News from beyond the wall, we have a Ygritte (pronounced EYE-grit) for season two of Game of Thrones. Rose Leslie will be playing the rough, yet lovable wildling (via winter-is-coming). Aside from her role as Gwen in PBS‘s Downton Abbey, Leslie has not had a lot of acting experience. She will need to bring a lot of character to the table if she plans on living up to the rambunctious persona of Ygritte. One thing is certain, she is a perfect match as far appearance goes with her natural red hair and freckles, which are the two most prominent traits of Ygritte’s physical description in the books.

Ygritte will be an important role for Leslie, as it has been speculated she may not be returning to her role as PBS‘s Downton Abbey. Although Leslie’s part is essential in Game of Thrones, it is not a lead role, so it could be possible that she will be balancing both roles in her schedule. Regardless, she is locked in as Ygritte and another essential character beyond the wall is ready for the screen. Things are coming along quite well for HBO‘s Game of Thrones.

Here is a great interview with Leslie on her new role (conducted by LeicesterSquareTV):

Does This Game of Thrones News Excite You?

Over the past five years Justin Timberlake has halted his music career to pursue acting. In that time he’s delivered a handful of solid performances in a wide variety of films, including: Alpha Dog, Black Snake Moan, The Social Network, Friends with Benefits and the upcoming In Time. Now it seems that he’s looking to actively pursue some awards recognition by taking the lead role in Spinning Gold, a biopic on record producer Neil Bogart, the co-founder of Casablanca Records and pillar of the 70′s music scene.

I say “actively pursuing awards recognition” because it was no secret that Timberlake was campaigning hard for an Oscar nomination for his fine performance as Sean Parker in The Social Network last year. And as any casual Oscar observer can deduce, The Academy has a long history of hard-ons for biopics. Either way, kudos to JT for tackling a challenging role like this – seems that he is indeed taking acting very seriously.

Back to Spinning Gold. Not only will JT be the star of the film, but will also have credits as producer, hoping to have some more clout in the creative direction. The film will follow the story of Bogart’s life as a poor Jewish kid from Brooklyn who would grow up to launch the careers of such iconic recording artists as Kiss, Donna Summer, The Village People and plenty of other disco stars. Neil’s son Timothy Scott Bogart will produce the film as well alongside Timberlake, who had the following to say about his father’s cinematic story, and Timberlake’s perfect fit for the leading role:

This is saga about a young dreamer who started with nothing and came of age in the 60s and 70s, believing anything was possible and every risk was worth taking.

When Justin walked into the room, that was the moment I had been waiting for 29 years. He has the exact same energy as my father, the same glimmer in his eye.

No director has been attached to the project as Timberlake and Scott Bogart seek financial studio support. But my hat is off to them in hopes they can get some cash and make a good film. Stay tuned to The Mash for updates.

[via MTV]

What Do You Think? Discuss.

After a month or so of back-and-forth from Hollywood insider reports, it appears Quentin Tarantino has found the leading man for his next slave-era Spaghetti Western, Django Unchained. Rumors and reports have made the respective rounds claiming that Will Smith was the leading candidate to play Django, but news surfaced today that Foxx is QT’s main man. The story of Django Unchained follows a former slave who teams up with a German bounty hunter to save his to save his wife from an evil plantation owner. Oh, did I mention this premise is written and will be directed by Quentin Tarantino? Ok, good.

I’m very much in favor of Foxx getting the lead role, instead of Smith. I think it’s a good call. But what’s the most enticing, interesting and possibly inspired choice by QT is that of Leonardo DiCaprio playing the evil plantation owner, Calvin Candie; God, I love QT’s character names. Apparently QT has wanted to work with Leo for a long time, ala Christopher Nolan with Inception, and feels he’s the perfect actor to portray his film’s main villain. Leo’s addition is not official yet, but he is in serious talks to join the cast.

I think it’s an inspired choice. Not only because I love Leo, but because it’s going to be a role unlike anything he’s ever done before. Calvin Candie is a murdering plantation owner; one of the most despicable characters an actor can play. Not necessarily something Leo has tackled in the past, as he usually plays the sympathetic protagonist everyone is rooting for. I think this could be turn out to be like Denzel in Training Day, Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs and Bardem in No Country; actors who all turned out brilliant performances as disgusting and terrifying villains, and in turn rightfully won an Oscar for it.

