Well, despite whatever upheaval is going on casting wise, perhaps Joel Edgerton wasn’t kidding when he said everything was “wonderful” on the set of “Jane Got A Gun.” Thus far, the villain role has been toughest to slot with Michael Fassbender, Jude Law, and Bradley Cooper all coming and going as the movie has been rocked by director changes and cast defections; but perhaps this one will stick? At any rate, it will give “Star Wars” fans the reunion between Obi Wan-Kenobi and Queen Amidala they’ve been waiting for.
That’s right, Ewan McGregor is busting out the spurs to take on the bad guy role in the Natalie Portman starring and produced western. It’s a reteam of the “Star Wars” prequel stars and my God they were once so young… Here’s a refresher: The film will follow Jane Hammond (Portman), a good girl married to one of the worst baddies in town. When her husband Bill (Noah Emmerich) turns against his own gang, the vicious Bishop Boys, and returns home barely alive with eight bullets in his back, Jane decides to grab a gun and take matters into her own hands. As the relentless leader John Bishop (McGregor) gears up for revenge, Jane’s best hope for her family’s survival rests with her old love Dan Frost (Joel Edgerton) – a gunslinger whose hatred for Bill is only slightly overshadowed by his love for Jane.
We have to say, it’s a pretty great casting replacement and stepping back for a second — a western starring Portman, McGregor and Edgerton? Hard to argue with that. Yes, we can always dream about what Lynne Ramsay could’ve done with the material, but Gavin O’Connor is no slouch so perhaps everyone involved can make some good lemonade out of the last couple months of lemons. And with Ramsay headed to Cannes as part of Steven Spielberg‘s jury, we presume we’ll hear her side of the saga soon enough.
Production is underway in New Mexico and barring any other disruptions, this is the final shape the movie will be in. Knock wood. [Deadline]
