Well, this is an interesting bit of casting. With Steve Carell busier than ever with “The Office” now in the rearview mirror, the comic actor has had to shed one of the many projects he’s been linked to in the past few months. Dude has to eat and sleep sometime. Stepping away as an actor, but remaining on board as producer, Carell has rounded up a truly inspired choice for the other lead role in the dramedy “Imagine.”
Variety reports that Al Pacino will now star in the dramedy penned by very hot writer Dan Fogelman (“Crazy Stupid Love,” “My Mother’s Curse“). The story centers on a sixty-something Bruce Springsteen-type rocker, who discovers a long unopened letter written by John Lennon that inspires him to track him down his son who he has never met. Carell was previously set to play the son, but now Pacino is going to play the rocker, and we’ll say this — he can definitely grow the hair for the part.
The film will mark Fogelman’s directorial debut and the hunt is on for someone to take the part vacated by Carell. As for us, Pacino playing an aging rocker sounds amazing, but let’s just hope he does it with a bit more….flair….than Sean Penn’s recent turn in “This Must Be The Place.” No word yet on when it will start. Pacino seems to be gravitating towards musical figures these days, as he’s also set to play Phil Spector in an upcoming film for HBO directed by David Mamet.