News Round-Up: ‘Beauty and the Beast’ Casting; ‘The Danish Girl’ Release Date; ‘Blade Runner 2’ Plans; and More

After a crazy week of movie news, I’ve condensed everything down to the following news stories:

In casting, names like Luke Evans, Dan Stevens, Leonardo DiCaprio, Will Ferrell, and Ethan Hawke have signed on for new projects. In release dates, The Danish Girl finally unveiled its planned release. And in misc. news, you can find out the latest about Blade Runner 2 and the new Spider-Man films.

Check it all out below!

There were so many casting breaks this week, it was tough to organize them in order of importance. As far as titles go, I think the biggest movie featured today is the live-action Beauty and the Beast. Previously, we found out about the spot-on Belle casting (Emma Watson). Gaston, it now appears, will be played by Luke Evans (The Hobbit trilogy) and Dan Stevens (ITV’s Downton Abbey) will play the Beast himself. Bill Condon (The Twilight films) will direct the movie that doesn’t have a release date quite yet. (Source: Variety)

As far as actors go, the biggest name this week is for A-lister Leonardo DiCaprio. DiCaprio will star in the film The Crowded Room. What’s most notable is that he’ll play a guy with 24 different personalities. If you can’t win an Oscar, take on a role like this, right? Other news, like a director and release date, aren’t known yet. DiCaprio will also help produce the movie. (Source: Comingsoon)

Speaking of starring and producing, Will Ferrell has signed on for a similar role in the comedy The House. Ferrell will play a father that loses his daughter’s college fund and has to run an underground casino to get the money back. As of now, we’re awaiting a release date and a director, though we do know the team behind Neighbors is involved. (Source: THR)

The remake of The Magnificent Seven got a boost this week when Ethan Hawke joined. Hawke will team-up with co-star Denzel Washington and director Antoine Fuqua (who were both involved in Training Day). It’s also of note that Chris Pratt will co-star in the movie that’s awaiting a release date. (Source: IGN)

After yesterday’s new photo, I mentioned that The Danish Girl was still awaiting a release date. That didn’t last long as later that day it was announced that Tom Hooper’s (The King’s Speech) drama will debut in the prime November 27th slot. For those that don’t know, Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything) stars as transgender pioneer Lili Elbe. Expect this film to be in the awards race later this year. (Source: THR)

Blade Runner 2 hadn’t gained a lot of traction lately. That changed this week as news came down that not only would Harrison Ford return for the sequel, but the movie had found a director. I was skeptical until I read the name – Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners). Hopefully he can continue his hotstreak. We’ll try to update you with a release date when we find one out. (Source: CNN)

Last, but certainly not least, is the first big Spider-Man news we’ve heard since Spidey joined the MCU. Drew Goddard (The Cabin in the Woods), who was linked to the Sinister Six plans, will likely direct Spider-Man in the MCU. The details are still shifting but it seems like good news if you’re a fan of Goddard’s resume. (Source: Deadline)

Thanks for stopping in. Check out this week’s trailers, posters, and photos if you missed those.

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