I’ve got a rather diverse batch of movie new nuggets for you to chew on today and a lot of his has to do with remakes and reboots as the Robocop remake eyes a star, a new name is added to Texas Chainsaw 3D, Evil Dead 4 may be on the way and The Lone Ranger finds a female lead. And that’s not all, so get started with the first bit right away…
Chris Pine (Star Trek) is rumored to MGM’s top choice to take the lead in the upcoming Robocop reboot for writer/director Jose Padilha (Elite Squad ). Should Pine land the role he would be a full ten years younger than Peter Weller was when he starred in the title role in the 1987 Paul Verhoeven-directed film featuring a Detroit police officer resurrected as an unstoppable cyborg. [Twitch]
Tania Raymonde (“Lost”) has been cast in a lead role in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D for director John Luessenhop (Takers). She will play Nikki, a small-town girl with an attitude who is the best friend of Heather (Alexandra Daddario), who travels to a Texas small-town to collect her inheritance, which includes her deranged cousin Leatherface. The film has already been set for an October 5, 2012 release. [Deadline]
Ruth Wilson (“Luther”) is in negotiations to play Rebecca, the female lead, in Disney’s The Lone Ranger alongside Armie Hammer in the title role and Johnny Depp as Tonto. Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, Rango) will director for a December 21, 2012 release date. [Deadline]
Chace Crawford (“Gossip Girl”) has joined the cast of Lionsgate’s What To Expect When You’re Expecting for director Kirk Jones. He’s joining a cast that includes Jennifer Lopez, Cameron Diaz, Brooklyn Decker, Rodrigo Santoro, Anna Kendrick, Chris Rock and Elizabeth Banks and he will play a character who reunites with an attractive old flame (Kendrick) after a turf war between he and a rival food truck driver (Rob Huebel). Shooting is expected to begin this summer for a May 11, 2012 release. [Variety]
Vin Diesel is attached to star in and produce an untitled action-thriller from Unknown scribes Oliver Butcher and Stephen Cornwell. Details on the project are non existent, but it is apparently being fast-tracked. Diesel is currently preparing to return to Riddick, the third film in the Riddick franchise with writer/director David Twohy planning a September start date for what is assumed will be a late 2012 release. [Variety]
Apparently an Evil Dead 4 is on the way as multiple sources are reporting on the project. First it seems Fede Alvarez (director of the Panic Attack! short, which you can watch at the bottom of this post) is set to helm the feature for original Evil Dead helmer Sam Raimi‘s Ghost House Pictures. The project is gearing up for production in Detroit with Raimi’s regular editor Bob Murawski (Army of Darkness; Spider-Man, Drag Me to Hell) heading out to begin work on what is described as “a small indie thing like the first two.”
And finally, Evil Dead star Bruce Campbell has joined Twitter and replied to a fan asking about a fourth film saying, “Believe in the remake, dawg! The project is real. In the works. Cool as hell. Scary as hell.” So with that, not only does it seem the movie is happening, but it is also a remake. Interesting. [Dread Central and Bloody Disgusting]
