Casting

LAND OF BAD: Russell Crowe, Liam Hemsworth Cast For September Action Thriller Shoot From ‘Underwater’ Director

Russell Crowe (Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind) and Liam Hemsworth (The Hunger Games, Independence Day: Resurgence) are set to star in the new action thriller film Land of Bad, it was announced on Friday. Will Eubank (Underwater, The Signal) will direct from a script he wrote with David Frigerio. Land of Bad centers on Reaper (Crowe), an Air Force drone pilot supporting a Delta Force special ops mission in the South Philippines. After the mission goes terribly wrong, he has 48 hours to remedy what has devolved into a wild rescue operation. The Tier One team on the field is joined on the battlefield by Kinney (Hemsworth), a green Air Force JTAC who is thrust into the middle of a high-stakes extraction. But the ground mission suddenly turns upside down and becomes a full-scale battle when the team is discovered by the enemy. With no weapons and no communication other than […]

ABSOLUTE DOMINION Sets Cast For Dystopian Martial Arts Tournament Thriller From Netflix, Blumhouse TV

Lee B. Golden III

Production is underway for Absolute Dominion, the dystopian martial arts thriller that gained headlines earlier this month for the local film commission in the state of Nevada. The film hails from Netflix and Blumhouse Television with Punisher: War Zone helmer Lexi Alexander directing from her own script. Absolute Dominion is set in 2085 A.D. when the world has been destroyed by religious warfare. Desperate to save humanity, global governing forces host a gripping, no-holds-barred, martial arts tournament. Last fighter standing wins Absolute Dominion for one faith. According to the trades, Alex Winter (Bill & Ted trilogy), Alok Vaid-Menon (Random Acts of Flyness), Andy Allo (Chicago Fire), and Désiré Mia, are starring in the film with Jennifer Jajeh (Transparent), Juliana Joel (American Gigolo), Julie Ann Emery (Better Call Saul), June Carryl (Y: The Last Man), Junes Zahdi (Counterpart), Laith Ashley (Pose), Mario D’Leon (Power), Nora Armani (The Blacklist: Redemption), Oluniké Adeliyi (The Expanse), Patton Oswalt (I […]

THE KILL ROOM Adds Joe Manganiello For Spring Production

Lee B. Golden III

Cameras are set to roll this Spring in New York and New Jersey for dark comedy crime pic, The Kill Room, according to Deadline’s Andreas Wiseman reporting on the addition of actor Joe Manganiello (Archenemy, Zack Snyder’s Justice League) to the cast. The film, first announced in the trades at the start of April, joins the actor with previously-cast Pulp Fiction cohorts Samuel L. Jackson and Uma Thurman. Penned by Jonathan Jacobson with Nicol Paone tapped to direct, The Kill Room charts “the story of a hitman (Manganiello), his boss (Jackson) and an art dealer (Thurman) whose money-laundering scheme accidentally turns the hitman into an overnight avant-garde sensation, forcing Thurman’s character to play the art world against the underworld.” The film will hit the Cannes market in May with producer Yale Entertainment’s sales and distribution banner, Great Escape, handling international sales and co-repping U.S. rights with ICM Partners, according to […]

HIJACK: Apple TV+ Orders Real-Time Thriller Series Starring Idris Elba

Lee B. Golden III

Apple TV+ is partnering with actor Idris Elba (Sonic The Hedgehog 2, The Suicide Squad) on new thriller series order, Hijack, marking first project that will hail from Elba’s first-look deal with Apple TV+ and his Green Door Pictures signed in 2020. Told in real time, “Hijack” is a tense thriller that follows the journey of a hijacked plane as it makes its way to London over a seven hour flight, as authorities on the ground scramble for answers. Elba will star as Sam Nelson, an accomplished negotiator in the business world who needs to step up and use all his guile to try and save the lives of the passengers — but his high-risk strategy could be his undoing. George Kay (Criminal, Netflix’s “Lupin”) is writing the series, and Jim Field Smith (Criminal, The Wrong Mans) is attached to direct. The two are also exec producing via their Idiotlamp Productions […]

