More Film News ...

Originally posted on www.thefancarpet.com

Knepper Joins R.I.P.D.

New comic book adaptation R.I.P.D. has added another star to its line up, in the shape of Robert Knepper.

Knepper is best known for his role in hit television series Prison Break, but after enjoying some success in movies such as Good Night, And Good Luck he has now signed on to star in the latest in a long line of comic book adaptations.

The movie, which is being directed by Robert Schwentke will see Ryan Reynolds play a police officer who is killed in the line of duty. But this isn’t the end of his hard work as he is recruited to work in the rest in peace department, which is dedicated to finding ghost who refuse to leave the world.

Other people that have signed onto the project include Jeff Bridges as Reynolds partner, Mary-Louise Parker as their boss and finally Kevin Bacon as the movie’s villain.

It is currently unknown who Knepper will be playing in the film, all that is known is that is character is dead and a wayward spirit if you will.

The film is currently being shot in Boston right now and will hit cinemas in 2013.

Rambin The Surfer

New girl on the block Leven Rambin has signed up to star in new surfing film Mavericks.

After making her break through appearance as Glimmer in The Hunger Games it looks as though she is finally making a splash in Hollywood, after working her way up after years of appearing in television shows.

The film Mavericks, which has been written by Brandon Hooper and is being directed by Curtis Hanson, will see the true story of big wave surfer Jay Moriarty hit the big screen. Jonny Weston has signed on to play the surfing legend and Gerard Butler has signed on to star as the man who mentored him and watched him rise to the top of his sport.

Rambin herself will play a surf girl from California, who along with being Moriarty’s best friend is also his main love interest.

There is currently no set start date for filming yet, but I’m guessing it will most likely hit the big screen next year for the summer rush, because lets face it this does sound like it would make more of a splash in the summer than the winter.

Renner The Bank Robber

Jeremy Renner has signed up to both produce and star in a movie adaptation of the J North Conway novel, King of Heists.

It looks as though the movie star has been bitten by the bank robber bug, after receiving an Oscar nomination for his role in The Town, where he also stole a lot of money.

The film documents the true life tale of George Leslie, a man who arrived in New York during the 1860s, looking like an ordinary gentleman. However he was hiding a rather big secret from people, he put together and pulled off a huge heist during 1878 at a Manhattan Saving institution which saw him get away with around $3 million. Being the brilliant robber that he was no one guessed he was involved until after his death.

The script will be written by Will Staples, who is well known in the gaming world and is currently involved in writing a sci-fi flick for James Cameron.  Renner will be producing along with his partner Don Hadfield.

It is currently unknown who else will be staring in the project or when it will begin filming, but with the script still being written it looks like it may be a while yet.

Some Film News ...

So recently I've been doing some writing for thefancarpet.com where I've been writing about some of the latest news in the film business. So here's the first few:

Nicole Kidman in talks to join the paper boy

Hollywood actress Nicole Kidman is in talks to take over the Sofia Vergara role in the Lee Daniels directed film The Paperboy.

The film has been plagued with drop outs as stars attached to the project such as Toby Maguire and Sofia Vergara have both left for different reasons. Now that Kidman is in talks to play role previously assigned to Vergara things are beginning to look back on track.

Actor Matthew McConaughey is still tipped to play the films lead role, a reporter who investigates the events surrounding a murder, along with his brother, which could lead to a prisoner on death row walking free.

Kidman’s character (if she signs to the film) is a woman with a sinister side to her and has a penchant for writing letters to inmates on death row, and initially brings the case to McConaughey’s characters attention.

With teen heartthrob Zac Efron also on board it appears as though the only cast member in need of replacement is Maguire. The film plans to begin filming in the late summer if the casting switch is successful.

Affleck set to star and direct!

Ben Affleck set to direct and star in his next film, Argo.

The political thriller set in 1979 will see Affleck play Tony Mendez, a CIA in disguise expert who, in order t help six American diplomats escape from Iran, creates a fake Hollywood production.

The film will be working from a script by Chris Terrio that had previously appeared on 2010s Black List.

Affleck has previously stepped behind the film camera and proven his abilities as a director with film such as Gone Baby Gone and The Town, but Argo will be his first ‘period’ film with a whole new set of challenges, but given his previous record it shouldn’t prove to be a big issue.

Other news surrounding the film is the talk that actors Alan Arkin and John Goodman are very close to signing up for Affleck’s latest venture on the big screen.

Given Affleck’s previous track record and the talk of the new signings, he looks set to prove why this film shouldn’t have been on the Black List.

Scarlett Johansson joins Judd Apatow/John Carney film

The Sunday Business post online has reported that screen siren Scarlett Johansson has been added to the cast of Can A Song Save Your Life?

The film is a musical picture that will be directed by Carney and will follow a “a washed-up A&R man who forms a passionate bond with a younger singer/songwriter (Johansson) from out of town.”

The film has been in the works for some time with writer/producer/director Judd Apatow stated way back in the summer of 2009 that he was working a movie with John Carey.

After two years the two men have finally cleared their busy schedules and began work together and the film is finally shaping up.

Carney said “I’ve been writing it for a year and a half.” He later added ‘I went out to Los Angeles to meet Scarlett a couple of months ago. She was everything you could imagine – very hot, elegant and she’s really smart.”

It comes as no surprise that Johansson will be singing in the new film after proving her worth as a vocalist over the past few years, with an album on Tom Waits covers and she collaborated with Pete Yorn on his album Break Up.

The film has a budget of $10 million and is planned to begin shooting next year in New York.

Madonna's W.E sent into Oscar race

Madonna’s narrative feature directional debutW.E will be released on December 9^th, during the heart of the awards season.

Following the stars critically panned directional debut Filth and Wisdom it appears that The Weinstein Company have some faith in her follow up feature.

“Madonna beautifully interweaves past and present in W.E. It’s a very smart film, and a stunning feature directorial debut,” said Weinstein. “I’m incredibly excited about this movie and I wanted to give it a prominent release date.”

The film looks at the fabled romance between American Willis Simpson and Britain’s King Edward VIII, who gave up the thrown to marry the woman he loved. More than six decades later, their story enthralls Wally Winthrop, a young woman who sees a stark contrast between her unhappy marriage and their devotion, an example she follows as she searches for true love.

Considering the film looks at what was happening off screen in The King's Speech, it makes perfect sense to release the film during award season given the success of the latter at this year’s award ceremonies’.

The films platform release will occur on the 9^th of December in New York and LA before going wide sometime in January.