Role Call: Rumors, Release Dates, and Appearances Are Afoot!
In the latest edition of MuggleNet Role Call, we find out which Harry Potter alum will be invading our televisions this fall, which long-awaited projects are slated for theatrical release, and which project has been placed on hold for the time being. Let’s dive into the latest casting news like Harry in the Black Lake during his second Triwizard task, shall we?
Rumor patrol! It’s been awhile since we’ve heard anything about upcoming projects from Harry Potter director Chris Columbus. You may remember a few months back that he was announced as the director of the live-action movie, Pixels, starring Adam Sandler, and was rumored to be involved with the Goonies 2, a sequel to his 1985 script and 80s hit, The Goonies. However, another rumor has surfaced – Columbus could be set to direct a remake of the 80s horror classic Gremlins, of which he penned the original script for. According to The Tracking Board, Columbus is in talks with Warner Bros. for the Gremlins reboot, and was recently confirmed as returning to produce the Goonies 2 film. As a child of the 80s, this is something I am definitely looking forward to!
Award-winning producer David Heyman has another movie on the horizon. The Light Between Oceans, starring Michael Fassbender, is a film about a lighthouse keeper and his wife on an island just off of the coast of Australia who find a child in a rowboat along with a dead body and decide to raise the child. The Hollywood Reporter announced that the movie is looking to shoot in Australia, but no time frame was given.
Good news for Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, and Jessie Cave fans! The US distribution rights for Pride were picked up by CBS Films last week and a premiere date has already been announced, according to The Wrap. Fans will be able to see the film in the US beginning September 19 while fans in the UK and France will get it a bit earlier on September 12 through international distributor Pathé.
Gary Oldman has a few things to look forward to – his film with Tom Hardy, Child 44, has finally been given a release date of April 17 according to Variety. The movie revolves around “a senior member of the secret police framed by a colleague for treason and exiled to a remote outpost, where he unearths a series of mysterious murders and vows to catch the elusive killer”. Gary is also in talks to star in Criminal alongside Kevin Costner. Oldman would play a CIA chief in the thriller directed by Ariel Vromen. A brief synopsis of the plot was revealed by The Hollywood Reporter. It centers around a “dead CIA operative’s memories, secrets and skills that are implanted into a dangerous prison inmate in hopes that he will stop a diabolical plot.”
Amid the buzz of his film Mr. Turner and its success at Cannes, Timothy Spall will appear at the Henley Literary Festival in September to discuss his journey around Britain with his wife on a barge. His wife Shane recently published a story about their trip around Britain during Spall’s battle with leukemia. Tickets for the festival go on sale to the general public on July 28 – you can learn more about the festival and purchase tickets here.
As we eagerly await photos and news of Sir Michael Gambon on set of The Casual Vacancy, we do have some news to report. It was announced Friday that Gambon’s drama Fortitude will air this January in the UK via Sky Network Pivot. This will be the first scripted drama series for the network and will unfold for audiences in 12 episodes. Gambon will play Henry Tyson, though not much is known about his character. The series stars Stanley Tucci as a detective trying to solve a murder in the peaceful town of Fortitude.
While Jason Isaacs may be attending San Diego Comic-Con: International via satellite for his series Dig, the production of the series has actually been put on hold. The drama is being filmed in Jerusalem, but due to political turmoil in the region, film has had to stop for the time being despite a pre-planned hiatus. According to co-creator of the drama, Gideon Raff, the production is looking into other possibilities for filming.
We’re looking at all options, and hopefully everything will calm down and we can go back to what we planned. And if not, we’ll sort it out. We chose to shoot in Jerusalem because of the history it has and the secrets underground. It gives us a lot of possibilities.”
Isaacs will be portraying FBI agent Peter Connelly in the series and producers say they see him as a “franchiseable character” with potential after the series to solve other crimes in other countries.
Speaking of Comic-Cons: Warwick Davis is set to appear at the con taking place at Manchester Central this weekend! Davis will be in attendance to promote his new film, Ashens And The Quest For The Gamechild, with Robert Llewellyn. You can learn more about the convention and purchase tickets here.
For those anxious for some Alfie Enoch news, get ready – the actor was on hand at the Summer 2014 TCA Presentation for ABC to promote his new US series How To Get Away With Murder. He appears to be following in co-star Tom Felton‘s footsteps by joining a who-dunnit series in the US. Alfie will play Wes Gibbons, an American law student who finds himself in the class of a criminal defense lawyer. We previously gave you a first look at the series back in May, which you can view here. According to the plot synopsis, the drama is a “suspense-driven legal thriller about a group of ambitious law students and their brilliant, mysterious criminal defense professor. They become entangled in a murder plot and will shake the entire university and change the course of their lives.” The show is set to premiere on September 25 on ABC. Check your local listings for show times!
Emma Thompson is not just an actress – she is also a writer and producer. The multi-talented star will bring those writing skills to the BAFTA and BFI Screenwriters Lecture Series this September in London. BAFTA deputy chairman John Willis had this to say about Thompson’s involvement as well as the participation of two other screenwriters:
Our initial trio of speakers boast credits across a range of genres — from action to romance, from thriller to family, and from original screenplays to adaptations. BAFTA is thrilled to welcome these brilliant screenwriters to share the benefit of their vast experience with a public audience.”
Finally, for those wondering if the July 2016 live-action Tarzan film directed by David Yates was going to simply be a remake of Disney’s animated version, a tiny teaser of the plot was revealed this week. According to a Warner Bros press release yesterday, the film will center around an older Tarzan after he has left his jungle home. The iconic character will be played by True Blood‘s Alexander Skarsgard and former HP alum John Hurt is also part of the cast. Take a look at the synopsis below:
It has been years since the man once known as Tarzan (Skarsgård) left the jungles of Africa behind for a gentrified life as John Clayton III, Lord Greystoke, with his beloved wife, Jane (Robbie) at his side. Now, he has been invited back to the Congo to serve as a trade emissary of Parliament, unaware that he is a pawn in a deadly convergence of greed and revenge, masterminded by the Belgian, Captain Leon Rom (Waltz). But those behind the murderous plot have no idea what they are about to unleash.
That’s all we have for this week’s Casting News! Are you excited by any of the upcoming projects? Will you be glued to your televisions for Alfie’s new series or attending the Manchester Comic-Con to see Warwick? Tell us what you’re most excited about by commenting below!