We also have a couple QT veterans rounding out the cast with recent Oscar-winner Christoph Walz playing the German bounty hunter who assists Django during his quest, as well as Samuel L. Jackson coming aboard to play Stephen, the chief household slave and unlikely confidant of Calvin Candie. The gorgeous Kerry Washington is also reportedly in talks to play Django’s wife.

Quentin is a complete and utter master, and I love all his films. But I just have a feeling that this one has the potential to be a true masterpiece. It’s got all the ingredients for groundbreaking cinema unlike anything we’ve ever seen, tackling a premise/issue that is rarely even discussed in today’s culture – let alone made into a huge Hollywood film. Can’t effing wait.

No word on when production will begin, but Django Unchained already has a relase date of Christmas day 2012.

What Do You Think? Discuss.

]]> http://themoviemash.com/2011/06/jaime-foxx-finally-tapped-as-lead-in-tarantions-next-%e2%80%98django-unchained%e2%80%99-dicaprio-confirmed-as-villain/feed/ 1 http://themoviemash.com/2011/06/zack-snyder-has-found-his-jor-el-for-man-of-steel-that-man-is-russell-crowe/ http://themoviemash.com/2011/06/zack-snyder-has-found-his-jor-el-for-man-of-steel-that-man-is-russell-crowe/#comments Wed, 15 Jun 2011 22:35:11 +0000 Barrett Goetz http://themoviemash.com/?p=9376

BIG news on the superhero movie casting front. As you know, Zack Snyder has been piling up the acting talent for his upcoming Superman reboot, Man of Steel, over the past few months. So far, he has Henry Cavill (Clark Kent), Amy Adams (Lois Lane), Michael Shannon (Zod), Diane Lane (Martha Kent) and Kevin Costner (Pa Kent) rounding out the impressive cast. But there has been a major casting hole thus far, that has now been filled. I am of course referring to Superman’s bilogical father from Krypton, Jor-El, who was famously played by Marlon Brando in Richard Donner’s Superman films. Now, he will be played by none other than Russell Crowe. I mean…that’s just awesome.

It’s kind of surprisng that Snyder has been able to lure in these A-list, Oscar-winning actors – especially with the recent bombing of Sucker Punch, and Synder’s general, albeit misdirected disdain with a section of fan boys. But, oh wait. What’s that? Ohhhh yeah, Christopher F***ing Nolan is the story crafter/exec producer of this Superman reboot, and you bet your ass his involvement and influence has been very appealing to this cast. Variety is report (via First Showing), that Nolan had “all along been seeking an A-list thesp for Jor-El,” after he agreed with WB to come aboard and “shepard the project.” And thank GOD he did.

Zack Snyder is directing Man of Steel based on a script from David S. Goyer, spawned from story that he and Nolan developed together to bring Superman into “a modern context” in a way that hasn’t been done before. Shooting for Man of Steel is set to kick off this August, with a release date of December 2012.

What Do You Think? Will Crowe make a good Jor-El?

This has the potential to be pretty awesome. Jessie Eisenberg is one of the hottest young, nerdy, articulate actors in town… maybe THE hottest. Thanks to The Social Network, he’s going to be in the upcoming comedy 30 Minutes or Less with Danny McBride, Nick Swardson and Aziz Ansari. It’s now being reported that he and Mr. Jake Gyllenhaal are “in talks” to star in a “magician heist film” called Now You See Me. Not only is it cool that a new genre of film has been created before the movie comes out even, but looking at the potential supporting cast (Olivia Wilde and Phillip Seymour Hoffman), and Now You See Me has come out of no where to become a film that I’m very much looking forward to.

Along with this stellar cast, the peeps behind the lense aren’t too shabby either. The film is being produced by Star Trek and Transformers screenwriting duo Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman and will be directed by Louis Letterier (Clash of the Titans). What’s also interesting is the tag-team actor pairs that Summit had lined up before landing on Jessie and Jake. They were apparently looking at Colin Firth and Sacha Baron Coen, as well as Jim Carrey and Hugh Grant. But as with most things in Hollywood, they went younger. Wise choice, suits.

