Well, that’s weird. We were just wondering what was going on with this film and lo and behold an update has arrived.
Variety reports that Matthew Goode has come aboard “Oldboy” director Park Chan-Wook’s English language debut “Stoker.” The bad news, is that Colin Firth — attached to the film earlier in the year — has dropped out. “Stoker” is described as a fantastical, fairy-tale like family drama that follows the story of an eccentric teen, India (Mia Wasikowska), whose enigmatic and estranged uncle returns to the family after the death of the girl’s father. People, however, start to go missing in her hometown at the same time and she soon discovers that her uncle may be the cause. Nicole Kidman is still on board to play India’s mother, and Goode taking the part of the uncle (the role previously pegged for Firth).
Goode is probably best known for his role in Zack Snyder‘s “Watchmen” and at one point he was among the final contenders to suit up for “Man Of Steel.” He’s joined up a few projects this year including the Pierre Morel action pic “Overdrive” and Neil LaBute‘s “Crooked House.” But this is the kind of film that could take him to bigger and better things, so we’re glad to see him in here.
No word yet on when this will get going but it’s a priority project over at Fox Searchlight and we imagine they want to get it rolling soon. Could a return to Cannes — where he won jury prizes for both “Oldboy” and “Thirst” — be in the works? Let’s hope so.
Love Matthew Goode. Looking very forward to seeing him do this film as well as the upcoming Agatha Christie thriller. Bring him on!
In an interview, Firth said that he would love to play a villain but in the scripts he has recently been offered the villains have been too \”two-dimensional\”. His intuitions have been wrong earlier (almost turned down Pride and Prejudice and also almost passed on The Single Man), but perhaps he was right this time? Perhaps something jarred in the script? Villain at any rate is not worth it, after all.
Anyway, Variety makes it quite clear that it was his own choice, unlike a number of Internet sources that boldly declare that he was \”beaten\” by Goode. .. (Goode is actually quite good -pun not intended – and needs a major break).
I\’m disappointed not in Matthew Goode\’s casting (who is an excellent actor and needs more roles like that), but in Firth\’s departure, since it would\’ve been something really deferent for him and I was looking forward for him to work with Nicole Kidman. Interesting that instead of looking for another actor in his late 40\’s early 50\’s they went with a considerably younger Goode.
Hopefully if Firth is out, it means that My Fair Lady remake might be still alive.
Disappointed as well. The casting of Firth made me really excited for this; seemed like the perfect opportunity for Firth to show that there are more sides to him than \’restrained English gentleman\’. I like Goode and am sure he would do a good job but Firth as a villain would have been a much more interesting draw.
seems like a major step down.
This bums me out so much. This was an ingenious way to follow up The King\’s Speech, and it\’s quite unlike anything I ever expected out of Firth. I was looking forward to him in this.