With the summer tentpoles already beginning to reach theaters, many actors are now nabbing jobs to secure themselves through the end of the year and into the next. Here’s a rundown of the upcoming roles that have been inked in the last couple of days.
Did you like “Frankenstein” and/or Joel Schumacher’s 90s ‘classic’ “Flatliners?” Well, Hollywood seems to be combining the two in the Lionsgate medical thriller, “Reawakening,” and have nabbed Olivia Wilde and Mark Duplass as the leads. The story is helmed by David Gelb, who made the documentary “Jiro Dreams of Sushi,” making him something of an intriguing choice to direct. The story follows a group of research students who are able to bring back the dead. Expect a start date to be announced soon. [Variety]
Teenage actress Hailee Steinfeld is on a casting tear, especially in light of the release of the “Ender’s Game” trailer. She’s jumped aboard the Philip Noyce film, “For the Dogs,” as a teenage girl who enlists the help of a reformed assassin (played by “Terminator: Salvation” star Sam Worthington) to avenge her murdered family; might we see a return to “True Grit” territory? The film is based on a script by Oren Moverman who penned the fantastic film, “The Messenger.” There’s been little movement on the project since the announcement of Worthington earlier this year, but it’s good to see it moving forward. [Deadline Hollywood]
“Saturday Night Live” alum Bill Hader, who just today announced he’ll be departing the show when the current season wraps this weekend, isn’t wasting any time jumping back into movies after fun appearances in “Paul” and “Men in Black 3.” He next stars in “Lawless,” the story of a chairman for a high school reunion that’s forced to fly to L.A. to convince a popular member of his graduating class – now a commercials star – to come home for the reunion. The character of the chairman is described as a man “still searching for acceptance,” which should be perfect for the quirky Hader. “Lawless” is the revamped title for the film “20-Year Itch,” penned by “Yes Man” scribes Jarrad Paul and Andrew Mogel, who are making their directorial debut here. The film is also set to be produced by RipCord Productions, founded by actor Mike White and David Bernad, which might bode well for something closer to “Chuck & Buck” than, well, “Yes Man.” A summer shoot in Atlanta is being prepped. [Hollywood Reporter]
Screen Gems had an unexpected hit on their hands last year with “Think Like A Man,” based on the bestselling relationship book by comedian Steve Harvey. With an $18 million opening weekend, a sequel was a foregone conclusion, and it’s now definitively moving forward as Deadline have announced that “Some Girl(s)” star Adam Brody has jumped onto the project as Isaac, a fratty friend of Kevin Hart’s character. Apparently the twist is that no one expects Isaac to be white, no doubt hijinks ensue. Brody has become an indie darling since his exit from the “The O.C.” a few years back (remember that fine teen soap opera?) He’ll next star in the aforementioned Neil LaBute film, which already has a few clips out, and he’ll be starring in the lackluster porn biopic “Lovelace” out later this year. “Think Like a Man 2” (or however they plan to tell you it’s a sequel) already has a scheduled release date of June 20th, 2014. [Deadline Hollywood]
Interested in Billy Crystal’s sex life? Sony Pictures hopes so because it’s just been announced that Crystal will take the lead in “Winter’s Discontent,” the 2008 Black List script by Paul Fruchbom. The script tells of a widower (Crystal) who moves into an active mature community to reinvigorate his sex life. Is that a cool term for an old folks home? The film will be helmed by classic comedy director Frank Oz who’s made some minor gems like “In & Out” and “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” among others. No start date or shooting info to report, so look for a few more actors to jump on-board in the coming months. [Deadline Hollywood]
HOW MANY MOVIES ARE TITLED LAWLESS??