RRR Star Ram Charan Signals New Collab With UV Creations For Director Gowtam Tinnanuri

Lee B. Golden III

Award-winning actor Ram Charan is on deck to star in an as-yet untitled “multi-million dollar” feature film with production house, UV Creations, with director Gowtam Tinnanuri at the helm, according to announcements on Monday. The news comes following a period of well over two weeks of buzz and box office for the hit success of Baahubali helmer S.S. Rajamouli’s latest period action epic, RRR, in which Charan stars alongside A-listers NT Rama Rao, Alia Bhatt and Ajay Devgn. The film is billed as a thought experiment that centers on two legendary revolutionaries and their fictional journey away from home before they started fighting for their country in the 1920s. It has been highly praised for its incredible action sequences and stunt-filled set pieces. UV Creations is hailed as the company responsible for several Tollywood (or Tegulu language cinema) blockbusters such as Koratala Siva’s action drama, Mirchi (2013), and Sujeeth’s romantic […]

SHADOW FORCE Casts Omar Sy, Joe Carnahan To Direct For Lionsgate

Lee B. Golden III

Boss Level and Copshop helmer Joe Carnahan will be back to direct another action thriller with Shadow Force for Lionsgate. First announced in 2019, actress Kerry Washington will now be joined by Lupin series star Omar Sy, who replaces actor Sterling K. Brown, as Deadline‘s Andreas Wiseman reported on Friday. Nathan Kahane, President, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, said: “Omar is at the top of his powers – combined with his global stardom, he’s ideally suited to co-lead this action-drama with Kerry, whose talent as an actress and a producer is unbounded. We’re thrilled to be working with the production team of Stephen, Kerry, Sterling, and Pilar, who have shepherded this story of a family in peril from the beginning, and with Joe, who will bring a unique, visceral style to the film.” Andreas Wiseman, Deadline Directing from a script Carnahan wrote with Leon Chills, Shadow Force “will follow an estranged couple with […]

John Kissack’s FELIX Shoots This Spring From ‘The Grey’ Director, Casts Jeffrey Dean Morgan And Benjamin Evan Ainsworth

Lee B. Golden III

Jeffrey Dean Morgan (“The Walking Dead”, Watchmen) and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth (“The Haunting of Bly Manor,” upcoming Pinocchio) are set to star in the new horror thriller, Felix. Third time feature director John Kissack (Everfall) will helm this – his second horror pic – from a script by Casey Giltner, with principal photography set to start this Spring. Ainsworth will play Charlie, who, along with his best friend Jimmy, are making a movie with dreams of becoming Hollywood directors. When Charlie’s dad (Morgan) finds an old ventriloquist doll named Felix among his late mother’s belongings, Charlie and Jimmy immediately cast Felix as the creepy antagonist in their movie. Through a chain of increasingly sinister and disturbing events, the family discovers that Felix has a mind of his own and it’s up to Charlie and Jimmy to rid their family of this ominous force they’ve awoken. Joe Carnahan (Copshop, Boss Level, […]

THE CROW Casts Bill Skarsgard And FKA Twigs, Rupert Sanders To Direct

Lee B. Golden III

After years in development hell, a reimagining of The Crow finally appears to be on track for production with the casting of Bill Skarsgård (It franchise) and Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter FKA twigs (Honeyboy). Rupert Sanders (Snow White and the Huntsman, Ghost in the Shell, Foundation) will direct a modern reimagining based on James O’ Barr’s beloved 1989 Caliber Comics graphic novel publication, from a script by Academy Award-nominated Zach Baylin (King Richard). Director Alex Proyas first brought the story to the screen in 1994’s The Crow, which starred the late Brandon Lee, and became a cult classic, proceeding with a slew of direct-to-video sequel with actors Vincent Perez, Eric Mabius and Edward Furlong each in the title role, and a TV series starring Mark Dacascos. The central narrative of The Crow as we know it from the ’94 film, sees rock musician Eric Draven, brought back from the dead by a […]

