Ron Perlman Joins 'Conan,' 'The Green Lantern' Adds Two Kiwis & Apparition Picks Up 'Welcome To The Rileys'

Ron Perlman and Said Taghmaoui have joined the cast of Marcus Nispel’s “Conan” remake. Perlman will take up the role of Conan’s father, previously rumored for Mickey Rourke, while “G.I. Joe” star Taghmaoui will play a leader of thieves who is saved by the main man. The duo join Jason Momoa, Rachel Nichols, Stephen Lang, Bob Sapp and Leo Howard with production due to begin this week in Bulgaria.

Kiwi actors Taika Waititi and Temuera Morrison have joined Martin Campbell’s “The Green Lantern.” Waititi plays the best friend of Ryan Reynold’s Hal Jordan while Morrison, best known for his role as Jango Fett in the “Star Wars” prequels, will play a member of the Green Lantern Corps named Abin Sur. Mark Strong, Tim Robbins and Blake Lively also star.

“Ugly Betty” star Christopher Gorham will play the distraught best friend in Matthew Chapman’s “The Ledge” which will follow a man (Charlie Hunnam) threatening to jump off the ledge of a high-rise building and the policeman trying to stop him at the bottom (Terrence Howard). Liv Tyler and Patrick Wilson co-star.

Bob Berney’s distribution shingle Apparition have picked up Jake Scott’s “Welcome To The Rileys” which debuted at Sundace. The film stars James Gandolfini and Melissa Leo as a husband and wife whose marriage hits a hurdle when the husband meets a young prostitute, played by Kristen Stewart, on a business trip and stays back to help her. It’s the second Stewart film acquired by Apparition after “The Runaways.” A fall release is being planned.

Speaking of Stewart, here is a behind-the-scenes look at David Slade’s upcoming “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.” Might we remind you that Slade once tweeted; “Twilight drunk? No, not even drunk. Twilight on acid? No, not even on acid? Twilight at gun point? Just shoot me.” Of course, he deleted his account and soon after was announced as the ‘Eclipse’ director.