1.) In the department of no-brainer casting, Cameron Crowe has cast Emma Stone as the lead in his next film. The tropical romance, called Deep Tiki, was originally conceived after Elizabethtown and was set to star Ben Stiller and Reese Witherspoon in 2008. Sony purchased the rights after reading a recent draft by Crowe. [Deadline, Variety]
2.) Indonesian actor Joe Taslim (The Raid) has joined the cast of Fast and Furious 6. He’ll put hit martial arts skills to use as the villainous Jah, a cold-blooded killer who takes on Paul Walker and Vin Diesel. The film hits theaters on May 24, 2013. [Variety]
3.) The rumor coming out of Comic Con was that Edgar Wright‘s Ant-Man could join Guardians of the Galaxy and Captain America: The Winter Soldier as Marvel’s third 2014 release. It now appears even more likely as Marvel’s plan is to move the project into their London production branch once Thor: The Dark World wraps in late spring/early summer. That means Wright had better get to work on The World’s End, his latest collaboration with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. [Latino Review]
4.) Sony is moving forward with their attempt to make Masters of the Universe their next big franchise as Jon M. Chu (G.I. Joe Retaliation) is now in talks to direct. For the uninitiated, Masters of the Universe centers on He-Man, a prince who turns into a mythic superhero and battles the forces of evil led by Skeletor. Who do you like as He-Man? Channing Tatum? One of the Hemsworths? Audiences seem to have soured on fantasy in recent years, so it might take a big star to bring in the masses. [Deadline]
5.) Steve Pink, director of Hot Tub Time Machine and writer of Grosse Pointe Blank and High Fidelity, has entered talks to direct Bad Santa 2. We should expect a John Cusack cameo if the gets the gig, right? [Deadline]
BONUS: Today also brings the first video from the set of The Wolverine, as well as a look at Hugh Jackman‘s “Wolverine diet.” Oh, and as it turns out, the ladies like Jackman’s abs. Who woulda thunk it?
