Over the weekend, “The Act of Killing” director Joshua Oppenheimer and producers Errol Morris and Werner Herzog hit Reddit to talk about the Oscar nominated documentary, but of course, the conversation wound up going to many different places. But for our purposes, one of the morsels that dropped had to do with casting on the next effort from Morris.
Stepping away his usual documentary milieu, Morris will be helming “Holland, Michigan” this spring, and in addition to the previously announced Naomi Watts, the director revealed that both Bryan Cranston and Edgar Ramirez are part of the cast too. Not too shabby. Penned by Andrew Sodroski, the thriller/black comedy centers on a woman who suspects her husband is cheating, starts her own affair and then discovers her husband is a serial killer. Yikes. Promising stuff and sounds tonally right in Morris’ wheelhouse, with his docs already displaying the ability to be both profound and absurd at the same time.
In other casting news: Colin Quinn has joined Judd Apatow‘s “Trainwreck” starring Amy Schumer, Brie Larson and Bill Hader. As always, plot details are being kept secret, but previous reports have vaguely outlined the story as following a “basket case” trying to rebuild her life, with a boyfriend, parent and best friend all in the mix. Production will start later this year with the film already set for July 24, 2015 release. [The Wrap]
Finally, Alessandro Nivola—last seen in David O. Russell‘s “American Hustle“—has joined J.C. Chandor‘s currently-in-production “A Most Violent Year.” Starring Oscar Isaac, Jessica Chastain and Albert Brooks, the thriller is set in New York City during the winter of 1981, statistically one of the most violent years in the city’s history. The film follows the lives of an immigrant and his family trying to expand their business and capitalize on opportunities as the rampant violence, decay, and corruption of the day drag them in and threaten to destroy all they have built. The actor “will play Peter Forente, a heating oil distributor who is a competitor to Isaac’s character.” The film is slated to be release later this year. [Deadline]