***First Trailer for Steven Spielberg’s WAR HORSE ***Casting Call: Allison Janney STRUCK BY LIGHTNING; Giancarlo Esposito Joins I, ALEX CROSS; HBO Casts Dev Patel in MORE AS THIS STORY DEVELOPS ***Warner Bros. Wants Johnny Depp to Revive Adaptation of CARTER BEATS THE DEVIL ***Will Smith Wants Denzel Washington for Katrina Drama THE AMERICAN CAN

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

A Spanish trailer for Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of War Horse has leaked online.  The movie charts the journey of a horse named Joey and his quest to reunite with a farmer’s son named Albert (Jeremy Irvine) against the backdrop of World War I.  Disney should release the official trailer soon, but the quality of this version is sufficient for now.  If you were hoping for a sweeping epic with a soaring John Williams score, the new clip promises just that.
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/

**International Trailer for WHAT’S YOUR NUMBER? **Johnny Simmons Cast in 21 JUMP STREET and THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER **Joel Kinnaman Joins Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds in SAFE HOUSE **Olivia Munn, Alison Pill, Marisa Tomei Joining Aaron Sorkin’s HBO Series MORE AS THIS STORY DEVELOPS

Johnny Simmons Cast in 21 JUMP STREET and THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: April 25th, 2011

Johnny Simmons (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) has scheduled the rest of his 2011 slate — the babyfaced 24-year-old will, like he has for most of his career, continue to play teenagers.  Up first is the 21 Jump Street movie, where Simmons acts opposite Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube, Scott Pilgrim co-star Brie Larson.  Next, Simmons will shoot the The Perks of Being a Wallflower adaptation with Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, Nina Dobrev and Scott Pilgrim co-star Mae Whitman.  Later in the year, Variety confirms Simmons is on board the naughty comedy The Hand Job with Andy Samberg, Donald Glover, Connie Britton, Alia Shawkat, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Scott Porter, Dominic Dierkes, DC Pierson.  Oh, and Scott Pilgrim co-stars Mae Whitman and Aubrey Plaza, not to mention “The Voice” of Scott Pilgrim, Bill Hader.  (Can we take a brief second to re-marvel at the amazing Scott Pilgrim supporting cast?  Ripples for decades!  Okay, back to the piece.)

Hit the jump for more on each project.

.............. http://collider.com/johnny-simmons-21-jump-street-perks-being-wallflower/87584/

THE KILLING Star Joel Kinnaman Joins Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds in SAFE HOUSE

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: April 25th, 2011

The new AMC series The Killing is host to fine some acting — too fine to be confined to television.  Tonight, it was reported Mireille Enos is in talks to join Brad Pitt in World War Z; now Heat Vision adds that her Killing co-star Joel Kinnaman will star opposite Denzel Washington, Ryan Reynolds, Tim McGraw, Brendan Gleeson, Ruben Blades and the recently announced Vera Farmiga in Safe House.  The story follows “the only surviving agent of an attack on a CIA safe house (Reynolds) as he tries to transport a lethal prisoner (Washington) to a second destination before being taken out by violent forces that want them both dead.”  Kinnaman will play a man who operates the safe house in what Heat Vision calls “a key role.”

The Swedish actor first gained international attention last year in Snabba Cash.  Safe House just so happens to be the Hollywood debut of director Daniel Espinosa.  Kinnaman will first be seen in The Darkest Hour, an alien invasion thriller due December 23.  Safe House follows on February 10, 2012.  Filming is currently underway in South Africa.

.......... http://collider.com/joel-kinnaman-safe-house/87606/

Olivia Munn, Alison Pill, Marisa Tomei Joining Aaron Sorkin’s HBO Series MORE AS THIS STORY DEVELOPS

by Ethan Anderton    Posted: April 25th, 2011

We already know that Jeff Daniels is slated to lead a new HBO pilot from writer Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network) with Greg Mottola attached to direct. Now the female side of the cast is filling out as Deadline reports Olivia Munn (Date Night), Alison Pill (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) and potentially Marisa Tomei (The Wrestler) are in various stages of joining the project tentatively titled More As This Story Develops. The new series would follow cable news anchor Will McCallister (Jeff Daniels), who has his own show, as well as the show’s female executive producer and staff.

Tomei is currently inching closer to taking the lead female role of executive producer, MacKenzie, for whom producing the news is what she does best and everything else is just noise. Apparently her involvement isn’t official yet, but it sounds like she’ll end up taking the role. Meanwhile, Munn and Pill are already in negotiations for their roles with the former playing a sexy financial analyst on the same cable network as McCallister and the latter taking the role of Maggie, an associate producer on the assignment desk. Sounds like quite a promising series, with a spectacular cast being rounded up. Stay tuned as this project develops.

........ http://collider.com/olivia-munn-marisa-tomei-more-as-this-story-develops/87612/

International Trailer for WHAT’S YOUR NUMBER?

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: April 26th, 2011

An international trailer for the comedy What’s Your Number?.  Anna Faris stars as a woman  who realizes upon sleeping with her 20th guy that she may have missed Mr. Right along the way.  Chris Evans, Zachary Quinto, Matthew Bomer, Chris Pratt, Andy Samberg, Joel McHale, and Thomas Lennon had all been previously announced as being in the cast, but this new trailer shows that Martin Freeman (BBC’s Sherlock) and Anthony Mackie (The Adjustment Bureau) are also in the mix.  As for the trailer itself, it looks it could be a solid comic showcase for the talented Faris as long as the script doesn’t fall into too many rom-com cliches.

Mark Mylod (Entourage) directed the script by Jennifer Crittenden (The New Adventures of Old Christine) and Gabrielle Allan (Scrubs).  Hit the jump to check out the international trailer.  What’s Your Number? opens September 30.  Watch the trailer after the jump.

.............. http://collider.com/whats-your-number-trailer/87008/