Archive for the Casting News Category

Gwyneth Paltrow Confirms Her Return To ‘Glee’

Happy Hollidays Ahead
Posted by: Trent on December 13, 2010| 12 Comments

Gwyneth Paltrow had such a blast making a guest appearance on Glee last month that she is already giddily looking forward to her return to the show. Because Gwyneth‘s appearance was such a success, it was presumed that she might return to the show for a repeat performance. According to Gwyn herself, her return is absolutely certain:

If you loved the sound of Gwyneth Paltrow on Glee, you’re in luck because the actress will be back for more singing and dancing as substitute teacher Holly Holliday. “I’m going to do one more,” the Country Strong star tells Access Hollywood. “I signed up for two … so I’m excited!” Paltrow … says the whole experience of filming an episode of FOX’s hit show was a blast. “Just the incredible challenge of getting off a plane, going to record four songs immediately in one afternoon, and then having to learn all the dance numbers in like 20 minutes,” she says of what she enjoyed about the stint. “I love Ryan Murphy. He’s an old friend of mine and I was just in awe of everybody’s talent and getting to work with Jane Lynch, and Matt Morrison is so adorable and all the kids – it was just great. It was really fun.”

I, for one, LOVED Gwyneth on Glee so I’m among the many folks who were hoping Holly Holliday would make at least one more appearance on the show … so this is great news. To be honest, except for Britney Spears, Gwyneth‘s guest starring role is my fave. I can’t wait to find out under what circumstances Ms. Holliday will return to the halls of William McKinley High School. Are YOU as excited as I am about Gwyneth‘s return to Glee?

[Source]

Share:
| Posted under: ,

First Look: Emma Watson In ‘My Week with Marilyn’

Her first post-'Harry Potter' role
Posted by: Trent on December 10, 2010| 12 Comments

In October we got our first look at Michelle Williams in costume as Marilyn Monroe. In November we got our second (and, IMHO, better) look at Michelle as Marilyn. Today we get our first look at Michelle‘s co-star Emma Watson in her role in their film My Week with Marilyn … behold:

Film chieftain Harvey Weinstein wants to take Emma Watson under his wing and mould a big post-Harry Potter screen career for her. The studio boss was getting all excited (professionally!) over Emma after seeing her on the set of My Week With Marilyn (where she gets seduced by leading man Eddie Redmayne), and then watching the footage of Simon Curtis’s film. Emma, back in London for additional filming on the final part of Deathly Hallows, donned a wig over her gamine hairstyle to play the small but important role of Lucy, an assistant in the wardrobe department at Pinewood studios in 1956. The film’s based on a memoir by Colin Clark, who was Laurence Olivier’s assistant on the movie and who, during an intense period of filming, became Marilyn Monroe’s confidant. But he flirted with Lucy as much as possible in between takes. Clark described Lucy as ‘one of the prettiest little girls I have ever seen in my life… slim as a wand, curly brown hair, huge brown eyes and a wide cheeky grin.’ Harvey told me: ‘For ten years she has been this schoolgirl in the Harry Potter films and now you see her as a woman for the first time. ‘She has an elegance about her – she looks like Jean Shrimpton! – plus she has a gift for comedy and drama, and we’re just starting to see her range. I feel we’re going to work together a lot in the future.’ He was speaking before a screening in New York for the film Blue Valentine, which features powerful performances from Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams, who portrays Monroe on My Week With Marilyn. The latter’s director Simon Curtis called Emma a ‘proper actress’. Curtis cast Daniel Radcliffe in his first role when he played David Copperfield in 1999. ‘It’s great to have given Emma her first job after Harry Potter,’ he added.

I am really excited to see Emma Watson in her first post-Harry Potter role. As I’ve said numerous times, I think she is a fantastic actress and I’m very confident that she and her Harry Potter cohorts (Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint) will have long, successful careers in film. I must say, tho, that I’ve gotten so used to Emma‘s cute short ‘do that she looks kinda funny to me with long hair again. Still … I cannot wait to see this film.

