In this edition of casting round-up, we have two very different films — one’s a touching and inspiring story set in the contemporary Australian inner-city and the other is a biopic that’s been disavowed by the subject’s estate.
It’s been a few years since Christina Ricci has had a big screen leading role, but she’s set to co-star in the Australian “indigenous urban drama” “Around the Block” opposite Jack Thompson. The film, set in the aboriginal enclave of Redfern, follows “an indigenous boy who is torn between his dream of acting and following in the footsteps of his criminally minded brother.” Ricci will play an American drama teacher who inspires the boy, who’ll be played by Hunter Lochard Page. There’s been some great Australian films released in the past few years ("Animal Kingdom," "The Proposition," etc.), and we can only hope that the project can match the high bar set by the country’s recent output. Filming starts this month.
Meanwhile, a pretty key role has been cast in the Andre 3000-starring Jimi Hendrix biopic, “All Is By My Side.” British newcomer Ashley Charles will be playing the infamous Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards. The film, which is lacking approval from Hendrix’s estate, will cover the musician's breakthrough period from 1966 to 1967, when he was discovered in a New York club by Keith Richard’s girlfriend, Linda Keith (Hayley Atwell). We’re pretty curious on how the finished product turns out and how the film will manuever around the music rights, which we presume they won't be able to land. The film is currently in production.