So what’s this magician film all about? Well, it apparently revolves around “F.B.I. agents hot on the trail of a group magicians who use their skills to perform huge heists during their shows and then shower the money on their audiences.” Some peeps on the blogesphere claim it sounds like The Town meets The Prestige meets Robin Hood. Ummmm, yes please?!

No word on any production/release date. So stay tuned.

[via Cinema Blend]

What Do You Think? Sounds pretty awesome, right?

The official Facebook page for The Hobbit has confirmed Orlando Bloom will be reprising his role as Legolas. I will shamefully admit that it has been so long since I have read The Hobbit as a child that I barely remember the story. I don’t really remember how Legolas fits into the story or if he is in the book at all. All you experts out there, please advise.

Either way, this is great news to me. Legolas was one of my favorite characters among the barrage of likable faces in the LOTR trilogy, and I can’t wait to see the elf back at it again. This also gives me the opportunity to tell Movie Mash readers to “Like” The Hobbit Facebook page, because it has some real insight and a behind-the-scenes look into the film’s production. Jackson has already posted a 10 minute video showing Tolkien fans some of the elaborate and beautiful sets as well as actors walking around in the pre-production meetings. Any LOTR fan should not miss out on the real-time updates and fan interaction on the page.

What Do You Think About Legolas Joining The Cast?

The cast for this film just keeps getting better and better. As if Sam Raimi’s choice to include James Franco, Mila Kunis and Rachel Weisz in his cast for The Wizard of Oz retelling, OZ: Great and Powerful, wasn’t awesome enough; today we have word that Michelle Williams has been chosen to play the iconic Glinda/The Good Witch. Great, right? Well, unfortunately, it seems that this was not the original choice for the director, but studio pressure forced his hand.

According to Variety (via Cinema Blend) Raimi really, really, REALLY wanted to cast Hillary Swank as one of the main witches; Weisz and Kunis have the other two sewn up, so Glinda was all that was left. But for undisclosed reasons, the pressure from Disney to cast Williams instead was too overwhelming for the director. Well, that sucks. Not Michelle Williams being cast. She is a phenomenal, FEARLESS actress; quite possibly one of the best of her generation. It just sucks that Disney has such direct creative influence on their films, especially for a Sam Raimi film – a director with well-established pedigree and an (almost) good track record (sorry, Spidey 3).

Anyway, here’s a quick synopsis of the film:

In this telling of the story there are three central witches, as opposed to the two in the original Oz film; Rachel Weisz and Mila Kunis play the evil sisters while Williams is working on the side of the Wizard, a snake-oil salesman who lands in Oz and helps Glinda fight for control of the kingdom.

Cannot WAIT for this. Variety states that OZ: The Great and Powerful could hit theaters as early as fall 2012.

What Do You Think? Discuss.

The next project from FIVE-time Oscar nominee Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood, Magnolia, Boogie Nights) has had some trouble getting off the ground over the past year or so. His film, tentatively titled The Master (which he also wrote) has hit delay, after delay, originally speculated because of the ‘controversial nature’ of the plot. The film is labeled a ‘religious drama’ that has been ‘heavily influenced’ by the inception and rise of Scientology – aaaand cue South Park episode… now. Anyway, good news Movie Mashers! Deadline is reporting that not only has Harvey Weinstein won a bidding war for worldwide distribution rights for the film, but that Mr. Joaquin Phoenix is officially “locked” to join Phillip Seymour Hoffman as co-leads in the film. Okay, where’s my wallet?

So, as I’m sure all of you know. This will be Phoenix’ triumphant return to the silver screen following his two-year long hiatus/hoax after attempting to become a rapper, resulting in the hilarious and quite fascinating documentary, I’m Still Here. Which is just phenomenal news, because Phoenix has rare acting talent that should be working with a director of Anderson’s esteem. And Hoffman seems to be Anderson’s good luck charm (appearing in both Magnolia and Boogie Nights in supporting roles), not to mention his amazing acting ability, so this film has double-digit Oscar noms written all over it.

