Here is the special thread completely devoted to all film casting and development updates. Please feel free to comment and add the lastest information for October, 2009.

Hugh Jackman boxed in for Levy
Actor in talks to star in 'Steel' for DreamWorks

By MICHAEL FLEMING

Hugh Jackman, who just opened on Broadway in "A Steady Rain," is in talks to star in the Shawn Levy-directed "Real Steel" for DreamWorks.

Project is a Rocky-with-robots saga, with Jackman is negotiating to play an ex-fighter who becomes a promoter when human boxing is outlawed for being too violent. The new gladiators are 2,000-pound robots with human qualities.

The ex-fighter’s access to sub-standard robot parts hampers his hopes for glory in Robot Boxing, until he discovers a discarded robot that always seems to win. The ex-fighter has also discovered he’s the father of a 13-year old son, and they bond as the robot brawls its way toward the top.

Angry Films' Don Murphy and Susan Montford will produce. The executive producers are Steven Spielberg and ImageMovers troika Robert Zemeckis, Jack Rapke and Steve Starkey. Levy is also a producer.

Levy, who just completed the Fox comedy "Date Night" with Steve Carell and Tina Fey, came aboard the project several weeks ago. The studio hopes to get under way before next summer.

Jackman is starring opposite Daniel Craig in "A Steady Rain," a Keith Huff play that opened Tuesday night at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater. Jackman and Craig play lifelong friends and partners on the Chicago police force. The play ends its sold-out run Dec. 7.

"Real Steel," which was originally scripted by Dan Gilroy, has been rewritten by Les Bohem and John Gatins.

The premise is based on a short story by Richard Matheson that was adapted into an original "Twilight Zone" episode that starred Lee Marvin.

Project marks a reunion between Matheson and Spielberg. Matheson wrote Spielberg's directing debut, the 1971 telepic "Duel," and he was story editor on Spielberg's "Amazing Stories."

The early works of Matheson -- who is still writing in his 80s -- continues to inform current Hollywood films. That includes the Will Smith starrer "I Am Legend," the upcoming Richard Kelly-directed Cameron Diaz starrer "The Box," the Imagine/Universal comedy "The Incredible Shrinking Man" and Summit Entertainment's "Countdown," which is based on Matheson's short story "Death Ship" and was scripted by "Wanted" writers Michael Brandt and Derek Haas.

Jackman is repped by WME.

Josh Brolin to star in 'Cartel'
Thesp replaces Sean Penn in Universal film

By MICHAEL FLEMING

Universal Pictures has set Josh Brolin to star in "Cartel," the Asger Leth-directed drama that will begin shooting January in Mexico City.

Brolin takes the role Sean Penn was to perform until he left the project in June to take a movie business sabbatical for personal reasons.
Brian Grazer is producing the Peter Craig-scripted drama for Imagine Entertainment.

Brolin will play a man on a mission to protect his son after his wife is brutally murdered in the gritty world of Mexican drug cartels.

The drama is inspired by the 1993 Italian film "La scorta," which followed four cops' struggle to guard a special prosecutor trying to bring mob bosses to justice.

“Cartel” was one of several films that Penn abruptly departed in June.

Robert Stone and Webster Stone will exec produce "Cartel." Leth makes his dramatic feature directing debut after helming the 2006 documentary "Ghosts of Cite Soleil."

Brolin recently wrapped “Jonah Hex” for Warner Bros., and up next is the Oliver Stone-directed “Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps” for Fox.

He’s repped by WME.

Jamie Foxx joins 'Due Date'

Shooting takes place this fall in Atlanta, New Mexico, L.A.

By Borys Kit

Jamie Foxx is boarding the cast of "Due Date," Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures' latest Todd Phillips comedy.

Foxx joins Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis in the road-trip movie about a high-strung father-to-be (Downey) forced to hitch a ride with a college slacker (Galifianakis) to make it to the birth on time.

Foxx will play Downey's longtime pal, who once dated his wife (Michelle Monaghan) and secretly keeps in touch with her.

"Date" begins shooting this fall in Atlanta, New Mexico and Los Angeles.

Phillips is producing with GreenHat Films partner Daniel Goldberg. Scott Budnick and Susan Downey are exec producing.

Foxx, repped by CAA and King Management, next stars in "Law Abiding Citizen" and recently wrapped "Valentine's Day."

