Casting Notes: Ray Liotta In ‘Things Fall Apart’; New Actors For Lone Scherfig’s ‘One Day’ And Madonna’s ‘W.E.’
Mario Van Peeblesis currently directingCurtis JacksoninThings Fall Apartand, based on Jackson’s past thespian efforts, that’s not terribly exciting. But nowRay Liottais joining the cast, so that’s a positive turn. Jackson is playing “a star football running back…who faces a personal tragedy as well as his own mortality while in his senior year in college.” Liotta will now play his doctor, which will make a nice change from playing intimidating cops and the like, which Liotta gets all too often. [Variety]
After the break, Lone Scherfig (An Education) and Madonna get new talent for their next films.
BeforeLone Scherfigtackles therecently announcedMob Girl, she’ll shoot a film calledOne Day.That romantic comedy, written byDavid Nichollsfrom his own novel, already hadJim SturgessandAnne Hathawayin the lead roles. NowRomola Garai(Atonement) will play a woman romanced and married by Sturgess. The book is set on St. Swithin’s day every year over a 20 year period from 1988 to 2008. Hathway and Sturgess have a one-night stand on their graduation day in 1988, then cross paths for the next 20 years. ThinkWhen Harry Met SallyplusSame Time, Next Year. (Though the latter movie is so far out of fashion that I wonder if anyone actually ever thinks of it.) [THR]
Finally, there’sMadonna’s.W.E.It initially sounded like a disaster: a dual-threaded tale of royalty and romance doesn’t sound like something her previously limited directorial skills would be able to master. But then she got a great cast:Vera Farmiga,Abbie CornishandEwan McGregor.
Trouble is, she’s lost Farmiga (who is pregnant) and McGregor (to Terry Gilliam, it seems) which could reduce the power of the cast quite a bit. But there are replacements headed in.Andrea RiseboroughfromLove You Moreis taking Farmiga’s role, and while there’s not yet a replacement for McGregor,Robin Hood’sOscar Isaacis now on board as well. He’d be the guy that Abbie Cornish falls for in the modern story, with Riseborough playing Wallis Simpson, in a role that will see her playing over several decades of the woman’s life. [Playlist]
