Moviefone Editorial

Tag: casting

Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton Join ‘Three Thousand Years of Longing’

STXfilms; Amazon Studios

“Three Thousand Years of Longing” has just added two huge stars.

Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton are set to star in the upcoming film from writer-director George Miller, Deadline reports. Their characters haven’t been named yet, but the project is described as a fantasy romance with a genie at the center of it. The plot has largely been kept secret so far.

Elba and Swinton have each starred in a number of high-profile projects. Elba is currently shooting the Fast & Furious spinoff “Hobbs & Shaw” with Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham, while Swinton’s latest, “Suspiria,” is supernatural horror flick that stars Dakota Johnson and Mia Goth. Elba, a Golden Globe winner, has also appeared in “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Molly’s Game,” “Beasts of No Nation,” and many more. Meanwhile, Academy Award winner Swinton’s resume includes “War Machine,” “Okja,” and “Doctor Strange,” among others.

The film’s writer-director has an impressive body of work, too. Miller was most recently behind the Oscar-nominated “Mad Max: Fury Road” (and is an out-and-out visionary) so “Three Thousand Years of Longing” is putting together quite a team.

Production is expected to begin in 2019.

[via: Deadline]

October 25, 2018
John Cena Lands Starring Role in ‘Playing With Fire’: Report

Universal Pictures

John Cena‘s acting career is still burning bright.

The “Blockers” star is reportedly close to having another film lined up. He is nearing a deal for a role in the family comedy “Playing With Fire,” per Variety’s sources. The publication reports that he’d star in the film.

The comedy centers on a group of tough firefighters who rescue three kids. The young ones are apparently quite the handful, meaning the adults will apparently “meet their match” when they end up in charge of them. The story comes from Dan Ewen, and Paramount Players hired Matt Lieberman to rewrite it, according to Variety.

This film is one of many that Cena, a former wrestler, has added to his resume in recent years. He most recently starred in “Blockers,” and he’ll soon be seen in the Transformers spinoff “Bumblebee,” which stars Hailee Steinfeld. Some of his other credits include both “Daddy’s Home” movies, “The Wall,” and “Sisters.”

A timeline for “Playing With Fire” has yet to be announced.

[via: Variety]

October 15, 2018
Issa Rae Nabs Lead Role in Rom-Com ‘American Princess’

HBO

Issa Rae has another film lined up.

The “Insecure” star and co-creator is joining the upcoming Fox comedy “American Princess,” THR reports. She’ll play the protagonist, an American woman who relocates to London and gets swept up in a wealthy, high-society crowd. Along the way, she’ll reportedly find love in “a very unconventional way.”

Rae’s first major film, “The Hate U Give,” is currently in theaters. She plays an activist named April in the adaptation of Angie Thomas’s acclaimed YA novel. Her next movie to hit theaters will be the comedy “Little.”

“American Princess” reunites Rae with Amy Aniobi, a writer and producer whose resume includes work on “Insecure,” “2 Dope Queens,” and other TV series. The pair has also worked with the film’s director, Stella Meghie, who helmed a 2018 “Insecure” episode. Meanwhile, “Bridesmaids” director Paul Feig and Jessie Henderson of Feigco Entertainment are producing, along with Brendan O’Brien and Fox’s jonathan Wu.

A release date for “American Princess” has not yet been announced.

[via: THR]

October 10, 2018
‘Toff Guys’ to Star Matthew McConaughey, Kate Beckinsale, and Henry Golding

Sony Pictures Releasing; Rogue; Lionsgate

The Guy Ritchie-directed crime drama “Toff Guys” is putting together a talented cast.

Matthew McConaughey, Kate Beckinsale, and Henry Golding have all claimed starring roles in the upcoming film, Variety reports. They’ll help tell the story about British drug lord who is looking to sell his empire to a moneyed family from Oklahoma. The film will reportedly be similar to some of Ritchie’s past work, including the 1998 comedy “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” and 2000’s “Snatch.” He wrote the script alongside Marn Davies and Ivan Atkinson.

