Casting Couch: Cage Sees a Ghost; Olyphant Doing Damages; Cross Gets a Peck
Nicolas Cage is going from Ghost Rider to The Ghost.
The actor has come aboard to star opposite fellow Oscar winner Tilda Swinton and Pierce Brosnan in Roman Polanski’s feature version of Robert Harris’ political thriller.
The story revolves around a ghostwriter (Cage) hired to complete the memoirs of a former British prime minister (Brosnan) after the first scribe on the job winds up dead. While conducting research for the project, the ghostwriter stumbles upon a dangerous conspiracy that threatens his life.
Swinton will play the politico’s wife, who ends up falling for Cage’s character.
Polanski and Harris adapted the script, and shooting is slated to get under way in September in Europe.
In other casting news from the trades:
- Deadwood’s Timothy Olyphant has signed on for the second season of FX’s Damages, playing a guy who gets involved with Rose Byrne’s legal eagle, Ellen Parsons. He joins William Hurt as the other recent new hire. Returning this season are series’ stars Glenn Close, Tate Donovan and Byrne.
- Hart Bochner (Die Hard) joins USA Network’s The Starter Wife as the new love interest of Debra Messing’s character, a teacher in Molly’s writing class. The cable net will launch a 10-episode regular series in October. Judy Davis and Chris Diamantopoulos are returning as regulars, while new castmembers include Ronny Cox (The Agency), David Alan Basche (Lipstick Jungle), Krista Allen (Unscripted) and Brielle Barbusca as Molly’s daughter, Jaden.
- Desperate Housewives’ Marcia Cross is set to headline the indie comedy Peck opposite Adam Arkin and Camryn Manheim. The film centers on a teen whose bossy parents force him to compete in a science fair, where he strikes up a friendship with the most popular girl in his school.
- Aidan Quinn and Rutger Hauer are teaming up to topline ABC’s ensemble drama pilot Prince of Motor City. Touted as a gothic family soap opera taking its cues from Hamlet, the story revolves around Billy Hamilton (Warren Christie), a young Harvard philosophy professor who returns to Detroit to assume control of the family’s auto company after his father’s death. Quinn will essay the part of Billy’s uncle Charlie while Hauer will play Billy’s late dad, who turns up in his estranged son’s life as a ghost.
- Dukes of Hazzard alum John Schneider is starring in and executive producing twentysixmiles, a six-episode ensemble drama series that is being independently financed and does not yet have a distributor. He plays a high-powered Los Angeles executive who takes up residence on the island of Catalina just off the California coast to be closer to his kids following a divorce. Popping up in bit parts on the show are George Segal, Jeffrey Tambor and James Denton.
- Former Star Trek: Voyager captain Kate Mulgrew is piloting her way to Broadway, costarring with Harry Potter’s Daniel Radcliffe and Richard Griffiths in the revival of Equus. The actress will play a sympathetic magistrate who champions the case of a disturbed young man who blinds six horses. Previews begin Sept. 5.
Burn After Reading Poster Inspired by Saul Bass
The movie poster for Coen Brothers’s Burn After Reading is one of my favorite posters released this year. The distinctive style is a call back to the one-sheets of legendary poster/title artist Saul Bass. I have included some of the great Bass posters which might have inspired this new design below. Click on the image to the right to see it in larger resolution on Cinematical.
Written and directed by The Coen Brothers, this new dark-spy comedy stars Academy Award nominee John Malkovich as an ousted CIA official, whose memoir accidentally falls into the hands of two unwise gym employees (Brad Pitt and Frances McDormand) intent on exploiting their find. Also featuring George Clooney, Tilda Swinton and Richard Jenkins. If you haven’t already, you should watch the red band movie trailer.
Burn After Reading will hit theaters on September 12th 2008.
Burn After Reading Trailer!
Brad Pitt and George Clooney are at it again! No, it’s not a flashy title for the next Ocean’s movie, nor is it a buddy heist romp. Burn After Reading is the story of what happens when some slackers find a disk of secret CIA information, and what they do with it–THEY TRY TO SELL IT.
As you can see, the film stars heavyweights such as Brad, George, Tilda Swinton, John Malkovich, J.K. Simmons and Frances McDormand. Filming has already completed and the movie is slated for a September 12 release!
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button Teaser Trailer!
I’ve been following this movie since I heard about it over a year ago, and now we finally have a teaser trailer! The Curious Case of Benjamin Button centers around a person who is born as an old man and gradually grows younger as he gets “older”. The cast includes Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton! The movie is slated for a December release. Check out the trailer below!
So excited!