Steven Spielberg is gearing up his adaptation of Roald Dahl‘s "B.F.G.," and he’s found his leading man for the titular role. Actor Mark Rylance, mostly known for his stage work, has landed the gig for a story about "a young girl, the Queen of England and a benevolent giant known as the BFG. The three set out on an adventure to capture the evil, man-eating giants who have been invading the human world." Production will begin next year with a release date slated for July 1, 2016. [Deadline]
Oliver Platt and Molly Parker have joined Jamie Dornan, Aaron Paul and Sarah Gadon for Alexandre Aja‘s “The 9th Life of Louis Drax." Cameras are now rolling on the Max Minghella penned movie about "the titular character who suffers a near-fatal fall on his 9th birthday. Dornan will portray a doctor caring for the boy who is drawn into a mystery, testing the boundaries of fantasy and reality." [Variety]
Sebastian Stan will hang with Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline and Rick Springfield in the Diablo Cody penned "Ricki And The Flash." The Jonathan Demme directed movie will follow a rock ‘n’ roll-loving woman who chases her dreams at the cost of her family but gets a chance to put things right. [Deadline]
Damian Lewis will still star opposite Paul Giamatti in Showtime‘s "Billions." The show "explores the world of high finance by following the approaching collision between two titanic figures —the hard charging, whip-smart U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhodes (Giamatti), and the brilliant, ambitious hedge fund king, Bobby “Axe” Axelrod (Lewis)." Neil Burger ("Divergent," "Limitless") will direct the pilot. [EW]
Lone Scherfig ("An Education," "The Riot Club") is mounting a new picture, "Their Finest Hour And A Half," and has landed her leads. Lily James and Sam Claflin will star in a movie which "follows the misadventures of a British movie crew trying to make a patriotic film to boost morale after the Blitz during World War II." Filming will begin next summer. [Deadline]