1.) Anne Hathaway is reportedly Steven Spielberg‘s top choice for the female lead opposite Chris Hemsworth in Robopocalypse. The blockbuster is set for an April 2014 release, with Drew Goddard (The Cabin in the Woods) adapting the Daniel H. Wilson novel about robots rebelling against the human race. [Deadline]
2.) It’s a nice week to be Jake Gyllenhaal. Not only does he sit atop the U.S. box-office with End of Watch, but he’s also close to scoring a coveted role in the gritty thriller Prisoners from Incendies helmer Denis Villeneuve. The deal would position Gyllenhaal opposite Hugh Jackman, who was previously cast as a small-town carpenter who takes the law into his own hands by holding captive the man he believes is responsible for his young daughter’s kidnapping. Gyllenhaal would play the detective who investigates the kidnapping and butts heads with Jackman’s character. Aaron Guzikowski (Contraband) wrote the script. [THR]
3.) Tom Hardy is in discussions to star in Everest for Sony Pictures and director Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity). He’ll play George Mallory, the climber who tried three times in the 1920s to become the first man to scale the world’s highest mountain. Up in the Air‘s Sheldon Turner is handling the script, while Liman will likely move to the project after he completes the Tom Cruise sci-fi actioner All You Need Is Kill.
I can’t put my finger on what might have sparked the recent surge (perhaps the London Olympics’ strong TV ratings?), but there is certainly a lot of interest in historical adventure/competition-based flicks of late. Everest joins with likes of the Casey Affleck-led Race to the South Pole, which was announced last week with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon attached to produce, while Ron Howard‘s Formula 1 racing feature Rush is due out next fall. [Deadline]
4.) Gina Carano will lead a self-proclaimed “female version of The Expendables,” with producer Adi Shankar (The Grey) adding that trying to make the film without Carano “would be like making Twix without caramel.” Who would you like to see join her? Sigourney Weaver? Linda Hamilton? Kate Beckinsale? Brigitte Nielsen? [Variety]
5.) FX is looking to send audiences to Fargo on a weekly basis as the network has begun developing an hourlong dramatic series based on the 1996 Oscar winner. Joel and Ethan Coen are serving as executive producers on the project. Sure, it might sound like a bad idea, but the Coens’ involvement gives it a some built-in credibility. Who knows? It could very well be a refreshing take on the tired police procedural formula. [THR]