DEADPOINT Casts Quintessa Swindell For Rock Climbing Survival Thriller

Lee B. Golden III

This one gave some cool Cliffhanger vibes… Actress Quintessa Swindell is set to star in Spyglass Media Group’s Deadpoint, from directing duo Adam Stein and Zach Lipovsky (Freaks). Paul Haapaniemi (Jane By Design) is penning the script with Good Fear Content’s Chris Bender and Jake Weiner (Mulan, My Spy) producing, according to Deadline‘s Anthony D’Alessandro. The story follows a young woman who sets out to complete the treacherous mountain climb that claimed her father’s life. Mid-journey, she stumbles upon a murder and becomes the target of a ruthless band of criminals who want to eliminate the only witness to their crime. Alone in the unforgiving wilderness, and clinging to a sheer rock wall, her only escape is up. I’m curious to see what this one delivers while it surely isn’t the only film of it’s kind. I’m reminded of the Cliffhanger reboot that hasn’t shot yet since its announcement in 2019, and […]

SHRAPNEL Casts Jason Patric And Cam Gigandet, William Kaufman Directing

Lee B. Golden III

Jason Patric (Sleepers, Narc) will lead action thriller Shrapnel, as announced by L.A.-based sales, production and financing firm, Premiere Entertainment Group (PEG) on Friday. The actor will star alongside Cam Gigandet (Twilight, The Magnificent Seven) with William Kaufman directing from a script by Chad Law and Johnny Walters. Patric will play a rancher who crosses the border in search of his missing daughter who mysteriously vanishes during a trip to Mexico with her best friend. He decides to take matters into his own hands, with the help of a former Marine buddy (Gigandet), after the local authorities provide little help and he discovers that they are in cahoots with the dangerous cartel behind his daughter’s disappearance. The film further reunites Kaufman with Law, with the latter having co-penned three of Kaufman’s films in the past: Cuba Gooding Jr. actioners The Hit List (2011) and One In The Chamber (2012), and the […]

SELLBLOCK Revs Up With Gritty Pre-Production Teaser For New Filipino Crime Drama

Lee B. Golden III

The first pre-production teaser is online for Filipino TV prison drama, Sellblock, with news signaling actor Jericho Rosales to lead the cast. Sellblock is the first on an Asian genre slate of projects announced back in February to be jointly backed and produced by companies in the Philippines, Hong Kong, and United States. A fictional series which chronicles one of Asia’s biggest drug empires, operating from inside the Philippines’ largest maximum-security prison. Discover how the drug lords made it their Las Vegas of prisons. Also starring are Tirso Cruz III, Cherry Pie Picache, Ronnie Lazaro, Rosanna Roces, Mon Confiado and RK Bagatsing, with more casting announcements ahead. Sellblock hails from Manila-based ABS-CBN in association with BlackOps Studios Asia. (Variety, ScreenAnarchy)

More Casting Announcements for ONE PIECE Adaption

Edward Orndorff

Arguably one of the biggest shonen products in the world, Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece has been serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump since 1997, and has gained a strong and dedicated following, with the anime recently celebrating one thousand episodes! A story of pirates searching for lost treasure in a world full of strange creatures and cursed fruit, the beloved series is being adapted to live-action by Netflix, and has already confirmed casting for the core group of Straw Hat Pirates. Further casting details for supporting cast have been announced recently, and most of them seek to oppose Luffy and the Straw Hats in their quest. Joining the cast is Morgan Davies (Evil Dead Rise) as Koby, friend of protagonist Luffy which we meet at the beginning of the story. Buggy the Clown, captain of an opposing Pirate crew, is played by Jeff Ward (Agents of Shield), as well Ilia Isorelýs Paulino (Queenpins) […]

KAMEN RIDER W: FUUTO PI First Trailer and Cast!