[Source]

Share:
| Posted under: ,

Teddy Montgomery On ‘90210’ Is Getting A New Boyfriend

Goodbye Ian, Hello Marco
Posted by: Trent on December 9, 2010| 4 Comments

Trevor Donovan‘s character Teddy on 90210 may have shared a same-sex kiss with Kyle Riabko‘s character Ian ONCE or TWICE but the days of Teddy and Ian kissing on the show are about to be over. According to a new report, Riabko is leaving 90210 very soon leaving the role of Teddy‘s love interest wide open … enter actor Freddie Smith and his character Marco:

For someone who’s not even out of the closet, 90210’s resident gay Teddy (Trevor Donovan) sure is seeing a lot of action. On the heels of the wannabe McEnroe’s first man-on-man smooch with current love interest Ian (Kyle Riabko), the increasingly addictive CW soap has cast newcomer Freddie Smith to play Teddy’s super-athletic and friendly new beau Marco. Although a 90210 rep declined to comment, a West Bev insider tells me that [spoiler alert!] Smith is being brought in to fill the void left by Riabko, who is leaving of his own accord. (I’m told Riabko wants to make himself available for the looming pilot season).

Marco is rumored to be making his debut on the show in February, which means that we only have a few more eps to look forward to that will feature the burgeoning romantic relationship between Teddy and Ian. I must say, in terms of Teddy‘s careful coming out, the timing couldn’t be worse. He is finally coming to terms with his homosexuality, he has finally declared his feelings for another guy … and that guy will soon be out of the picture. I’m glad to hear that the 90210 bosses already have another guy lined up to play Teddy‘s love interest but … dang … I have really been enjoying the growing relationship between Teddy and Ian. Ah well … love can be a fragile thing. I’m very glad that producers plan to keep featuring same-sex love relationships on the show … it’s one of the many things I love about watching 90210.

[Source]

Share:
| Posted under: ,

Aaron Eckhart Reveals That Two Face Will NOT Be In ‘Batman: The Dark Knight Rises’

... and he is "heartbroken."
Posted by: Trent on December 3, 2010| 6 Comments

In a new interview with MTV, actor Aaron Eckhart reveals that the character he played in Batman: The Dark Knight will not be featured in the upcoming sequel film Batman: The Dark Knight Rises. According to Eckhart, director Christopher Nolan broke the news himself that the villainous Harvey Two Face Dent will not make it into the next Batman film … and he is heartbroken about it:

“Chris and I had a meeting, on the beach, just the two of us,” Eckhart told MTV News on the red carpet for “Rabbit Hole” on Thursday. “I said, ‘Chris, a lot of people are asking me if I’m in the next ‘Batman.’ And Chris said, ‘Yes?’ I said, ‘Am I?’ He looked at me and he said, ‘No.’ ” Wait, a meeting on the beach? Is this a true story? “It actually is,” Eckhart replied. “It’s even weirder than I’m explaining it.” So there you have it: official confirmation that Dent won’t show his two faces on the big screen come the film’s July 2012 release. But, um, what of this strange beachside meeting? “We found ourselves alone on the beach together on a stormy day and he delivered the news to me,” Eckhart explained. “And I was heartbroken. I was heartbroken. But Chris has his reasons and my life must go on.” As Eckhart explained this summer, Nolan’s original plan was to bring back Heath Ledger’s Joker for the new film. But Ledger’s death in 2008 of course changed that plan. Nolan will be starting over, with a new villain or possibly more than one. And that’s fine with Eckhart. “Honestly, it was Heath’s movie to go on,” he told us Thursday. “We had a great movie. I’m so honored to be a part of that movie. I know Chris has got something in store that is going to blow everybody away.”

It’s unclear if Two Face is actually dead (as was alluded at the end of The Dark Knight) or if he merely didn’t make the cut for the next film but, well, at least we know where the Dark Knight Rises plot isn’t going. If the rumors are true that Tom Hardy will play Hugo Strange in the new Batman film, then he will likely be teamed up again with Scarecrow (played by Cillian Murphy … and particularly because Hugo Strange and Scarecrow have worked together a lot in the comics) who has appeared in both Nolan Batman films thus far. That being said, I loved Aaron Eckhart as Two Face … he will be missed.

[Source]

Share:
| Posted under: , ,

Anne Hathaway & James Franco Will Host The 83rd Annual Academy Awards

The Young and the Restless
Posted by: Trent on November 29, 2010| 11 Comments

Stop the presses, y’all. Actors Anne Hathaway and James Franco have just been signed to host the 83rd annual Academy Awards show on February 27, 2011. It was rumored that the pair were being courted for the gig and they must’ve both said yes as quickly as they could cuz now it’s official … Anne and James will be hosting the Oscars!

