"Up In The Air" co-stars Anna Kendrick and J.K. Simmons will team up again in "The Accountant," with Ben Affleck slated to lead. Gavin O’Connor ("Warrior," "Jane Got A Gun") will direct this one about "a mild-mannered accountant who moonlights as a lethal assassin." Better pray this guy doesn’t give you an audit. Filming begins in January. [Variety/THR]
Armie Hammer will witness "The Birth Of A Nation." He joins Nate Parker‘s directorial debut, which he also wrote and will star in, that tells the true story of "Nat Turner, who led a bloody rebellion in 1831 and went down in history as one of the most controversial American figures preceding the Civil War." [Deadline]
The completely necessary "Skyline" sequel has now added "The Raid" star Iko Uwais to the cast. He joins Frank Grillo in the movie, playing "the leader of an underground resistance that forms after aliens touch down on earth." Lensing starts next month. [Variety]
Ayelet Zurer, probably best known to audiences as Lara Van-Lor in "Man Of Steel," has booked a role in the "Ben-Hur" remake. Timur Bekmambetov is helming the tale of "the Jewish prince (Jack Huston) who is betrayed into slavery by his onetime friend, Messala, played by Toby Kebbell. He fights his way to freedom and vengeance, with a couple of chariot races thrown in for good measure. Morgan Freeman is also on board as the man who teaches Ben-Hur how to win at chariot racing." Zurer plays Naomi, Ben-Hur’s mom. [THR]
Champion boxers Andre Ward and Tony Bellew have joined the "Rocky" spinoff "Creed." "Fruitvale Station" helmer Ryan Coogler is reteaming with Michael B. Jordan, who leads this story focusing on Apollo Creed’s grandson, who gets mentored by Sylvester Stallone. Production gets in the ring in January. [THR]
Linda Cardellini will mix it up with Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg in "Daddy’s Home." The movie follows "a mild-mannered radio executive looking to become the best stepdad to his wife’s two children just as their freewheeling and freeloading real father arrives on the scene." Sean Anders directs and cameras roll later this year. [THR]
According to Italian media reports, Blake Lively and Jeremy Irons will star in Giuseppe Tornatore‘s "The Correspondence." The story centers around a college student and a professor brought together by a tragedy (at least that’s what Google translate seems to indicate). [c7nema]