Edward Orndorff

Kamen Rider W is not my first season of Kamen Rider that I experienced in full as it released, but it was the one that hooked me. With it’s colorful cast, detective noire inspired themes, excellent soundtrack, and a story that hits many emotional and storytelling highs and lows, I couldn’t be more excited to talk about Fuuto PI, the anime adaption of the manga of the same name that continues the story. Fuuto PI, as mentioned above, adapts the manga which serves as a sequel to the series. Taking place after the film Kamen Rider W Returns: Kamen Rider Accel, the show follows Shotaro Hidari, a half-boiled private eye with a big heart, and Philip, a super intelligent and quirky young man with a connection to the Gaia Library, an archive of the Earth’s knowledge. A new case appears involving a woman named Tokime, who has lost her memory and has been […]

SAVAGE ATTACK: Cameras Now Rolling As Action Thriller Adds Matthias Hues

Lee B. Golden III

Actor Matthias Hues (I Come In Peace) will rejoin Alexander Nevsky in front of the camera for the current Los Angeles production of Joe Cornet’s new film, Savage Attack. The two have previously worked on films such as crime thriller Black Rose, action adventure Maximum Impact, Showdown In Manila and Cornet’s upcoming Western, Assault On Rio Bravo, in which Nevsky also stars and will release later this year. Craig Hamann (Showdown In Manila) penned the script for the film which centers on a CIA operative who must save his former mentor from an insane asylum under siege by hired killers. Production hails from ETA Films and Nevsky’s Hollywood Storm banner, and is expected to take place in locations in California and Arizona. Nevsky is producing the film with Cornet, Eric Brenner (Crazy Heart) and Douglas “Fini” Finical exec producing.

WARDRIVER: Dane DeHaan, Sophie Turner Cast In New Action Thriller From ‘F9’ Scribe

Lee B. Golden III

Dane DeHaan (Sony’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Christopher Nolan’s upcoming Oppenheimer) and Sophie Turner (HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” Twentieth Century Fox’s X-Men: Dark Phoenix and X-Men Apocalypse) will star in crime thriller, Wardriver, which is currently being shopped at EFM by Highland Film Group with CAA Media Finance handling domestic. Daniel Casey (F9: The Fast Saga, Kin, 10 Cloverfield Lane) will direct from his own script with cameras set to roll in Los Angeles this summer. DeHaan will play Cole, a brilliant tech-savvy thief forced by a manipulative and dangerous criminal to rob a seemingly weathy woman’s bank account of nearly million dollars. Cole discovers that a powerful, mob-connected lawyer has been using Sarah to hide his money, prompting the tech wunderkind to initiate a plan to bail her out of danger. Ignoring warning signs that something greater is amiss, Cole begins to fall for Sarah, and soon finds himself […]

Jean-Claude Van Damme kicks Bolo Yeung in BLOODSPORT

WHAT’S MY NAME?: Jean-Claude Van Damme Hails His Final Action Star Bow With Jeremy Zag Directing

Lee B. Golden III

Taking a page from Mabrouk El Mechri’s JCVD according to Mike Fleming Jr.’s Deadline exclusive on Friday, martial arts action movie superstar Jean-Claude Van Damme is closing the book on his stellar career with director Jeremy Zag’s What’s My Name?, as news rolls out of EFM with Wild Bunch International handling sales; CAA is repping domestic sales. Per the report, What’s My Name? reunites the action star with some of his classic screen opponents of yesteryear, and “will dip into his cinematic and personal life — as did the 2008 film JCVD — and that it will bring to an end his long career as an action film fighter. Nick Vallelonga (Green Book) and Paul Sloan (Stilleto) penned the script based on a story by Van Damme, who is producing with Zag, and with Cross Creek’s Tyler Thompson; Cross Creek is fully financing the film. More from Fleming Jr. on the film: […]

