News Round-Up: Jesse Eisenberg Cast in ‘Man of Steel’ Sequel; ‘The LEGO Movie’ Sequel In the Works; and More
In a big casting week, this Thursday’s News Round-Up will focus primarily on actors and their new projects. While there are no release dates to be found here, I did include a couple of misc. tidbits. Below you can find news on The LEGO Movie sequel, M. Night Shyamalan’s project Labor of Love, and David Goyer’s The Breach. Before that, check out the castings that include Jesse Eisenberg in the Man of Steel sequel, Matthew McConaughey in Sea of Trees, Liam Neeson in Silence, and Chris Pine in The Line.
Overall, I think it’s a pretty good week for news!
The biggest splash came with the announcement of Lex Luthor’s portrayer in the Man of Steel sequel. While plenty of names swirled around the rumor mill, the popular choice (/opinion) was Bryan Cranston. However, in a stunning move, Warner Brothers chose Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network) to play the iconic Superman villain. While he may not seem like an obvious choice, Eisenberg is an undeniably talented actor. I’m excited to see what he does with the role. With his announcement, it’s also worth noting the sequel (which will feature Batman) also received its Alfred. Jeremy Irons (Margin Call) will play the iconic butler when Zack Snyder’s sequel releases May 6, 2016. (Source: EW)
The red-hot Matthew McConaughey continued to fill his schedule (and wallet) with news that he’ll star in Sea of Trees. The movie will unite the Oscar nominee and popular indie director Gus Van Sant. He also joins Ken Wantabe (Inception) and the movie will tackle the idea of suicide. No release date is available yet as the film is still a ways out. (Source: THR)
Liam Neeson became the latest name added to Martin Scorsese’s Silent project. I recently reported on Adam Driver’s addition to the cast, but Neeson’s name is probably a bigger draw for casual moviegoers. He’s known more as a badass in Hollywood, but Neeson will take a more dramatic role when he reteams with Scorsese. A release date isn’t known for this one either. (Source: Deadline)
The final bit of casting includes Chris Pine (Star Trek Into Darkness) and David Gordon Green (Pineapple Express). Although Green is known for his comedies, he’ll be directing a “gritty thriller,” titled The Line, with one of today’s rising action stars. Pine will play a down-on-his-luck patrol agent. Like the others, there isn’t a release date as of yet. (Source: THR)
Even though The LEGO Movie has yet to release (it comes out this weekend), it appears a sequel is already in the works. I’m holding out on an official opinion until I see the movie, but all signs point to me loving the first film. With a cast that includes Will Ferrell, Chris Pratt, Morgan Freeman, and more, it already has a lot going for it. Then, of course, there is the LEGO part of the movie. Whether it is good or not doesn’t really matter, though, because Warner Brothers is going forward with a second script. Everything else, including cast and crew, aren’t known at this time. (Source: Cinema Blend)
If you are (still somehow) an M. Night Shyamalan fan, I wanted to pass along news on his next project, Labor of Love. It appears Shyamalan will direct one of his first scripts with Bruce Willis (whom he worked with on The Sixth Sense). There is no use justifying Shyamalan’s filmography as of late, but the fact that it is one of his first scripts, and that Willis is involved, gives us the slightest glimmer of hope. Production and a release date are still up in the air. (Source: Deadline)
To close things out, Lionsgate has won out on the bid for David Goyer’s sci-fi film The Breach. Goyer is becoming a household name because of his running collaborations with Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight trilogy) and D.C. (Man of Steel). Although his next film won’t tackle superheroes, it’ll play for similar audiences. That is, unfortunately, all we know about the film, so keep your ears peeled for stars and a release date. (Source: Variety)
For this week’s trailers, posters, and photos, follow the links. And, of course, come back tomorrow for the latest clips.
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