The lovely Carla Gugino (Sin City, Spy Kids, late of Entourage) joins Zack Snyder’s Watchmen as Sally Jupiter, a.k.a. the original Silk Spectre. A solid choice (although she doesn’t really look related to Malin Ackerman.)
Category: Casting
(Death) Racing Straight-to-Video.
Tyrese Gibson, Jason Statham, and Joan Allen are cast in a forthcoming remake of the 1975 cult film Death Race 2000, to be helmed by (notorious hack) Paul W. S. Anderson. Uh, Joan Allen? That’s “Judi Dench in The Chronicles of Riddick” weird. Update: Al Swearingen’s in too.
Maid Marion.
“Indiana Jones. I always knew some day you’d come walking back through my door. I never doubted that. Something made it inevitable.” Careful Cate…Dr. Jones’ original inamorata is back on the scene, and she’s got a mean right hook. Official word (and picture) comes down that Karen Allen is returning as Marion Ravenwood in Indy 4, which is definitely a welcome inclusion. Update: More pics, and a Comic-Con presentation rundown, here.
Vigilantes and Vulcans.
Also, some casting news that emerged on the eve of Comic-Con: First, the Watchmen cast is now official — yes, it’s finally happening — and it is as rumored (along with Jeffrey Dean Morgan of Grey’s Anatomy — um, ok — as The Comedian.) And, for the trekkies out there, it seems Matthew Quinto, a.k.a. Heroes Big Bad Sylar, has been cast as Starfleet Academy-era Spock for J.J. Abrams’ Trek movie. (Also, strange to discover from this article that Abrams and Greg Grunberg, the mind-reading cop of Heroes, are childhood best friends.) Now, Quinto is a good physical match…a highly logical choice. But Sam Rockwell as James T. Kirk? That’s genius. (Spock pic not official — I found it here.) Update: Another casting note: Tim Blake Nelson joins Louis Leterrier’s Incredible Hulk revamp as Dr. Samuel Sterns (a.k.a. The Leader), further swelling an already ridiculously tricked-out cast for a remake of a movie made less than five years ago. But, hey, gift horses and all that.
Watching Me, Watching You.
More casting for Zack Snyder’s take on Watchmen: Jackie Earle Haley and Patrick Wilson (both of Little Children) now seems all but confirmed as Rorschach and Nite-Owl respectively. As Dr. Manhattan, Billy Crudup. As Silk Spectre, Malin Ackerman of Harold and Kumar. And as Ozymandias, Matthew Goode of Match Point. Well, no egregious misfires in that bunch (and not much star power either, which may make the suits nervous. Fine by me.) Now, it’ll all come down to Snyder.
Indiana, Hurt and (Broad)bent.
Dr. Henry Jones, Jr. garners some more distinguished colleagues for Indy 4 with announcements that John Hurt has joined the film (some sites say as Albert Einstein, others as Abner Ravenwood), as has Jim Broadbent (in what’s likely to be a Marcus Brody-type role.) Already on board: Cate Blanchett, Shia La Boeuf, and Ray Winstone.
The Bad News Blots.
Also in comic-to-film news, there’s more rumors of close-to-official casting for Zack Snyder’s Watchmen happening. Keanu Reeves apparently passed on Dr. Manhattan, so now they’re looking for, um, Jason Patric in that role. (I’m not seeing it, frankly, but he’s no better or worse than Keanu, I guess.) Also rumored, Thomas Jane as the Comedian, and, as Rorschach, Little Children‘s Jackie Earle Haley. That’s actually not half bad.
Mummies to bones.
Can’t say I’m all that excited about the project, but I am obviously a fan of the director: The lovely Rachel Weisz joins Peter Jackson’s version of The Lovely Bones, as the mother of the narrator, it seems.
Hurt v. Hulk, Norrin from Cincinnatti, Matt takes Mjolnir?
In Marvel comic-to-film news, William Hurt joins Louis Letterier’s increasingly-stacked The Incredible Hulk as Gen. Thad “Thunderbolt” Ross. (The movie, it may be remembered, already stars Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, and Tim Roth.) And, also rumored to be in the works: a Silver Surfer film written by J. Michael Straczynski of Babylon 5 (Will the character have any life in him after FF2 this weekend? I somehow doubt it) and a Thor film directed by Matthew Vaughn of Layer Cake and Stardust. (Ooh…can we get Beta Ray Bill?)
(Who We’re) Watching (As) The Watchmen.
Breaking a few weeks ago now, AICN claims to have the skinny on the initial casting of Zach Snyder’s version of Watchmen. Rumored as the Nite-Owl, Patrick Wilson of The Alamo and Little Children. (He’s a bit buff for the role, frankly. I’d expected someone a little more gone to seed, like John Cusack or even Tom Hulce.) As Doctor Manhattan, Neo himself, Keanu Reeves. (Um, ok. I don’t really see that working. Then again, I don’t really see anyone else working either, this side of Gollum-style CGI) And, as Ozymandias, much-avowed Watchmen fan Jude Law. (That’s pretty good, although somebody like Aaron Eckhart would be even better.) That’s it so far, other than that Snyder — who won’t deny these casting rumors — has promised he’d get Gerard Butler of 300 in there somewhere. (Why bother? I don’t remember any character who’s supposed to YELL…ALL…THE…TIME.) At any rate, that means Simon Pegg as Rorschach is still a possibility, if one that is very, very remote.