REBEL MOON: Zack Snyder Reveals Concept Art, Cast Info For New Netflix Thriller

Lee B. Golden III

Zack Snyder revealed a trio of images via social media which you can view above, conveying some conceptual art for his new Netflix space adventure epic, Rebel Moon. The images come with the announcements of newly added cast members Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy, Shantaram, The Gentleman, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword), Djimon Hounsou (The King’s Man, A Quiet Place Part II, Blood Diamond), Doona Bae (The Silent Sea, Jupiter Ascending, Sense8), and Ray Fisher (Zack Snyder’s Justice League, True Detective, Women of the Movement). The aforementioned all join actress Sofia Boutella who was firstly attached to news of the project last November. Jena Malone, Staz Nair, E. Duffy, Charlotte Maggi, and Sky Yang round out the cast with a script storied by Snyder and by Kurt Johnstad, and written by Snyder and Johnstad, and by Shay Hatten. When a peaceful colony on the edge of the galaxy finds itself threatened by the armies […]

57 SECONDS Lines Up Freeman, Hutcherson For Action Sci-Fi Shoot This Spring

Lee B. Golden III

Highland Film Group is off to the races for the upcoming European Film Market with their slate this year, including action sci-fi thriller 57 Seconds starring Morgan Freeman (Million Dollar Baby) and Josh Hutcherson (The Hunger Games movies). Cameras are set to roll this April in Lousiana for Rusty Cundieff (Tales from the Hood, “Chappelle’s Show”) who is directing from a script by Macon Blair (Netflix’s I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore), who adapted the pic based on the acclaimed story by British author E.C. Tubbs. Hutcherson stars as Franklin Fausti, a tech blogger Franklin Fausti who lands a career-defining interview with the visionary technology guru Anton Burrell (Freeman). After thwarting an attack against the celebrated technophile, Franklin picks up a mysterious ring that Burrell has dropped and soon discovers the ring allows its possessor to travel 57 seconds into the past. Driven by revenge and with Burrell’s support, Franklin […]

MUZZLE: Aaron Eckhart Stars In New HFG Crime Thriller Launching At Upcoming EFM

Lee B. Golden III

Aaron Eckhart will star in Muzzle, the new thriller from director/producer John Stalberg Jr. (Lionsgate’s Crypto). The film is set to shoot in July from a script by Carlyle Eubank (Focus Features’ The Signal), and storied by Eubank and Stalberg Jr., with co-financing by Los Angeles-based sales company Highland Film Group who are also handling worldwide rights at the upcoming European Film Market. Muzzle centers on LAPD K-9 officer Jake Rosser (Eckhart), who has just witnessed the shocking murder of his dedicated partner by a mysterious assailant. As he investigates the shooter’s identity, he uncovers a vast conspiracy that has a chokehold on the city in this thrilling journey through the tangled streets of Los Angeles and the corrupt bureaucracy of the LAPD. “I feel lucky to work with such an immensely talented actor to bring this timely, thrilling story to life,” commented Stalberg, Jr. “I’ve never seen Aaron Eckhart strike a false […]

DEN OF THIEVES Sequel Casts Up, Plots Spring Production Start

Lee B. Golden III

Some of the best news this month is coming right out of the European Film Market where deals are being made and casting is underway for numerous projects, developing or otherwise – namely the long awaited Den Of Thieves 2: Pantera, the long-awiated sequel to the inaugural hit 2018 heist thriller which starred Gerard Butler, Pablo Schreiber, O’Shea Jackson Jr. and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson. The sequel was greeinlit a month after the film’s release with an official title etched in the following year. Christian Gudegast is returning to direct the sequel from his own script, with Deadline‘s Andreas Wiseman reporting the return of Jackson Jr. to his role from the first film opposite Butler, and confirming the return of actress Meadow Williams along with the addition of actor Swen Temmel (After), with Jackson also returning this time to produce. The plan is to commence principal photography late Spring in […]