More Random Trade News: Also, Tommy Lee Jones Joins Meryl Streep & Steve Carell In ‘Great Hope Springs’
Ok, a trunkload of news has come out of Cannes this week. No fooling or messing around, lets do this.
So Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum are starring in the big-screen remake of “21 Jump Street,” and as you probably know, they’ve been talking up a Johnny Depp cameo for months, so much so that it seemed inevitable that it wouldn’t happen. Guess again, cynical Playlisters. Depp confirmed that it happened during recent press for “Pirates of the Caribbean: Need New Island Off the Coast of France.” “It all got sorted out,” he told MTV. “I went and did my bit as I was hoping to, and it worked out really well. It was really fun. I got to spend some time with Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum and the wonderful directors [Phil Lord and Chris Miller] on that. It was a great experience.” Hooray? Jonah we have faith, please don’t make us regret it.
In what amounts to one of the most hilarious casting announcements of the year, 50 Cent will apparently play a blind DJ in Stephen Sommers‘ “Odd Thomas,” a mystery thriller (based on a Dean R. Koontz novel) that already stars Anton Yelchin, Tim Robbins, Willem Dafoe, Addison Timlin and Patton Oswalt. Sommers, of course, directed “G.I Joe: The Rise of Cobra” and Mr. Cent is known for his roles in “Before I Self Destruct” and “Things Fall Apart,” the drama he lost all that weight for last year. As we like to say around the Playlist water cooler, 50 Cent is the gift that keeps on giving.
And yet there is so much more.
Described as “Zombieland” meets “The Big Lebowski,” the horribly titled “Rapture-Paloooza” does admittedly sound pretty intriguing. Already starring Anna Kendrick, John Francis Daley (“Freaks & Geeks,” burgeoning Hollywood screenwriter) and Craig Robinson, the picture has just added a comedy trifecta of Thomas Lennon (“Reno 911!“), Rob Huebel (“Human Giant“) and the always excellent Rob Corddry, who pretty much stole every scene in “Hot Tub Time Machine.”
According to a just-sent press release, Tommy Lee Jones has closed his deal to star in “Great Hope Springs” alongside Meryl Streep and Steve Carell. Based on a Black List script by Vanessa Taylor, the comedy will be directed by David Frankel (“Marley & Me,” “The Devil Wears Prada“).
Topher Grace has joined Robert De Niro, Diane Keaton, Katherine Heigl and Amanda Seyfried in the newly announced project, “Gently Down the Stream“
En Rah Ha! Eddie Marsan (“Happy-Go-Lucky“) will direct and star in a 1980s-set version of “Richard III.”
Paramount and Platinum Dunes = the best new movie title of the year, “The Hauntepreneur.” Dunes is, of course, Michael Bay‘s B-movie production shingle that has given us classics like the “Friday the 13th” reboot, the “A Nightmare on Elm Street” reboot, and “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” and they’re developing remakes of “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” and “The Monster Squad.” Originality is obviously their bread and butter. Frankly, this new title and the company deserve each other.