Jenkins joins 'Right One' remake
Smit-McPhee, Moretz also to headline cast

By JUSTIN KROLL

Richard Jenkins, Kodi Smit-McPhee and Chloe Moretz have been tapped to headline "Let Me In," the remake of the arty Swedish vampire pic "Let the Right One In."
Pic is produced by Hammer Films, with Overture aiming for a 2010 release in the U.S.

The coming-of-age horror tale revolves around the relationship between a preteen boy and a girl who just moved to the neighborhood and happens to be a vampire. Smit-McPhee and Moretz play the kids, while Jenkins is the girl's vampire-hunting guardian.

Production begins this fall in New Mexico with Matt Reeves ("Cloverfield") helming.

Hammer Films acquired the remake rights at last year's Tribeca Film Festival, where "Let the Right One In" took the narrative feature nod, and the remake was fast-tracked after the original built buzz among critics and specialty filmgoers.

Jenkins has a handful of upcoming projects including "Eat, Pray, Love," with Julia Roberts. Smit-McPhee can be seen next in "The Road," with Viggo Mortensen, while Moretz was last seen in "(500) Days of Summer."

Read the full article at:
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118009448.html

Three actors join 'Bureau'

Daniel Dae Kim, Michael Kelly join MRC/Universal film

By Borys Kit

Daniel Dae Kim and Michael Kelly have been cast in "The Adjustment Bureau," an MRC project for Universal Pictures written and being directed by George Nolfi. John Slattery also has been cast.

The story, which Nolfi adapted from a Philip K. Dick short story, centers on a congressman (Matt Damon), on the rise in politics, who meets a beautiful ballet dancer (Emily Blunt) only to discover that a strange organization is keeping them apart.

Kim (ABC's "Lost") plays a mysterious staffer at the Bureau of Adjustments, and Slattery ("Mad Men") is a high-ranking bureau executive. Kelly is playing Damon's best friend and campaign manager.

The movie shoots this fall in New York.

"Bureau" represents a rare foray into features for Kim. He has made appearances in such films as "Crash" and "Spider-Man 2," though he has kept to the TV side of the business because of "Lost's" tight shooting window and Hawaii shooting location. He is repped by APA and Lighthouse Entertainment.

Kelly, who appears in "Law Abiding Citizen," has the Hugh Grant romantic comedy "Did You Hear About the Morgans?" in the can and appeared in "Defendor," the Woody Harrelson dramedy that sold in Toronto. He is repped by Innovative Artists and Liebman Entertainment.

Liam Neeson filling his 'Days'
Actor joins Haggis-directed thriller for Lionsgate

By MICHAEL FLEMING

Liam Neeson has joined "The Next Three Days," the Paul Haggis-directed thriller for Lionsgate.

Pic started shooting Friday, with Russell Crowe playing a teacher whose wife (Elizabeth Banks) is arrested for a gruesome murder she says she didn't commit. Neeson plays an ex-con and expert on prison escapes who becomes involved in her husband's effort to break her out of jail.

Brian Dennehy, Lennie James, Olivia Wilde, Aisha Hinds ("True Blood"), Daniel Stern and RZA co-star in Haggis' first film for Lionsgate since "Crash." Haggis wrote the script based on the 2008 French film "Pour Elle."

Haggis and Michael Nozik produce through Highway 61 Films alongside Marc Missonnier and Olivier Delbosc of Fidelite Films.

Pic is shooting in Pittsburgh and wraps Dec. 12.

Neeson is currently filming director Joe Carnahan's "The A-Team," starring as Hannibal Smith.

'Secretariat' wins three for cast

Fred Thompson returns to features for Disney project

By Borys Kit

Former senator Fred Thompson is making his return to the chamber of feature acting, joining A.J. Michalka and Kevin Connolly in Disney's "Secretariat," the story of the horse that won the 1973 Triple Crown.

Margo Martindale, Eric Lange and Drew Roy also have joined the cast of the Randall Wallace-directed picture that stars Diane Lane as the horse's owner, Penny Tweedy, the housewife who broke though a gender barrier to usher Secretariat to greatness.

Thompson will play a master horse breeder and one-time horse-racing league president Bull Han****. Michalka will play Lane's daughter; Connolly will play a sportswriter.

Martindale ("Mercy") will play a veteran executive secretary who assists Lane through a dark time, Lange ("Lost") will portray real-life sportswriter Andy Beyer, and Roy ("Hannah Montana") will play Thompson's son.

