Willem Dafoe is now joining the diverse ranks of Bill Hader, David Bowie, Guy Pearce, Jared Harris and Crispin Glover in donning the platinum wig to play pop art icon Andy Warhol. The actor has joined French filmmaker Bertrand Bonello‘s “Saint Laurent,” a biopic about the famed fashion designer. Not to be confused with The Weinstein Company movie also in production, this much starrier endeavor features Gaspard Ulliel in the title role, with Olga Kurylenko, Jérémie Renier, Léa Seydoux, Louis Garrel, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi and Amira Casar in support. Cameras are rolling on the film which is already slated for a May 14, 2014 release in France. Can you say Cannes?
Update 10/02: Reps for Willem Dafoe say that news he is playing Andy Warhol is “completely false.” Bummer. [AlloCine]
The redo of “Annie” is also underway and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, perhaps best known for his roles on “Lost” and “Oz,” has joined the cast of Quvenzhané Wallis, Jamie Foxx, Cameron Diaz, Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale and more. He’ll be playing a friend of Annie’s who is also a bodyguard and driver for millionaire Benjamin Stacks (Foxx). The Will Gluck-directed film lands on Christmas Day 2014. [Deadline]
Dakota Fanning and “Divergent” hunk Theo James will hang with Richard Gere in “Franny.” Lensing begins in a few weeks on the movie about “a hedonistic philanthropist who ingratiates himself into the lives of a newlywed couple in order to re-create the life he once had.” [Deadline]
Joseph Cross (“Lincoln“), Adelaide Clemens (“Parade’s End,” “The Great Gatsby“) and Deborah Ann Woll (“True Blood“) are all slated to star in the indie drama “The Automatic Hate.” Co-written by Justin Lerner and Katharine O’Brien—with the former directing—the story will follow Cross and Clemens’ characters who have “a taboo attraction,” with Woll as Cross’ girlfriend. Richard Schiff, Caitlin O’Connell, Catherine Carlen, Yvonne and Vanessa Zima and Ricky Jay (!?) round out the cast. [Deadline]
And Clemens’ agent is keeping her busy, signing her up to feature alongside Zachary Quinto, Stephen Graham, Natalie Dormer and Timothy Simons in “The Girl Who Invented Kissing.” Tom Sierchio writes and directs the pic about “two brothers whose lives are interrupted when a nameless young drifter walks out of the rain and into their bar.” Presumably the kissing happens later. [Variety]
Rapper/actor Common is dropping the mic for moment to star in the thriller “Run All Night” alongside Liam Neeson, Joel Kinnaman and Ed Harris. Written by Brad Ingelsby (the pen behind the upcoming “Out Of The Furnace” with Christian Bale and Casey Affleck), the thriller will find Neeson playing a mob hitman who has to take on his boss, protect his family and go on the run from the authorities with his estranged son. Getting in their way will be Common as calm, cool, collected, killer. Jaume Collet-Serra directs. [THR]
Lastly, “Blue Is The Warmest Color” co-star Adele Exarchopoulos has lined up her next gig, starring in the feature directorial debut of actress Sara Forestier (who infamously was the actress that ‘Warmest’ director Abdel Kechiche wanted to swap in for Lea Seydoux). Entitled “M,” the film will chronicle the relationship between a young women suffering stuttering and a man who risks his life in underground racing (if our French serves us correctly). Lensing will get underway next spring. [Allocine]