Well here’s a little surprise. Eddie Murphy doesn’t work often, and when he does, it’s usually in his comedy wheelhouse. And thus he goes down the drama road even less, but just like that, the actor has joined the next untitled movie from Bruce Beresford ("Driving Miss Daisy," "Breaker Morant"). He replaces Samuel L. Jackson, playing "a cook who is hired by a dying man to prepare meals for his girlfriend and her daughter when he passes." The script is from Susan McMartin ("Californication," "Two And A Half Men") and production begins next month. [IF]
Gal Gadot is suddenly the woman of the hour. Now part of Warner Bros. DC universe as Wonder Woman, she’s on Hollywood’s radar in a big way, and has been cast in Timur Bekmambetov‘s "Ben-Hur" remake. She joins Jack Huston, Toby Kebbell, and Morgan Freeman, taking the role of love interest Esther. Meanwhile, Pedro Pascal, aka Oberyn Martell from "Game Of Thrones," has joined the movie as Pontius Pilate. Production kicks off in early 2015. [THR/Deadline]
Mena Suvari will lead the Eli Roth and Jason Blum-produced WE series "South Of Hell." She’ll take the role of "Maria Abascal, a stunning demon-hunter-for-hire whose power stems from within. Like those she hunts, Maria is divided within herself, struggling with her own demon, Abigail, who resides inside of her, feeding on the evil Maria exorcises from others. Maria and Abigail share a soul and a destiny, but as Maria desperately tries to overtake Abigail, she will discover how far Abigail will go to remain a part of her." The show already has an eight-episode series order and will air in 2015. [Deadline]