WME-repped Thompson will shoot "Secretariat," then segue to the indie "Alleged" with Brian Dennehy.

Michalka, repped by CAA and Lynda Goodfriend, next appears in Peter Jackson's "The Lovely Bones." She and her sister, Aly Michalka, known as pop duo Aly & AJ, will release their new album under their new name, 78violet.

"Entourage" star Connolly, repped by WME, most recently appeared on the big screen in "He's Just Not That Into You."

Wahlberg ices Working Title remake
Studio to remake 'Reykjavik-Rotterdam'

By MICHAEL FLEMING

Working Title Films has put in motion a remake of the Icelandic thriller "Reykjavik-Rotterdam" as a potential star vehicle for Mark Wahlberg.

Aaron Guzikowski ("Prisoners") will write the script.

Wahlberg is attached to produce with Leverage's Stephen Levinson and Working Title partners Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner.

The Oskar Jonasson-directed "Reykjavik-Rotterdam" is Iceland's foreign-language film submission for the upcoming Oscars, after having swept the Icelandic film awards, winning five Edda kudos.

Story follows an ex-freight ship worker, fired for smuggling alcohol between Reykjavik and Rotterdam, who's struggling as a security guard until his best friend persuades him to sign on for one last crooked job.

Liza Chasin and Evan Hayes will be exec producers.

Wahlberg and Levinson are exec producers of "Entourage," and Wahlberg will next be seen starring in the Peter Jackson-directed "The Lovely Bones" and the Shawn Levy-directed "Date Night." He also recently wrapped the David O. Russell-directed "The Fighter" alongside Christian Bale and is now filming the Adam McKay-directed "The Other Guys."

Project was packaged by WME.

Brody's ready for action in 'Predators'
'Pianist' star steps into Schwarzenegger role

By MICHAEL FLEMING

In a surprise, Adrien Brody has been set by 20th Century Fox to play the heroic mercenary who battles alien hunters in "Predators," the reinvention of the "Predator" franchise that is being creatively spearheaded by Robert Rodriguez.

Brody will star with Alice Braga, Danny Trejo, Walton Goggins, Oleg Taktarov, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali and Louiz Ozawa.

Nimrod Antal is directing the film, production of which is about to get under way on location in Hawaii and at Rodriguez's Troublemaker Studios in Austin, Texas. Fox has set "Predators" for release on July 9, 2010.

Though best known for his Oscar-winning turn in the Roman Polanski-directed "The Pianist," Brody is playing a character close to the one that Arnold Schwarzenegger did in the 1987 original. He's a mercenary who tries to keep his team alive when its members are hunted by the aliens.

Fox has high hopes to spring a new franchise, and Brody has signed options to return for future installments, sources said.

Brody and his Paradigm reps lobbied hard for the role, which is his first action hero turn.

Samuel L. Jackson set for 'Different'
Actor to star in 'Same Kind' adaptation

By MICHAEL FLEMING

Samuel L. Jackson has signed on to star in "Same Kind of Different as Me," an adaptation of a nonfiction bestseller that has been adapted by screenwriters Roderick and Bruce Taylor ("The Brave One").

Jackson will play Denver Moore, an ex-con drifter who develops an unlikely friendship with a wealthy Dallas art dealer named Ron Hall. The book, written by Hall, Moore and Lynn Vincent, was optioned by Veralux Media in 2008. With Jackson aboard, the script is now being shopped for production financing.

Ralph Winter will produce through his 1019 Entertainment banner, with Veralux's Mark Clayman and Jennifer Gates. Jackson will be exec producer alongside Brad Reeves, Susana Zepeda and Todd Shuster.

Jackson is currently at work in the Adam McKay-directed Columbia Pictures comedy "The Other Guys" and recently wrapped an adaptation of the Cormac McCarthy play "Sunset Limited" for HBO, starring with Michael Sheen.

RZA to star in 'Due Date' for Warners
Actor joins Downey Jr., Galifianakis in comedy

By DAVE MCNARY

Warner Bros. has set RZA to star alongside Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis in "Due Date," the Todd Phillips-directed comedy.

RZA joins a cast that also includes Michelle Monaghan and Jamie Foxx in the story of a man with a mismatched travel companion who races home in hopes of arriving before his wife delivers their first child.

