Mia Wasikowska Makes 'Tracks'; Hilary Swank Goes HBO With 'Mary And Martha'; Rupert Grint Rocks 'CBGB' & More

Mia WasikowskaMia Wasikowska has signed on to star in John Curran’s (“The Painted Veil”) new indie “Tracks.” The film will tell the true story of a young woman named Robyn Davidson who traveled 1678 miles through the Australian desert in 1987. It’s an Australian production and will be based on Davidson’s memoirs of the same name, and has already secured distribution down under and in the U.K. (through Momentum Pictures). [Variety]

Hilary Swank will star alongside Brenda Blethyn in the HBO TV movie “Mary and Martha.” The names attached behind the camera are pretty impressive too, with “Salt” director Phillip Noyce set to helm the Richard Curtis (“Love Actually”) penned script. The story will follow two women who emerge from traumatic family tragedy to form a unique bond while fighting for the eradication of malaria. Sounds like pretty heavy stuff, but yet again HBO seems to have lined up the talent to match. [Variety]

Talk about a casting downgrade. Anton Yelchin has left Naomi Foner’s “Very Good Girls” (which will also star Dakota Fanning and Elizabeth Olsen) and has been replaced by some chap called Boyd Holbrook. So the “Star Trek” star has been replaced by some guy from “The Big C.” We’re probably being a little unfair to Holbrook who has also appeared in “Milk” and will next pop up in “The Host” before joining Foner’s flick, which also boasts Peter Sarsgaard and Demi Moore amongst its cast. We'll see if he's got the goods. [Deadline]

Ambyr Childers. Who is she? And why does she spell her name like that? Well apparently she’s a regular on “All My Children” (and we know lots of our readers are massive fans of that show), and she’ll also soon be seen in two heavy-hitters – “The Master” and “Gangster Squad.” But the news here is that she’s signed on to star in the remake of the Mexican cannibal horror flick “We Are What We Are” alongside Wyatt Russell, Bill Sage and Julia Garner. With those credits to her name, she could be one to watch. [Deadline]

And finally, Rupert Grint (aka Ron Weasley) will try and catch up with Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe in his attempt to forge a notable post-Potter career. Grint has signed onto “CGBG” alongside Alan Rickman, and “The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman” with Shia LaBeouf and Evan Rachel Wood. The question is, as fun as Grint was in Potter, can he actually act? Neither are lead roles, and neither are particularly big films, which makes you wonder whether this will be as good as it gets for poor Ron. [Variety]