James Franco and Anne Hathaway have been tabbed to co-host the Feb. 27 Academy Awards. Both have films currently in release: Franco stars in “127 Hours” and Hathaway co-stars with Jake Gyllenhaal in “Love and Other Drugs.” Neither have hosted before, but Hathaway participated in a song-and-dance routine when Hugh Jackman hosted in 2009. Move comes a year after the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences had Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin front the show. The Oscars will be telecast by ABC from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.

While this will not be the first time that actors have co-hosted the Oscars I believe this is the first time such young actors have been tapped for the job. I LOVED Anne‘s song-and-dance bit with host Hugh Jackman during the 2009 Oscars (so much so that I would LOVE to have Hugh Jackman host the Oscars every year) so I think she will make a great host. Paired with Franco, well, it’ll be very interesting to see how it all plays out. The Academy Awards play much better to the older Hollywood set so I’m curious to see if the young duo will cater to the older, traditional Oscar watcher or if they’ll youngen up the awards show. I would’ve never guessed that either of these two would ever get to host the Academy Awards … let’s just hope they don’t eff it all up.

So … what do y’all think?

[Source]

Share:
| Posted under: , ,

Mark Wahlberg Says That He Will NOT Play The Crow In The Redux Film

"We never committed to making the movie"
Posted by: Trent on November 23, 2010| 4 Comments

Last month we read a disheartening report that claimed that Marky Mark Wahlberg was in talks to play The Crow in the planned upcoming remake film (which was scheduled to begin filming over the Summer). Today we hear from Marky Mark himself and, thankfully, he reveals that he will NOT be playing The Crow … much to my immense relief:

Mark Whalberg, star and producer of the new movie ‘The Fighter,’ told Cinematical that contrary to earlier reports, he is not going to be a part of the forthcoming remake of ‘The Crow.’ “We never committed to making the movie,” Wahlberg said in a one-on-one interview in Los Angeles on Saturday. “They talked to me about it and there was a director attached who I was a fan of, and he’s no longer doing it. We just thought about it – ‘is there something cool to be done there?’ But we’re not committed to making the movie.”

Thank you gods, Thank you gods, Thank you gods, Thank you gods, Thank you gods, Thank you gods, Thank you gods, Thank you gods, Thank you gods, Thank you gods, Thank you gods, Thank you gods, Thank you gods, Thank you gods, Thank you gods, Thank you gods, Thank you gods, Thank you gods, Thank you gods, Thank you gods, Thank you gods, Thank you gods … that is all.

[Source]

Share:
| Posted under: ,

Christian Bale Says The Next Batman Film May Be His Last

“This will be ... the last time I’ll be playing Batman"
Posted by: Trent on November 23, 2010| 9 Comments

In a new interview with Christian Bale, he makes clear that the next Batman film — The Dark Knight Rises — will be his last … that is, unless he hears differently from director Christopher Nolan. Bale is currently on the promo train for his new film The Fighter and was asked about the just announced next Batman film … here is what he had to say:

This may be the end for the Dark Knight. The caped crusader himself, Christian Bale, recently sat down with E! News’ own Ben Lyons to talk about how he chooses his roles to clearing up rumors surrounding The Dark Knight Rises. Turns out, Bale has a very straightforward technique for sifting through all the speculation: “Until Chris [Nolan] tells me, I don’t believe it,” Bale says. “It’s gotta be from his mouth, or else I don’t really know.” But there’s one very important bit of information Nolan hasn’t yet shared with his star. And it’s kind of difficult to hear if you’re a fan of the reinvigorated franchise: “The thing is that this will be, I believe, unless Chris says different, this will be the last time I’m playing Batman.” Let’s just hope Chris says different.