As for female roles, Deadline states that Madisen Beaty (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) Amy Adams, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo‘s Lena Endre and Laura Dern are currently being eyed for roles; although the film is slated to begin filming June 13th, so I wonder who that will conflict with Adams’ schedule as she is slated to be busy playing Lois Lane in Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel for the next few months – so we’ll see how that pans out.

Here’s a brief plot synopsis of The Master (not the official title):

Hoffman stars as a man who returns after witnessing the horrors of WWII and tries to rediscover who he is in post-war America. He creates a belief system, something that catches on with other lost souls.

Ohhh, Scientology. Anyway, cannot wait for this. The Master (not the official title) is set to hit theaters sometime in 2013.

What Do You Think? Discuss.

As The Dark Knight Rises preps to begin production in May, more and more news is coming out about the film left and right. Just last week it was reported that Christopher Nolan & Co. had chosen Pittsburgh as their new Gotham City instead of Chicago, as well as The Social Network’s Josh Pence being cast as a young Ra’s al Ghul. Today, we have word that Daniel Sunjata (Rescue Me), Burn Gorman (Torchwood) and Diego Klattenhoff (Mercy) have all been cast in the new Batman film as supporting characters.

No word on who these young actors will be portraying in Christopher Nolan’s next epic, but since most of the main characters have already been fleshed out (Tom Hardy as Bane, Anne Hathaway as Catwoman and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Alberto Falcone; at least we think), I think it’s safe to say that these three guys will fill in a few of the inevitable lawyers/cops roles, but maybe Nolan has something more significant for them in mind.

The Dark Knight Rises hits theaters July 20th, 2012.

[via Screen Rant]

What Do You Think? Discuss.

KNEEL BEFORE… Michael Shannon?? Yes it is confirmed. Phenomenal character actor Michael Shannon, who can be currently seen chasing Nucky Thompson in Boardwalk Empire, has officially been cast as General Zod in Zack Snyder’s Superman reboot, which has now also been officially titled the long rumored Man of Steel. Shannon joins the film as the main villain along with an already stellar cast, including: Henry Cavill, Diane Lane, Kevin Costner and Amy Adams as Lois Lane.

So, this is probably going to please people who were dreading Lex Luthor being the villain and frustrate those who wanted a new villian like Braniac. As most of you recall, General Zod appeared in Superman and Superman II along Christopher Reeves, then played by Terrance Stamp; and the young version of Major Zod most recently appeard on Smallville. So, I mean, I absolutely love the Michael Shannon casting, but I’m still a little iffy on Zod being the main villian for Man of Steel.

Zack Snyder had a few choice words on Shannon joining the cast as his villian:

Zod is not only one of Superman’s most formidable enemies, but one of the most significant because he has insights into Superman that others don’t. Michael is a powerful actor who can project both the intelligence and the malice of the character, making him perfect for the role.

See the official press release from Warner Bros. below:

Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures announced today that Michael Shannon will star in the role of General Zod in director Zack Snyder’s new Superman film, titled “Man of Steel.”

s General Zod, Shannon will go toe-to-toe with Henry Cavill, who plays the new Clark Kent/Superman in the film. The main cast also includes Amy Adams as Lois Lane, and Diane Lane and Kevin Costner as Martha and Jonathan Kent.

Michael Shannon was honored with an Academy Award® nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Sam Mendes’ “Revolutionary Road,” with Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. Shannon was most recently seen in the award-winning HBO drama series “Boardwalk Empire,” from executive producer Martin Scorsese. He will next be seen in Sony Pictures Classics’, “Take Shelter,” from director/writer Jeff Nichols.

Charles Roven, Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Deborah Snyder are the producers of the film. The screenplay is being written by David S. Goyer based on a story by Goyer and Nolan. Thomas Tull and Lloyd Phillips are serving as executive producers.

“Man of Steel” will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Man of Steel hits theaters December 2012.

What Do You Think of Shannon as Zod? Do you wish he was playing a different villain?