Tyler Gets Stranger; Romijn’s in the Lake…
Scott Speedman is starring opposite Liv Tyler in the suspense thriller Strangers. They portray a couple living in a remote house who come under attack by three masked strangers (including one played by model Gemma Ward) and have to fight for their survival. Meanwhile, Rebecca Romijn and Keith Carradine are joining Sissy Spacek, Troy Garity and Dave Matthews in the drama Lake City. Romijn plays a small-town cop romantically involved with Garity‘s character, who reunites with his estranged mother (Spacek) when deadly circumstances threaten their home. Carradine plays a local gas station attendant, and Matthews plays a member of a dangerous crowd that entraps the son. Those two movies sound alike, don’t they?
Dewan’s a Nerd
As if. Jenna Dewan, who sizzles in the dance movies Take the Lead and Step Up, is joining the cast of Revenge of the Nerds, a remake of the 1984 comedy. Dewan plays an 18-year-old college freshman who catches the eye of nerd Max (Christopher Marquette) on their first day at their new college. Punk’d’s Ryan Pinkston plays Felch, a 15-year-old whiz kid who is in over his head as he enters his first year of college, while Nick Zano, best known for starring opposite Amanda Bynes in TV’s What I Like About You, plays the guitar-toting surf-rat sophomore quarterback who is the president of the Alpha Beta Fraternity and the nerds’ nemesis. Oh, what fun.
After Holding a Grudge, Tamblyn Blackouts
Amber Tamblyn, star of this weekend’s expected box office champ The Grudge 2, has joined the cast of the indie thriller Blackout. The project revolves around three people who are trapped in a hospital elevator for almost 24 hours as what at first seems like an inconvenience turns into a nightmare. Tamblyn will play a young woman who is trying to get to her dying grandmother. Also cast are Aidan Gillen (The Wire) as a doctor who happens to be a psychopathic killer, and Armie Hammer, a teen who wants to run away with his girlfriend. Ohhh, a claustrophobic thriller. I like it. Any manner of bad things can happen when people are stuck in an enclosed space together.
Weisz Cons Her Way In…Again
Rachel Weisz is set to star in The Brothers Bloom, an international con man adventure. The indie project marks writer-director Rian Johnson‘s follow-up to 2005’s teen film noir Brick. Weisz, who won an Academy Award this year for her supporting role in The Constant Gardener, will play a mysterious millionaire who turns the tables on a veteran team of con men who take on one last job after the younger brother threatens to quit the family business. Weisz isn’t a stranger to movies about con artists. She starred in the slick Confidence, with Ed Burns, playing another femme fatale—of sorts. She’s good at it.
Howard Shows His Mettle
Terrence Howard is set to join Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man. He’ll play Jim “Rhodey” Rhodes, the confidante of Iron Man’s alter ego, Tony Stark. Rhodes, a high ranking military officer and aviator, steers the team that develops the robotic suit that allows the sickly Stark to fly around and battle bad guys. In the comic, Rhodes’ character gets his own armored suit and evolves into an occasionally antagonistic character called War Machine. That development seems likely to be saved for the sequel, though, as Iron Man will battle villain the Mandarin in this first installment. The casting choices for this film just keep getting curiouser and curiouser, but at least they are getting folks who’ve got the chops.
Adams Cleans Up
Amy Adams, who just wowed them last year with her Oscar-nominated performance in the little seen Junebug, is in negotiations to star in Sunshine Cleaning, an indie feature about two sisters who start a crime scene cleanup business. Adams plays a 30-year-old woman who has squandered her life’s potential on dead-end relationships, but, along with her younger sister, who is trying to find her way in the world, finds meaning and understanding through their unlikely enterprise. Well, that’s a different premise, I’ll give it that.
Mulroney, Sutherland Meet Jolene
Dermot Mulroney, Donald Sutherland, Michael Vartan and Denise Richards have joined the cast of Jolene, an indie film based on a story by E.L. Doctorow. The project centers on a red-haired heroine (newcomer Jessica Chastain) whose cross-country adventures, beginning at age 15, are tracked over the course of a decade. Mulroney plays Uncle Phil, a devilish Southerner who captures the heart of the teenage Jolene, stealing her away from her husband, who is his nephew. Sutherland is taking on the role of Sal, an ex-mobster in Las Vegas. Vartan plays Brad, a rich fundamentalist from Texas who marries Jolene, and Richards has the role of Marin, who shows up to reclaim her two-timing husband. Another Lifetime movie with a good cast? Discuss amongst yourselves.
Until next week…
