Cannes is in full swing, so that means a zillion deals and movie packages are being revealed. One of the biggest assembles two major stars Chris Pine and Elizabeth Olsen to star in “Wind River.” It’s the directorial debut of actor/writer Taylor Sheridan, who wrote the upcoming Cannes thriller “Sicario.” Pine will play a fish and game hunter forced to confront his past when he joins a rookie FBI agent (Olsen) in a quest to solve a murder in the lawless Wind River Indian Reservation. [ScreenDaily]
Ben Wheatley’s “High Rise” didn’t show up at Cannes, but the picture will turn up later this fall, you can bet. Meanwhile, the uber-prolific filmmaker is already prepping his next film, a gang shootout movie called “Free Fire.” It already stars Luke Evans, Brie Larson, Cillian Murphy, Armie Hammer and Wheatley regular Michael Smiley. “District 9” actor Sharlto Copley announced on Twitter he’s also joined the cast. [Sharlto Copley]
READ MORE: Ben Wheatley To Helm ‘Free Fire’ With Luke Evans
Director Benedict Andrews’ upcoming drama, “Blackbird,” stars Rooney Mara and Ben Mendelsohn. Due to shoot in the U.K. starting June 13, it just picked up another cast member in “Nightcrawler” actor, Riz Ahmed, who will also have a role in “Star Wars: Rogue One.” [Screen Daily]
Sean Penn is quietly packaging his next directorial effort in Cannes. Called “Flag Day,” the movie will star his daughter, Dylan Penn, as a young journalist whose father perpetrated one of the largest counterfeit money operations in U.S. history. [ScreenDaily]
READ MORE: Premature Oscar Predictions: The 2016 Best Picture Contenders
Jim Carrey is in talks to star in the indie thriller "True Crimes," which follows "a murder investigation that turns to clues found in an author’s book about an eerily similar crime." The movie is based on a New Yorker article by David Grann and will be directed by Alexandros Avranas (“Miss Violence”). [The Wrap]
In related smaller casting news, Samuel L. Jackson has joined the remake of “The Blob,” because money. Zoe Kazan will star in Bryan Bertino’s horror movie “There Are Monsters.” And Kirsten Dunst will star in the feature directorial debut from Rodarte fashion label founders Kate and Laura Mulleavy.