Phillips is producing through his Green Hat banner with Daniel Goldberg. Scott Budnick is exec producer. WB is partnered with Legendary Pictures on the film, and Susan Downey is exec producing.

RZA's also attached to Paul Haggis' "The Next Three Days" for Lionsgate and is scoring producer Robbie Brenner's film "Warriors Way" for Relativity Media. Feature credits include "Funny People" and "American Gangster"; he's also the creator-producer of the Wu-Tang Clan and has scored music for films by Ridley Scott, Jim Jarmusch and Quentin Tarantino.

Jon Cassar drives 'Motorcade'
'24' director takes on first studio feature

By MICHAEL FLEMING

DreamWorks is revving up again on "Motorcade," setting as director Jon Cassar, best known as co-executive producer and a prolific helmer of the Fox TV drama "24."

The studio hopes to get the picture into production by late summer or early fall 2010, and DreamWorks is eyeing Ryan Reynolds to play the disgraced Secret Service agent who happens to be in the wrong place at the right time when the U.S. president is kidnapped in New York.

Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald are producing.

Billy Ray continues to work on a script that was originated by Hans Bauer and Craig Mitchell.

The drama has been a priority for DreamWorks and was one of the projects Tom Cruise seriously considered when "Live Free or Die Hard" helmer Len Wiseman was attached.

Reynolds, who will next star in the Martin Campbell-directed "Green Lantern" for Warner Bros. next spring, has not signed on at this point.

Though Cassar will be making his first big studio feature after a TV directing career, he's a strong match for the material. He directed 59 episodes of "24" and the spinoff telepic "24: Redemption" but left the show to pursue a feature career.

Paradigm reps Cassar.

Snipes, Ferrara reunite on 'Game'
'New York' duo reteam for action thriller

By SHARON SWART

Wesley Snipes and helmer Abel Ferrara are reuniting on action-thriller "Game of Death."

It's their first project together since Ferrara's 1990 cult pic "King of New York."

Snipes stars as a politician's bodyguard who must fend off five of the world's top assassins. Zoe Bell and Robert Davi co-star.

"Death" was penned by James Agnew. Producers are Billy Dietrich and Rafael Primorac. Exec producers are Voltage Pictures' Nicolas Chartier and Nadine de Barros plus Roger Grad. Bridge financiers Alastair Burlingham and Steve Robbins of Perpetual Media Capital also exec produce.

Pic started shooting this week in Detroit.

Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group has U.S. rights, brokered by American Entertainment's Joe Cohen.

Voltage is handling foreign sales and has sold most of the overseas rights, including Germany, France, U.K., Latin America and East Europe.

'Pryor' engagement for Condon
Director in talks with Columbia, Happy Madison

By MICHAEL FLEMING

Bill Condon is in discussions with Columbia Pictures and Happy Madison for a deal that would allow him to direct his Richard Pryor film -- with Marlon Wayans playing the legendary standup comedian -- next spring.

In the configuration being discussed, "Richard Pryor: Is It Something I Said?" would be produced by Happy Madison's Adam Sandler and Jack Giarraputo, along with Chris Rock, Mark Gordon and Jennifer Pryor. The film would be made for under $20 million, with a spring production start eyed.

The studio would not comment on a pending deal, and sources cautioned that deals weren't done. Roles besides the lead haven't been cast, though sources said that Sandler has considered logging a cameo, possibly as Pryor's first manager, Sandy Gallin.

The project has nearly come together several times for Condon, who first set it up with his "Dreamgirls" star Eddie Murphy. It was developed at the Weinstein Co., but Harvey Weinstein let Condon shop it with the idea that he would put it into turnaround. Paramount and then Fox Searchlight considered it but ultimately decided the budget was too high because of the deal that Murphy was seeking.

Condon then began building the picture around Wayans, who most recently starred in "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra."

Fisher hooks pic pair at Universal
Studio acquires two projects for actress

By MICHAEL FLEMING

Universal Pictures has acquired two projects that will be developed as star vehicles for Isla Fisher.

Fisher, who last starred in "Confessions of a Shopaholic," is attached to topline and produce "Life Coach," a comedy about a young woman who consults a life coach who turns out to be messed up. Liz Cackowski and Maggie Carey are writing the script.

Gary Sanchez principals Will Ferrell, Adam McKay and Chris Henchy will produce with Fisher.