The trio of stars has a number of big films behind them. McConaughey is an Academy Award winner for his role in 2014’s “Dallas Buyers Club,” and he more recently has starred in the films “White Boy Rick” and “The Dark Tower.” Beckinsale’s recent films include “Farming” and “The Only Living Boy in New York.” Meanwhile, Golding hit it big this summer with “Crazy Rich Asians” and “A Simple Favor.”

The rest of the cast has yet to be announced, but we like what we’re seeing from “Toff Guys” so far. Production is scheduled to begin this fall, and a release date will be announced in the coming months.

[via: Variety]

October 10, 2018
‘The Walking Dead’ Alum Sonequa Martin-Green to Return in Season 9

AMC Networks

Goodbyes on “The Walking Dead” don’t have to be for good.

At least three characters we previously said farewell to will appear in the current season. Showrunner Angela Kang announced the return of Sonequa Martin-Green at New York Comic Con over the weekend, Variety reports. She’ll reprise her role as Sasha Williams, although the details remain under wraps.

Martin-Green first played the character in Season 3 and was introduced when Sasha, her brother, and other survivors came across the prison where Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and his group were holed up. Eventually, Sasha joined them, along with her brother, Tyreese (Chad L. Coleman), and served as the group’s sniper. Although Martin-Green’s role was originally meant to be a recurring one, she ended up earning a promotion to series regular in Season 4.

“As we kept going forward, they picked up my option to be a regular,” she told THR in 2015. “It’s very rare and I’m still quite dumbfounded about it.”

Much to fans’ dismay, though, Sasha was killed off in Season 7. Now, she’ll be brought back in some capacity. While Kang did not explain how that would work, as Variety noted, flashbacks or dream sequences always seem like viable options.

In addition to Martin-Green, at least two other former recurring stars are returning, including Scott Wilson, who is recently deceased, and Jon Bernthal.

“The Walking Dead” Season 9 airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on AMC.

[via: Variety]

October 8, 2018
Vince Vaughn to Guest Star in Netflix Animated Series ‘F Is for Family’

RLJE Films

It’s back to comedy for Vince Vaughn.

The actor has done a string of serious films recently, but he’s ready for a more lighthearted role. Vaughn is set to lend his voice to the Netflix series “F Is for Family.” The streamer announced his guest role on Wednesday, Oct. 3 and showed off a video that introduces his new character.

Vaughn will play Colonel Chet Stevenson, a man who moves into the Murphy family’s neighborhood. Netflix describes him as “a legendary Air Force pilot,” as Deadline reports, and he’s apparently only recently returned to the United States after fighting in Vietnam. He and Frank (voiced by Bill Burr) will form a special bond, as you’ll see in the clip.

Watch the video announcement below. Warning: It’s NSFW.

Vaughn was most recently seen in the 2017 action thriller “Brawl in Cell Block 99” and before that, the 2016 war drama “Hacksaw Ridge.” However, he is well-known for his comedy roles, including in film such as “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues,” “The Internship,” and “Wedding Crasher.” His “F Is for Family” role is more in line with what we typically think of when we think of Vaughn, and it should be an entertaining one, however long his character sticks around.

“F Is for Family” is heading into its third season, but Netflix has still not yet announced the premiere date.

October 3, 2018
‘Black Panther’ Star Winston Duke Nabs Key Role in Action Thriller ‘Heroine’

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Since joining “Black Panther” as M’Baku, Winson Duke has been plenty busy with the MCU. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t have time for other projects, too, though.

Duke boarded the upcoming action thriller “Heroine,” THR reports. He’s described as a “tragic figure” who lives in a neighborhood where something bad happens. The story centers on a mother who moved to a new neighborhood to turn her life around, only to inadvertently end up on the bad side of an Aryan gang when she witnesses a crime.

“Heroine” is one of multiple projects that Duke currently has in the pipeline. He has multiple movies coming out in 2019, including Jordan Peele‘s “Us” and Anthony and Joe Russo’s next Avengers movie. Prior to that, he appeared in “Avengers: Infinity War” after “Black Panther” and has had roles on the TV shows “Modern Family,” “The Messengers,” “Person of Interest,” and more.

