Elijah Wood is going to get literary with “Set Fire To The Stars.” The actor will star in the indie film from co-writer/director Andy Goddard (“Downton Abbey“), and the ’50s-set film will tell the story of the turbulent and moving relationship between aspiring poet John Malcolm Brinnin and his hero, the hellraising Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. Wood will play Brinnin, with Celyn Jones as Thomas. Production kicks off at the end of the month.
Tonight marks the 100th episode of “Parks and Recreation,” and that won’t be the only thing Aubrey Plaza will be celebrating. The actress, along with Oliver Platt and Jeff Goldblum, has joined “Mortdecai” starring Johnny Depp. Directed by David Koepp, the film follows “debonair art dealer and part time rogue Charlie Mortdecai who must traverse the globe armed only with his good looks and special charm in a race to recover a stolen painting rumored to contain the code to a lost bank account filled with Nazi gold.” Sounds like a good vehicle for Depp’s brand of quirkiness and with a cast that also includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Ewan McGregor, Olivia Munn and Paul Bettany, it could be a good dose of fun. [MovieWeb]
Elsewhere, John Goodman has boarded “The Gambler” remake starring Mark Wahlberg, Brie Larson, Jessica Lange and Michael K. Williams. Rupert Wyatt will direct the film that follows “a literature professor whose gambling addiction lands him in hot water with his girlfriend, his mother and some unsavory gangsters.” Goodman will play a loan shark in the movie, that is being prepped for a 2015 release. [The Wrap]
There are undoubtedly a few projects left in the wake of Paul Walker‘s tragic death that will need to be redeveloped, and one of them now has a new leading man. “Homeland” star Rupert Friend has taken over the title role in “Agent 47,” the sequel to “Hitman.” Aleksander Bach will direct this one written by Skip Woods and Michael Finch. [Variety]
Lastly, Bruce Willis will drag himself through another boring-sounding action movie. He’s signed on to star in “Captive” where he’ll play “an American real estate magnate living in Brazil who is kidnapped and held for ransom at a prison cell hidden in a Sao Paolo landfill while a detective specializing in ransom cases tries to find him.” Yawn. Filming begins in March with Simon Brand (“Unknown“) directing. [Variety]
