As Cannes gets closer and buyers, distributors, producers and more gear up to hit the marketplace, lots of casting news will be coming. So strap in for the next round of news, to stay on top of a variety of developing projects.
Gérard Depardieu has joined “Blue Is The Warmest Color” director Abdellatif Kechiche‘s next film, “The Real Wound.” Based on the book “La Blessure, la vraie” by François Bégaudeau, the film will track a teenage boy trying to lose his virginity while on holiday in Tunisia. No word yet on Depardieu’s role, but production begins in August. [Allocine]
Aaron Eckhart has been tapped to star in “My All American,” written and directed by Angelo Pizzo of “Hoosiers” fame (he’s making his helming debut with this one). The movie will tell the story of football legend Freddie Steinmark “a standout player on the national title-winning 1969 University Of Texas team, before his gridiron career was tragically cut short when he went to the hospital for a bone bruise and learned that he had a cancerous tumor that took his leg and ended his career.” Finn Wittrock will play Steinmark, with Eckhart as “Royal, who guided the Longhorns to three national titles in his 20-year tenure and never had a losing season.” [Deadline]
Lena Headey is slated to lead the Clive Barker produced “Jaqueline Ess.” The film follows “a woman who, in her thirst for change, achieves the ability to transform people’s bodies at will.” Jovanka Vuckovic will direct, making her feature debut with production kicking off later this year. [Variety]
“Mad Men” star Elisabeth Moss is going horror with “There Are Monsters.” Bryan Bertino (“The Strangers“) wrote the script and will direct this one about “a single mum and her terrified young daughter who are trapped and tormented by a mysterious creature.” Sounds….familiar…. Pre-production begins this fall. [Screen Daily]
Lastly, Laura Linney has joined Ian McKellen in “A Slight Trick Of The Mind.” The story “centers on the later years in the fictional Holmes’ life, when he retired to Sussex to keep bees, as Doyle’s stories suggested. Mrs. Munro serves as something of a caretaker, albeit one with a young son Holmes takes a parental interest in. The story focuses on Holmes grappling with old age and dementia, while remaining obsessed with one unsolved case. It will toggle between decades, depicting Holmes both at age 91 and 63, when he’s working on his final case.” Bill Condon will direct the film based on the book by Mitch Cullen. [EW]