It makes sense that Bale might believe that his days as Batman might be over after the next film, after all, these sorts of movie franchises really only last for 3 films. BUT, as we have learned from Johnny Depp‘s portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean films, there’s always a chance that movie franchises can live beyond just 3 films. While I think it is very smart for Bale to not believe anything he hears until he hears it from Christopher Nolan himself, I wouldn’t necessarily count on his Batman days being over just yet. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

[Source]

Share:
| Posted under: ,

Malin Akerman Will Play Linda Lovelace In ‘Inferno’

Malin wins the role that Lindsay Lohan lost
Posted by: Trent on November 21, 2010| 1 Comment

Yesterday we learned the news (which, IMHO is great news) that Lindsay Lohan had been fired (or she quit, depending on who you believe) from appearing in the upcoming Matthew Wilder biopic Inferno which will tell the tragic life story of the late porn actress Linda Lovelace. Later in the day, Deadline revealed which actress has already been cast in the Lovelace role to replace Lohan … and that actress is Malin Akerman:

Malin Akerman (Couples Retreat, Watchmen, 27 Dresses) is now confirmed to replace Lindsay Lohan in Inferno: A Linda Lovelace Story. from director/writer Matthew Wilder’s script which made the 2008 Black List. “My understanding is that Lindsay was dropped as she’s impossible to insure and the producers loved Malin,” an insider emails. Malin’s upcoming credits include Wanderlust (Paul Rudd, Jen Aniston) … She is also attached to star opposite Ethan Hawke in The Numbers Station. The Lovelace project … is based on the novel Ordeal: An Autobiography by Linda Lovelace with Mike McGrady.

Naturally, in the wake of the news of Lindsay being uncast from the film, her people have been telling everyone that it was her decision to quit the film while folks on Team Inferno insist that she was fired. Deadline has an impeccable reputation for reporting actual facts and is always right about these sorts of things … if they report that Lindsay was “dropped” then I’m more inclined to believe them. STILL, no matter if she was fired or if she quit, I think it is FANTASTIC news that Lindsay will not be playing a hardcore substance abuser and porn star in her next film. The girl needs to focus on her sobriety, period. Malin Akerman hasn’t really impressed me in anything I’ve seen her in … except for Watchmen. She was decent in the role as Silk Spectre II … does that mean she’s got the chops to bring Linda Lovelace to life on the big screen? That remains to be seen … I do believe, tho, that she is a better actress than Lindsay so … this recasting news sounds like a good thing for everyone involved.

[Source]

Share:
| Posted under: ,

Lindsay Lohan Has Been Fired From ‘Inferno’

No Lovelace for Lindsay
Posted by: Trent on November 20, 2010| 6 Comments

Welp, it looks like Lindsay Lohan‘s dream of playing a hardcore porn star in her next feature film has been dashed … because she has just been “let go” from playing Linda Lovelace in Matthew Wilder‘s upcoming film Inferno. As you may know, L. Lo is currently rehabbing in a Sober Living House at the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, CA and, apparently, her ongoing rehab has forced producers to fire her from Inferno and more forward without her:

You snooze, you lose. You violate probation and have to take an extended stay in rehab…you lose. Despite previous assurances that the production was ready and waiting for Lindsay Lohan, Inferno director Matthew Wilder exclusively tells E! News that his Linda Lovelace biopic is moving on without the troubled star. “We are withdrawing our offer from Lindsay Lohan,” Wilder says. “We are currently in negotiations [with another actress] and working out the legalities of bringing her onboard” … “We have stuck by Lindsay very patiently for a long time with a lot of love and support,” Wilder says. “Ultimately, the impossibility of insuring her—and some other issues—have made it impossible for us to go forward.” Lohan made a brief stop at her West Hollywood condo last weekend, but is currently residing at sober living facility affiliated with the Betty Ford Center out in Rancho Mirage, Calif. She must remain in rehab until at least Jan. 3, per the terms of her probation. Her rep tells E! News, “Lindsay is dedicated to her recovery and together they decided to move forward without her.”

Um, hello … this is THE BEST NEWS EVER for Lindsay Lohan! I was never on board with her decision to play Linda Lovelace in Inferno, particularly because of the hardcore nudity and violence that is promised in the film. To be honest, the role just sounds exploitative … particularly where Lindsay is concerned. I think it is absolutely for the best for Lindsay to NOT play the role of a hardcore drug abuser as soon as she gets out of drug and alcohol rehab. Actually, I don’t think Lindsay should be filming any movies immediately after she gets out of rehab (i.e. she should spend as much time as possible staying away from the temptations of Hollywood) but she REALLY should not be stripping nude in character as a drug addict. Yeah, this is good news for Lindsay … and her fragile sobriety.

