Tag: Casting

Jokebat Mountain?


Along with word of an unfortunately actioned-up Watchman script and news of some stranger-than-usual comic adaptations (The Doom Patrol? Frank Miller on Will Eisner’s Spirit? Benicio Del Toro’s Deadman?), Latino Review — the site that first announced Brandon Routh as Superman in 2004 — discloses that Heath Ledger has an offer to play the Joker in Christopher Nolan’s next Batman flick. Hmm. An interesting and slightly-out-of-left-field choice…He wouldn’t have been one of my top picks for the part (Adrien Brody, Sam Rockwell, Paul Bettany, or how ’bout Ralph Reed?…His calendar’s open), but he’s definitely better than some names that were floating around (Crispin Glover, Robin Williams, Michael Keaton, Sean Penn.)

Vince & Clarke.

Vince Vaughn as, um, former Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill? Casting begins for Paul Haggis’ film version of Against All Enemies, with Sean Penn purportedly up for the Richard Clarke role. Does that mean we’ll get the rest of the Frat Pack playing Dubya admin officials? Ben Stiller as Ari Fleischer, Owen Wilson as Scooter Libby, and I think we can all guess where Will Ferrell would fit in…

Alpha Lyra, Omega Depp.

In fanboy casting news, Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass is a go at New Line under director Chris Weitz, with newcomer Dakota Blue Richards cast in the role of Lyra. Also, Johnny Depp joins Will Smith in I am Legend (a.k.a. The Omega Man, for those who haven’t read the Matheson novella), likely as Smith’s neighbor, and head of the vampires. That casting should significantly increase the fun factor.

E for Escapist.

“Quick answers (as of this date): Golem: yes. Antarctica: yes. Gay love story: yes. Ruins of World’s Fair: no. Long Island: no. Orson Welles: no. Salvador Dali: yes. Loving reference to Betty and Veronica: no. Stan Lee: no.” Author Michael Chabon blogs in to say, among other things, that Natalie Portman is likely Rosa in the forthcoming film version of Kavalier & Klay, to be directed by Stephen Daldry.

Angst Amidst the Isles.

Ewan MacGregor, Colin Farrell, and Tom Wilkinson sign aboard Woody Allen’s next project, set to begin filming next month in London. MacGregor and Farrell “will play two brothers with serious financial problems that lead them to become enemies when a third party suggests they turn to crime.“

Don’t Look Back.

According to Dark Horizons, Heath Ledger will replace Colin Farrell as Bob Dylan in Todd Haynes’ forthcoming Bob biopic I’m Not There. Purportedly also playing Dylan in the film are Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Richard Gere, and Julianne Moore.

Wild at Heart.

The vocal cast for Where the Wild Things Are fills out, with Benicio Del Toro, Michael Berry Jr., Paul Dano, Tom Noonan, Catherine O’Hara, Forest Whitaker and Michelle Williams joining in Spike Jonze’s after-bedtime shenanigans.

Prisoner’s Dilemma.

Village people take note: Having passed over season 2/28 of Dr. Who to David Tennant, Christopher Eccleston will instead channel Patrick McGoohan’s Number Six for a six-episode revival of BBC cult classic The Prisoner. Hmm…more Who is always a good thing, but this sounds unnecessary.

Last Man Standing.

The long-stalled film version of Richard Matheson’s I am Legend (or third version, if you want to count Last Man on Earth and Charlton Heston’s The Omega Man) moves forward with Will Smith in the lead and Constantine‘s Francis Lawrence at the helm. Hmmm. Will Smith can be a good actor at times, but the fact that hackmeister Akiva Goldsman penned the script suggests to me that this’ll be a forgettable adaptation.