The upcoming thriller is both written by and directed by Daniel Casey. So far, there is no release date, but the film is expected to begin filming this spring.

[via: THR]

October 1, 2018
‘Top Gun: Maverick’: Manny Jacinto Joins Tom Cruise’s Upcoming Sequel

NBC

A new generation of pilots will take the skies in “Top Gun: Maverick,” and Manny Jacinto will play one of them.

The “Good Place” star has been cast in the upcoming sequel starring Tom Cruise, Deadline reports. He’s taken the role of Fritz, one of the pilots. That makes Jacinto one of several actors cast to play the new crop of young wingmen and wingwomen. Others include Monica Barbaro, Miles Teller, and Glen Powell.

Jacinto has co-starred in “The Good Place” since it debuted in 2016. He plays Jason Mendoza, the notoriously dim DJ-turned-small-time drug dealer. We don’t know character details about Fritz yet, but we assume that the pilot will be brighter.

Like “Top Gun” before it, “Maverick” will have a number of flying scenes. The film’s release date was recently pushed back, reportedly to be able to take the time needed to have high-quality in-air scenes.

“Top Gun: Maverick” is slated to release on June 26, 2020.

[via: Deadline]

September 27, 2018
Kate Mckinnon Joins Movie About 2016 Fox News Scandal

Columbia Pictures’

The still-untitled movie about the Fox News sexual harassment scandal just keeps adding big names.

Kate McKinnon is the latest star to join the Annapurna Pictures drama, Deadline reports. She joins the likes of Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, Allison Janney, Margot Robbie, and John Lithgow. The script comes from Academy Award winner Charles Randolph, and Jay Roach is directing.

The film centers on the problems at Fox News under its former chairman and CEO Roger Ailes and on the women who spoke out against him. Their allegations led to Ailes’s resignation in 2016 after numerous claims came to light (he denied them). As such, many of film’s characters are based on actual people, such as Ailes (Lithgow), Megyn Kelly (Theron), and Gretchen Carlson (Kidman). That’s not the case for McKinnon’s character, though. She’ll play a fictional producer.

McKinnon most recently appeared in “The Spy Who Dumped Me” and is best known as a comedy actress. However, she’ll get a chance to play a very different kind of role in the Fox News drama.

A release date for the upcoming project has not yet been announced.

[via: Deadline]

September 24, 2018
Michael B. Jordan to Star in New Movie Series Inspired by Tom Clancy Novels: Report

Warner Bros. Pictures

Michael B. Jordan is already the star of two huge series, and it looks like he’s set for another one.

The “Creed” and “Black Panther” star has reportedly joined an upcoming two-film series based on Tom Clancy novels. He’ll play John Clark, the hero of the books “Rainbow Six” and “Without Remorse,” according to Variety. The character is a former Navy Seal who goes to work for the CIA and collaborates with Jack Ryan, another famous Tom Clancy character.

People wasted no time in reacting to the news on Twitter. Some were a little lukewarm about Jordan’s casting based on the fact that he’s much younger than the book character is.

https://twitter.com/NoSellJonathan/status/1042863353033572352

I like Michael B Jordan a lot, and I like Rainbow Six a lot, but this feels miscast. He's WAY too young for John Clark, Clark was in his mid to late 50s in Rainbow Six, and part of his whole reason for founding the team is his decades spent in the intelligence world. https://t.co/BrJ6j9QekW

— Alex Smith (@BlahblahIV) September 20, 2018

On the other hand, however, there were also fans who were thrilled by the news. Jordan has earned himself quite a following in recent years, after all.

https://twitter.com/jkTAP26/status/1042872526274265089

michael b jordan as john clark is making my favorite actor as my favorite book character and i am dead

— Sam Hiller (@SamHiller) September 20, 2018

Regardless of any criticism, it looks like Jordan has added the project to his slate. He’ll also produce alongside Akiva Goldman, Josh Appelbaum, and Andre Nemec. Paramount is reportedly searching for a writer and director for the two films. It’s still early in the process, so no release dates have been revealed.

[via: Variety]

September 20, 2018