News Round-Up: Matt Damon, Bradley Cooper, James Spader; Updates for ‘Transformers 4’ and ‘Now You See Me’ Sequel; and More
This week’s edition of News Round-Up is very casting-heavy. How can I report on other things when we’ve received new information on Matt Damon (in Interstellar), Bradley Cooper (in Guardians of the Galaxy), James Spader (in Avengers 2: Age of Ultron), Bill Murray (in Rock the Kasbah), and the two leads in Fifty Shades of Grey? For release dates, just the James Brown biopic (titled Get on Up) is to be reported on. For misc. news, I’ll attach information on the official title of Transformers 4 and Louis Leterrier’s involvement in the Now You See Me sequel. As always, follow the post down to find all the information and sources.
[Monday: trailers, Tuesday: posters, Wednesday: photos]
Although I’d previously thought Christopher Nolan’s (The Dark Knight Rises) Interstellar had closed its casting efforts, it appears that wasn’t exactly true. Matt Damon has joined the sci-fi picture in a supporting role but not much else is known. The movie will also star Matthew McConaughey (Magic Mike) and Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty). (Source: Variety)
Bradley Cooper is the next big star to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, he’ll be doing it in a less traditional way as he’s been officially cast as the voice for Rocket Raccoon in Guardians of the Galaxy. The movie is shooting now and should release August 1, 2014. James Gunn (Movie 43) is directing Chris Pratt (NBC’s Parks and Recreation) and Zoe Saldana (Star Trek Into Darkness). (Source: Marvel)
Speaking of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it looks like the next big bad has been cast. Although it was a surprising choice to me, I can’t bash the choice too much. James Spader (Lincoln) will play the mechanical beast Ultron, and it’s unknown just how this will happen. No matter how, he’ll be the next foe for the Avengers in The Avengers: Age of Ultron – Joss Whedon’s next installment set to release May 1, 2015. (Source: EW)
Bill Murray, maybe the most beloved of the actors mentioned so far, has also added his next project. Murray will star in Rock the Kasbah, a movie directed by Barry Levinson (Rain Man) and written by Mitch Glazer (Passion Play). Murray will apparently play a washed-out music producer that discovers a young girl in Afghanistan and helps her in an “American Idol”-like contest. A release date isn’t available yet. (Source: The Wrap)
Although I wouldn’t consider myself one of them, plenty of people have been anxiously awaiting the Fifty Shades of Grey casting announcement. It looks like Dakota Johnson (The Social Network) and Charlie Hunnnam (Pacific Rim) will play the two main characters. Also releasing on August 1, 2014, the popular adaptation will be directed by Sam Taylor-Wood (Nowhere Boy).
After last week, it looks like the Chadwick Boseman (42) starring James Brown biopic (now titled Get on Up) will open October 17, 2014. Tate Taylor (The Help) is the director with more casting information on the way. For synopsis, the press release says the film will follow his life from rags to riches. (Source: Collider)
Michael Bay’s fourth Transformers film will apparently be titled Transformers: Age of Extinction. The word “extinction” is an interesting choice since my guess is nobody will be extinct by the end. Wouldn’t that be a surprise? It’ll star Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci (The Hunger Games), and Kelsey Grammer (Starz’s Boss). The movie will come out June 27, 2014. Check back next Tuesday for a teaser poster. (Source: Collider)
Lastly, I found a directing update for the previously announced Now You See Me sequel. After becoming one of the this summer’s surprise successes, a sequel wasn’t that surprising. Louis Leterrier is now set to direct the next movie, which could turn out to be a good thing…if the story is there. As of now, they’re just in the story process. Plot details, casting, and release date info will be available in the future. (Source: HitFix)
That does it for the latest news breaks. Check back tomorrow for the newest clips and movie release information!
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