As of late, plenty of casting rumors have surrounded Oliver Stone‘s Savages, his upcoming project based on Don Winslow’s 2010 novel of the same name. Last week, we learned that Aaron Johnson (Kick-Ass, Nowhere Boy) had been offered a role, and we even thought that Oscar nominee Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone) would land a part in the film. (Though, as we learned on Monday, Lawrence has bowed out of the project, most likely due to her involvement with Hunger Games.)
Today, The Playlist offers up news on a different performer, claiming that Benicio Del Toro has signed on to the film. The report also confirms Johnson‘s casting, as well as that of Taylor Kitsch. Amazon describes Savages‘ plot synopsis as follows:
The future is looking good for Laguna Beach, Calif., marijuana growers Ben and Chon, until they receive an ominous e-mail from the Baja Cartel. Attached is a photograph showing the decapitated bodies of other independent drug dealers. The message is clear: sell your product through us or else. Ben and Chon try to resist, but matters escalate after cartel thugs abduct Ophelia, the guys’ beautiful young playmate and accomplice, and hold her for a cool million ransom. Meanwhile, Elena “La Reina” Sanchez Lauter, the leader of the Baja Cartel, must deal with rival drug gangs and potential overthrow from within. Ben and Chon propose a trade that Elena can’t refuse, setting the stage for the violent and utterly satisfying ending. Winslow’s encyclopedic knowledge of the border drug trade lends authenticity.
Johnson and Kitsch will be playing Ben and Chon, while Del Toro is likely to play the carter’s main enforcer. But even though that part of the cast is cleared up, Lawrence‘s departure has created a female vacancy that has yet be filled. Olivia Wilde and Salma Hayek are two actresses that have been named for supporting female roles, but by no means have they been confirmed just yet.
Are you excited for Stone’s upcoming project?