Even without being massively fond of many of the films produced from his screenplays (not least his pretty bad directorial debut “London Boulevard“), we’re fond of William Monahan and his salty dialogue, best embodied in his Oscar-winning script for “The Departed,” and we’re always hopeful that he’ll come up with the goods. So despite our feelings about “London Boulevard,” we’re hopeful for his follow-up “Mojave,” not least because of the cast he’s assembling.
When first announced, the LA-set crime picture had Oscar Isaac and Jason Clarke on board, but given how busy the latter’s becoming, with roles in “Dawn Of The Planet of the Apes” and “Candy Store” lined up, it’s not surprising to learn that he’s dropped out of the project. The good news it that they’ve found a fine replacement, with “Tron: Legacy” and “On The Road” star Garrett Hedlund stepping in. Hedlund will play a tortured artist who goes into the desert to sort his head out, only to come across a murderous drifter. The project marks something of a reunion for the duo, as they both feature in the Coen Brothers‘ “Inside Llewyn Davis,” which premieres in Cannes on Saturday. [Screen Daily]
Is director Terry Gilliam taking a role in the new Wachowski’s movie? Yep. “Off at dawn tomorrow to pretend to be an actor in the new Wachowski’s film, “Jupiter Ascending.” ‘It’s a small but vital part (or so I’m told). Apparently, these guys are in the film as well. I can’t wait to meet my hairdresser,” he wrote on Facebook. The Wachowski’s sci-fi follow-up to “Cloud Atlas” stars Channing Tatum, Mila Kunis, Sean Bean, and Eddie Redmayne and centers in a universe where humans are near the bottom of the evolutionary ladder. Kunis plays a young destitute human woman targeted for assassination by the Queen of the Universe because her very existence threatens to end the Queen’s reign. Gilliam will play… the King? The court jester?
Playing a loathsome character is never easy, but that’s exactly what Uma Thurman has on tap next. The “Kill Bill” actress will star as anti-gay Christian crusader Anita Bryant in a movie directed by “Howl” and “Lovelace” filmmakers Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman. Written by Chad Hodge (“This Time Around“), “Anita” will follow the former celebrity singer and orange juice spokeswoman as she allows a gay screenwriter into her home and is forced to confront her past bigoted past. Bryant successfully campaigned to overturn gay rights laws in Florida in the 1970s and destroyed her showbiz career in the process. [THR]