I am so pleased that he will portray the Secretary of State, who became such a dominant figure in Lincoln’s ‘team of rivals’ cabinet.”
For those unaware, Lincoln is written by Oscar-nominee Tony Kushner (Munich) and is based on the Doris Kearns Goodwin book, Team of Rivals. Last month, we reported that Tommy Lee Jones, Joseph Gordon Levitt, James Spader, John Hawkes and several others were in serious talks to join the pic as well. As for Strathairn, he can next be seen alongside Rachel Weisz in the drama The Whistleblower which hits U.S. theaters on August 5th. Hit the jump to check out a synopsis of Goodwin’s book. http://collider.com/david-strathairn-lincoln/99090/
Casting Call: Nicole Kidman in Talks for THE PAPERBOY as Tobey Maguire Drops Out, John Goodman Joins Ben Affleck’s ARGO
by Adam Chitwood Posted: June 27th, 2011
We’ve got a couple more casting stories for you today. First up, Nicole Kidman is now in talks to join the cast of Lee Daniels’ (Precious) adaptation of Pete Dexter’s novel The Paperboy. THR reports that Kidman would replace Sofia Vergara, who was forced to drop out after Tobey Maguire’s exit from the project shifted the schedule, imposing on her Modern Family shoot. Matthew McConaughey and Zac Efron are apparently still attached to star in the film, which centers on the slacker son of a newspaper editor in Florida, who gets wrapped up in investigating a murder case. Filming is set to begin later this summer.Hit the jump for the news of John Goodman joining Ben Affleck’s directorial vehicle Argo, as well as a synopsis for the novel The Paperboy. http://collider.com/nicole-kidman-the-paperboy-john-goodman-argo/99041/