***Michael Pena Joins Sean Penn and Josh Brolin in GANGSTER SQUAD ***First Look at Sacha Baron Cohen in THE DICTATOR ***New Set Photos for Wes Anderson’s MOONRISE KINGDOM; Harvey Keitel Confirmed to Join Cast ***Kodi Smit-McPhee in Talks to Play Benvolio in ROMEO AND JULIET Opposite Hailee Steinfeld; Corbin Bernsen Joins LAY THE FAVORITE

Kodi Smit-McPhee in Talks to Play Benvolio in ROMEO AND JULIET Opposite Hailee Steinfeld; Corbin Bernsen Joins LAY THE FAVORITE

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: June 7th, 2011

And the casting stories keep on coming. 14-year-old Kodi Smit-McPhee (Let Me In) is in early negotiations to join Carlo Carlei’s adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. Variety reports that he’s being eyed for the role of Benvolio, Romeo’s cousin. Hailee Steinfeld is attached to star as Juliet, with Ed Westwick poised to play Tybalt and Holly Hunter set to take on the role of The Nurse. Italian director Carlei (Flight of the Innocent) will helm from a script by Julian Fellowes (Gosford Park). The key roles of Romeo and Mercutio have yet to be cast, but production is set to begin this summer in Italy.
Additionally, Corbin Bernsen has joined the cast of the indie gambling comedy Lay the Favorite . Based on the memoir of Beth Raymer, the flick stars Rebecca Hall, Bruce Willis, Vince Vaughn and Catherine Zeta-Jones. The story centers on Raymer’s rise from a Las Vegas cocktail waitress to one of the world’s best gamblers. Variety reports that Bernsen will play Hall’s father in the flick. Stephen Frears (High Fidelity) is directing from a sript by D.V. De Vincentis. I’m a big fan of Frears, and the cast he’s turning out is pretty impressive. Hit the jump to read a synopsis of the novel.  http://collider.com/kodi-smit-mcphee-romeo-and-juliet-corbin-bernsen-lay-the-favorite/95225/

Michael Pena Joins Sean Penn and Josh Brolin in GANGSTER SQUAD

by Jason Barr   Posted: June 7th, 2011

With their comedy 30 Minutes or Less set to hit theaters on August 12th, Michael Pena and director Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland) will now join forces once again in the crime/drama Gangster Squad. According to Heat Vision, Pena has been cast alongside Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, and Ryan Gosling, as an eager-to-please LAPD officer. For those unfamiliar with the project, Gangster Squad is based on an LA Times article by Paul Lieberman that focuses on corruption within LAPD ranks in the 1940s. The film will pit good cop John O’Mara (Brolin) against gangster Mickey Cohen (Penn) as the former attempts to keep East Coast mafia influences out of Los Angeles. Gangster Squad currently looks to be a 2013 release. In the meantime, Pena can also be seen alongside Eddie Murphy, Ben Stiller, and Casey Affleck in the action/comedy Tower Heist due out later this year on November 4th. http://collider.com/michael-pena-gangster-squad/95207/

First Look at Sacha Baron Cohen in THE DICTATOR

by Matt Goldberg   Posted: June 7th, 2011

The first set photo has leaked from Sacha Baron Cohen’s next film The Dictator.  It’s Cohen’s first film where he’s not playing a character from Da Ali G Show, but it looks like it has the best premise since Borat:

The film tells the heroic story of a dictator who risked his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed. It is inspired by the best selling novel, Zabibah and The King, by Saddam Hussein

Whether Cohen will be engaging in his candid camera antics or if this is a straight feature remains to be seen, but Larry Charles (Borat, Bruno) will once again be behind the camera.  The film is also set to star Anna Faris, Ben Kingsley, and Jason Mantzoukas (The League).  Hit the jump to check out the photo of an All-American foreign dictator.  The Dictator is slated to open on May 11, 2012.
http://collider.com/dictator-set-photo-sacha-baron-cohen/95180/

New Set Photos for Wes Anderson’s MOONRISE KINGDOM; Harvey Keitel Confirmed to Join Cast

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: June 7th, 2011

Wes Anderson may have gotten has filmography back on track with the charming Fantastic Mr. Fox but he’ll be headed back to live-action for his next feature, Moonrise Kingdom.  The film already has an impressive cast that includes Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, and now, according to The Film Stage, Harvey Keitel.  The story “follows a young boy and girl (Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward) falling in love. When they are moved to run away together, various factions of the town mobilize to search for them and the town is turned upside down – which might not be such a bad thing.”
Some set photos from the film have leaked online and one of them shows Norton as a scout leader and another has Murray out of costume but being awesome (which is innate to Bill Murray).  Due to the cast and the story, Focus Features may give Moonrise Kingdom a summer 2012 rather than Anderson’s typical awards season bow.
http://collider.com/moonrise-kingdom-set-photos-harvey-keitel/95080/