Once set to be a new directing vehicle for Barbra Streisand (her first in over a decade-and-a-half) Skinny and Cat is in need of a new helmer. According to Showbiz 411, Colin Firth is still on board to star as writer Erskine Caldwell (famous for his novel Tobacco Road), but instead of Cate Blanchett playing war photojournalist Margaret Bourke White, Rachel Weisz has stepped into the role. Along with Blanchett stepping out, Streisand is also gone due to her busy schedule, but with financing in place and producers searching for a new director, expect an update soon.
In other casting, Denis Leary has come aboard Draft Day, the new football drama coming from Ivan Reitman, according to Deadline. Once set to feature the Buffalo Bills, Kevin Costner is now leading the film as Cleveland Browns coach Vince Penn, due to better tax incentives in Ohio. Jennifer Garner plays his secretary in the Black List-topping script and filming kicks off soon for a likely 2014 release.
Moving over to the supernatural side, THR lets us know that Luke Evans, after playing the main baddie in Fast & Furious 6 will reteam with Universal for their upcoming Dracula film. Directed by Gary Shore, the origin story set in the modern day (what else is there?) is looking to kick of production this year. In slightly related classic creature feature news, the Aaron Eckhart-led thriller I, Frankenstein has been moved from September 13th, 2013 to the dumping ground of January 24th, 2014, with Lionsgate effectively telling us to ignore it.
According to The Wrap, Alex Garland, the writer behind Sunshine and 28 Days Later, has found a pair of stars for his directorial debut. First revealed last month, the independent robot thriller Ex Machina has now brought on Drive‘s Oscar Isaac and Domhnall Gleeson (who worked with Garland on Never Let Me Go), to lead the film that follows “a billionaire programmer (Isaac) who handpicks a young employee (Gleeson) to spend a week at his remote estate and participate in a test involving his latest invention — an artificially intelligent female robot.” Expect more casting soon, including a female lead, which is currently rumored to go to Felicity Jones or Alicia Vikander.
Lastly, we’ve got word straight from the director of the upcoming YA adaptation The Maze Runner regarding new casting in his film. Director Wes Ball revealed on Twitter that Kaya Scodelario, star of Andrea Arnold‘s Wuthering Heights, has grabbed the female lead role of Teresa in the film adapted from James Dashner’s hit novel. Joined by Aml Ameen, Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Will Poulter, the story revolves around a teenager named Thomas who ends up in a mysterious area known as The Glade completely devoid of his memory. Along with other “Runners,” Thomas tries to find a way out of The Glade, which changes shape every night, while also avoiding a group of machine-like animals called The Grievers. The film will arrive in February 2014 as shooting continues this summer.
Which of the above films are you most looking forward to?