Paul Bettany has had it a bit rough the past few years, famously turning down “The King’s Speech” (oops) and starring in a handful of forgettable movies like the Charles Darwin flick “Creation,” and stuff like “Legion” and “Priest.” He had a nice turn in “Margin Call,” but mostly he’s been better known of late as the voice of Jarvis, Tony Stark’s AI butler, in the Marvel movies. He’s a talented dude who has always seemed to just keep missing a leap into bigger and better things, but now his time may have finally arrived.
Bettany has joined Wally Pfister‘s secretive, and highly anticipated “Transcendence” with Johnny Depp. Of course, the pair both starred in the pretty awful “The Tourist” (as we detailed today in our 5 Great & 5 Disappointing English-Language Debuts By Foreign-Language Directors features) but we’d wager they’re on better ground here. The film will tell the tale of a scientist who has his brain uploaded into a supercomputer after he’s assassinated by terrorists. And of course, no word on Bettany’s role.
So far, so good, and lot’s more casting to come. There are three main scientists in the picture, along with the wife of the dead man. More details hopefully to come as the production prepares to shoot this spring. Warner Bros. will release the movie in 2014.