Fisher is also attached to star in an untitled romantic comedy based on a French script called "Un Jour mes princes viendront" (One Day My Princes Will Come). The studio wouldn't disclose the logline but has hired Audrey Wells ("Under the Tuscan Sun") to write the script.

Alain Chabot and Stephanie Danan will produce through Wam Films, which most recently completed Eddie Murphy starrer "A Thousand Words" for DreamWorks.

Rebecca Mader books two roles

Actress set for romantic comedy, noir mystery

By Borys Kit

Rebecca Mader, best known for her work on "Lost," has booked roles in NALA Films' coming-of-age romantic comedy "Ceremony" and the Antonio Banderas noir mystery "The Big Bang."

"Ceremony," directed by Max Winkler from is own script, follows a young man (Michael Angarano) and his best friend who crash the wedding of a thirysomething woman (Uma Thurman) with whom the young man is infatuated.

Mader plays a married member of Thurman's wedding party who makes overtures toward Angarano.

The movie is shooting in New York, with Darlene Caamano Loquet, Emilio Diez Barroso, Polly Cohen Johnsen and Matthew Spicer producing.

Mader then segues to "Bang," which stars Banderas as a private detective searching for a former stripper who is supposed to exist but no one has ever seen in a mystery connected to a particle collider. She plays a meth addict who works at a medical center pretending to have different diseases for interns to react to.

Tony Krantz, Erik Jendresen and Richard Rionda Del Castro are producing. Jendresen wrote the script, and Krantz is directing the pic, which will shoot in Spokane, Wash.

On "Lost," Mader played anthropologist Charlotte Lewis, who died last season. She next appears on the big screen in "The Men Who Stare at Goats." Mader is repped by Innovative Artists and Mosaic.

Melissa Leo just got cast in the lead role in "The Space Between", it looks like it could be an Oscar player for her. She plays a flight attendant stranded during the period of chaos following 9/11. When she meets a young Arab-American boy (Anthony Keyvan) she travels cross-country with him so he can find out the fate of his father who may have died in the attacks. AnnaSophia Robb and Brad William Henke also star.

Garry Marshall Directing Gere and Bening in Capra Remake
It won't be a complete 'Pretty Woman' reunion
BY: BRAD BREVET | SEPTEMBER 28TH 2009 AT 12:22 PM

Production Weekly is reporting Richard Gere and Annette Bening will star opposite one another in State of the Union, a remake of Frank Capra's 1948 film starring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. Garry Marshall (Pretty Woman) will direct from a script by Rod Lurie (The Last Castle).

The political-themed film is based on the Pulitzer Prize winning play by Howard Lindsay and Russell Crouse. In the original Tracy starred as an idealistic industrialist who is drafted to run for the presidency. As a candidate, Tracy is caught between the ruthless ambition of newspaper heiress (Angela Lansbury), who pulls the strings of his campaign, and the integrity of his wife (Hepburn), who believes in the man behind the political facade.

It was originally reported by French magazine Tout le Cine that Julia Roberts would be starring in the film offering up a complete Pretty Woman reunion, but independent banner Identity Films confirms Production Weekly's report adding several financiers are positioning to finance film.

Kristen Bell cast in 'Burlesque': the proof...

P.ussycat fight!

Kristen Bell will star as Christina Aguilera's rival in "Burlesque," Screen Gems' musical drama being directed by Steve Antin.

"Burlesque" centers on the journey of an ambitious small-town girl (Aguilera) with a big-town voice who finds love and success in a Los Angeles neo-burlesque club, reminiscent of the nightclub in Bob Fosse's "Cabaret." (Aguilera has guested in cabarets for the *****cat Dolls.)

Bell will play Nikki, the loose-cannon lead dancer and main attraction at the club who spirals out of control when Aguilera's character suddenly gets the spotlight.

Already cast are Cher as the nightclub owner and Stanley Tucci as the man who helps turn Aguilera from bumpkin to bombshell.

Shooting begins Nov. 9 with a release aimed for Thanksgiving 2010.

Screen Gems senior vp production Scott Strauss will oversee the project.

Bell, repped by CAA and Brookside Artists Management, stars opposite Vince Vaughn and Jason Bateman in "Couples Retreat," which opens today. The actress, whose credits also include "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," next stars in Disney's romantic comedy "When in Rome," being released in January. She recently wrapped filming the Disney comedy "You Again" with Sigourney Weaver, Jamie Lee Curtis and Odette Yustman.

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