[Source]

Share:
| Posted under: ,

Will Tom Hardy Play Hugo Strange In ‘Batman: The Dark Knight Rises’?

'Strange' days ahead
Posted by: Trent on November 19, 2010| 7 Comments

Last month we learned the happy/exciting news that Inception actor Tom Hardy had been cast in an unknown role in the upcoming sequel film Batman: The Dark Knight Rises. When news of Hardy‘s casting first hit, it was speculated that he would be playing a villain … but NOT The Riddler (as director Christopher Nolan has revealed outright that The Riddler will NOT be featured in the next Batman film). Today we are hearing a new rumor that Hardy will play a bad guy in The Dark Knight Rises but it ain’t any villain that casual Batman fans might even know about. It is being reported that Tom Hardy will play classic and recurring Batman villain Hugo Strange:

Last month we learned Bronson and Inception star Tom Hardy was starring in The Dark Knight Rises, the third film in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy. While most of us Bat fans were ecstatic to hear that Hardy had joined the cast, we were also left wondering (and speculating) about who the actor would play. Now Batman News is reporting a rumor (taken from a source who has proven to be reliable) that Hardy is actually playing the villain known as Hugo Strange. While fanboys know all about Strange, the average moviegoer may be wondering just who this character is … Hugo Strange has had a long and, well, strange history in the Batman comic books. He was one of Batman’s first recurring villains (as far back as 1940), preceding more famous bat-foes like Catwoman or The Joker. Strange has appeared, been killed off, and since reappeared many times in the subsequent decades of Batman comics; his backstory has also undergone several revisions … The version of Strange you’re most likely to see onscreen is the one where the character is a prominent (or celebrity) psychologist with mob ties. In the famous Batman storyline “Prey”, Hugo Strange is tapped by the Gotham P.D. to work up a profile on the Batman, in order to help the police catch the vigilante. Strange is said to have been raised in “Hell’s Crucible,” a tough Gotham neighborhood not far from “Crime Alley,” that infamous site where Bruce Wayne’s parents were murdered. While brilliant, Strange is also violent and unstable – in one version of his origin he was suspended from his tenure at Gotham State University for conducting bizarre experiments that transformed people into mindless, destructive (and deformed) brutes. Strange becomes increasingly obsessed with discovering who Batman is, and eventually with actually becoming Batman himself (which he eventually does, doing some terrible things in Batman’s name). The twisted villain eventually deduces through his psyche examinations that Bruce Wayne is likely Batman, and uses that knowledge to turn the police against the vigilante and lure Batman to his doom … Hugo Strange is a time-tested Batman villain, and his various story archs have the added bonus of tying up a lot of the story that has been put forth by both Batman Begins and The Dark Knight – a goal we already know Nolan has firmly planted in mind. We … know that Chris and Jonathan Nolan, along with screenwriter David Goyer, have already established a trend of borrowing elements of famous Batman stories for their movies. I personally expect that trend to continue with The Dark Knight Rises, and as you can read above, a lot of the most fitting story archs for this third Batman film fall squarely under the Hugo Strange banner.

Without question, Batman‘s Gallery of Rogues is full of many bad guys that most people have never even heard of before. Much like Ra’s al Ghul in Batman Begins, Hugo Strange is one of those villains that has a long history with Batman but isn’t as well-known as other villains (like The Joker, Catwoman, The Penguin, The Riddler, Poison Ivy, Mr. Freeze, Scarecrow, etc.). For me, this casting rumor makes a lot of sense … it’s clear that Nolan loves working with classic Batman villains that cater to comic book fans rather than pop culture acquaintances. Pairing Hugo Strange with Scarecrow makes perfect sense … as does casting Tom Hardy as Hugo Strange:


I’m not gonna lie … my heart really belongs to the iconic Batman villains better known amongst pop culture watchers … BUT, I fully trust Christopher Nolan‘s vision and I fully support his decision to showcase villains that might not be as well known among casual fans. I’m just really excited that Tom Hardy will be featured in such a high profile film. For me, he was one of the best things about Inception … I can’t wait to see what he will bring to the Batman film franchise mythos.

Any Hugo Strange fans out there? What do y’all think of this casting rumor news?

[Source]

Share:
| Posted under: , ,