We’ll begin with news Kate Beckinsale has been offered the role of Lori opposite Colin Farrell in the Len Wiseman-directed Total Recall remake. No big surprise Wiseman would use Beckinsale considering she starred in two Underworld features for the helmer, and, uh, oh yeah… they’re married. The Lori role is the same one Sharon Stone played in the original Arnold Schwarzenegger feature where she played Arnie’s wife… and then some.
Deadline also reports the second female role, Melina (played in the original by Rachel Ticotin), has drawn a lot of interest with Eva Mendes and Rosario Dawson mentioned as “serious contenders” for the role.
Catherine Zeta-Jones is the latest big name to join Rock of Ages. She’ll play the wife of the mayor of Los Angeles, an anti-rock villain created specifically for the film. But that doesn’t mean she won’t get a chance to show off her pipes, as Deadline reports she will sing Pat Benatar’s “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” and Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It.” Things worked out pretty well for her the last time she acted in a musical.
Deadline reports Patrick Warburton (“Rules of Engagement”) will play Mark Wahlberg’s sexually confused co-worker in director Seth MacFarlane’s teddy bear coming-to-life comedy Ted. Mila Kunis, Giovanni Ribisi, Joel McHale and MacFarlane (as the bear) round out the previously announced supporting cast. It seems only natural since Warburton, like MacFarlane and Kunis, is a long-time member of the “Family Guy” voice cast.
Updating a previous report, it looks like Ben Affleck won’t join director Baz Luhrman’s 3D update of The Great Gatsby after all. Deadline reports the film’s Australia shoot would interfere with Affleck’s work on his next directorial project, the 1979 Iran hostage crisis dramatization Argo. It seems most people would prefer to see Affleck work as a director these days anyway.
While Luhrman will go back to the drawing board for the role of Tom Buchanan, the one Affleck was eyed for, he may have found his Myrtle. Heat Vision reports Isla Fisher has entered negotiations to play the adulterous woman having an affair with Buchanan.
Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige shared his vision of where the Marvel Cinematic Universe will head following the release of The Avengers with D23: The Official Disney Fan Club, and IGN offered an advanced look. Here’s the quote with all the pertinent information:
“Thor will go off into a new adventure, and Captain America will continue to explore the modern world in another film of his own. We hope that holds true for the characters appearing in that film — Black Widow, Hawkeye, and the spy organization, S.H.I.E.L.D. — all of whom are more than worthy and capable of carrying their own films. And, we’ve got a lot of other characters we’re prepping and getting ready for film debuts: the world of martial arts, these great cosmic space fantasies, Dr. Strange, and the magic side of the Marvel Universe. There are many, many stories to be mined.”
I could be wrong, but it seems a lot of people are “over” this whole superhero movie thing. I guess we’ll find that out for sure this summer, but hopefully Marvel knows what they’re doing and will keep the budgets modest to compensate for the diminishing returns I’m expecting to see.
Next we come to news of Lindsay Lohan’s involvement in the John Gotti biopic Gotti: Three Generations. Yesterday, producer Marc Fiore said in a statement: “We are not talking any further about Lindsay playing Victoria [Gotti, daughter of mobster John Gotti]. She is no longer being considered. The talks have stopped. We are going to meet with other people [for the role].” Well, record scratch time, she’s back only a few hours later, but the statement holds true as Lohan will not be playing Victoria, but instead John Gotti Jr.’s wife, Kim, a role apparently Kim Kardashian was also considered for.
Bloody Disgusting has word that John Luessenhop (Takers) will direct the film every horror aficionado has been dying to see: Leatherface 3D. While being called a sequel to the 2003 Michael Bay-produced Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake, the site also says it supposedly picks up immediately where Tobe Hooper’s original left off before flashing forward 35 years. Please, tell me I’m not the only one confused by that.
And finally, Fast Five writer Chris Morgan has signed a two-year first-look deal with Universal to continue cranking out blockbusters for the studio. THR reports he’ll begin writing Fast Six immediately, while he aspires to develop heroic genre movies like the ones he grew up on (Raiders of the Lost Ark, Lethal Weapon and Die Hard). Morgan also wrote the last two Fast and the Furious movies, Wanted and the in-production Keanu Reeves samurai flick 47 Ronin for the studio. Buzz on Fast Five seems to be good and I must say I’m getting anxious to see it with Dwayne Johnson lighting up the late-night circuit in recent weeks. Anyone else smell what he’s cookin’?
