“Fifty Shades of Grey” star Dakota Johnson has joined the cast of “I Am Love” helmer Luca Guadagnino’s next picture titled “A Bigger Splash.” This was the film reported as the untitled “sexy thriller” that would star Tilda Swinton, Ralph Fiennes, Margot Robbie and Matthias Schoenaerts in May. Variety reveals it’s actually a long-gestating adaptation of 1969 French crime drama “La Piscine,” directed by Jacques Deray starring Alain Delon and Romy Schneider (quietly excellent if you haven’t seen it). This is something Guadagnino’s been working on development in semi-secret for some time now. The trade mentions Tilda Swinton and Ralph Fiennes, so it’s possible the other two aforementioned stars fell out (or Dakota replaced Robbie). We’ll find out soon enough. [Variety]
Domhnall Gleeson is joining Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy and Will Poulter in Alejandro González Iñárritu‘s "The Revenant." The story will follow "an 1820s frontiersman on a path of vengeance against those who left him for dead after a bear mauling" and will shoot this fall. [Variety]
Olivia Wilde, Luke Wilson, Elisabeth Moss and Natasha Lyonne have been lined up to star in "Meadowlands." Cinematographer Reed Morano is making her directorial debut on the project that "follows a couple, Sarah (Wilde) and New York City cop David (Wilson) who are dealing with the crisis of their son’s disappearance. While David loses his way, Sarah also places herself in dangerous situations following the calamity." Production begins next month. [Deadline]
It's LA Piscine. French grammar police here.
Show business is such a small world sometimes. Funny, Dakota Johnson is getting cast in more interesting roles than Kristen Stewart, since in 50 Shades, she's playing a character based on Kristen/Bella. And Margot Robbie replaced Stewart in Focus, with Will Smith.
While I think 50 Shades will be atrocious crap (much the way the Twilight franchise was), I also think it's going to make a truckload of money and Dakota will be getting offered much better roles.
And I hope Sam Taylor does better than Catherine Hardwicke did with her follow up film. Curious how they hire women directors for these kind of pulp romance movies. I wonder if it's because they can pay them less and boss them around more?