Casting Call: Allison Janney STRUCK BY LIGHTNING; Giancarlo Esposito Joins I, ALEX CROSS; HBO Casts Dev Patel in MORE AS THIS STORY DEVELOPS
by Brendan Bettinger Posted: June 28th, 2011
Allison Janney has signed on to star opposite Chris Colfer (Glee) in the coming-of-age comedy Struck by Lightning. Colfer also wrote the script which, per Variety, “opens with Colfer’s character being struck and killed by a bolt of lightning; flashbacks will chronicle his exploits as he blackmails his classmates into contributing to a literary magazine he’s publishing.” The independent production will shoot this July in Los Angeles during Colfer’s summer hiatus from Glee. Brian Dannelly (Saved!) will direct.Hit the jump for more Giancarlo Esposito’s role in I, Alex Cross, and the casting of Dev Patel in More As This Story Develops. http://collider.com/allison-janney-struck-by-lightning-giancarlo-esposito-i-alex-cross/99456/
First Trailer for Steven Spielberg’s WAR HORSE
by Brendan Bettinger Posted: June 28th, 2011
Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberpatch, Patrick Kennedy, Emily Watson, Toby Kebbell, David Thewlis, Eddie Marsan, and Peter Mullan also star. War Horse opens December 28th. Watch the trailer after the jump. http://collider.com/war-horse-trailer/87032/
Warner Bros. Wants Johnny Depp to Revive Adaptation of CARTER BEATS THE DEVIL
by Brendan Bettinger Posted: June 28th, 2011
An adaptation of the Glen David Gold novel Carter Beats the Devil has stagnated in development at Warner Bros. since it was published in 2002. 24 Frames hears the studio is ready to revive the project. Johnny Depp tops the wishlist to star as Charles Carter (aka Carter the Great), a master illusionist in the 1920s: “[Carter] stages a sawed-in-half trick on President Warren G. Harding, only to be forced on the lam after Harding mysteriously dies shortly after.” The plot features other historical figures, including Harry Houdini, BMW founder Max Friz, and television pioneer Philo Farnsworth.Depp isn’t locked in, but Carter sounds like a character that would intrigue the idiosyncratic actor. A Warner Bros. spokesperson declined to comment, but word on the street says a new draft of the script was just turned in, and the studio is reaching out to agencies to find a director. Read the book synopsis after the jump. http://collider.com/johnny-depp-carter-beats-the-devil/99439/
Will Smith Wants Denzel Washington for Katrina Drama THE AMERICAN CAN
by Adam Chitwood Posted: June 28th, 2011
Will Smith has been working on getting his Hurricane Katrina drama The American Can made for a while now, and it looks like he’s found his star. While Smith originally intended to both produce and star in the film, a schedule conflict with filming M. Night Shyalmalan’s One Thousand A.E. has forced him to take a strictly behind-the-scenes role on the flick. Vulture reports that Smith is now keen on casting Denzel Washington in the lead role.John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side) wrote the script and will direct the film, which tells the true story of a group of residents who were trapped in their apartment complex when the levees broke during Katrina. An ex-Marine named John Keller stayed with the group for days, which included dozens of aged (and white) residents, warding off looters and successfully obtaining much-needed air-dropped food, water, and medical supplies. Washington is currently giving notes on the project, and apparently Smith and Sony will make their casting decision based on his input. http://collider.com/denzel-washington-the-american-can-will-smith/99403/
