JessicaChastain Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Gerard Butler Goes Shakespearean in 'Coriolanus'
Filed under: Classics », Drama », Independent », Casting », Newsstand », War »
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, many of you feel my client Gerard Butler should be placed on movie star probation. In the light of new evidence, I plan to petition for a retrial as it would appear that Mr. Butler has abandoned romantic comedies in order to accept a role from England's greatest playwright. Yes, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, Butler is taking a role in William Shakespeare's Coriolanus alongside Ralph Fiennes, William Hurt, Vanessa Redgrave, and Jessica Chastain. Fiennes will be playing the lead and will be helming the adaptation in his directing debut, which was adapted by John Logan. On a very awkward appearance on Baltimore WJX, Butler revealed that his next role would be in Fiennes' adaptation, and he described it as "a passion project" for them both. He didn't specify which role he would be taking on, but I'm hoping it's Coriolanus' sworn enemy, Tullus Aufidius. He always looks so good with blood on him, and it would be glorious to watch him fight Fiennes.
Of course, this is Shakespeare and financing could be difficult even with Fiennes at the helm, though a solid cast should help with that. It was one of the projects at the IFF this September, and I hope they found someone to give them some money. Not only does the world always need more Shakespeare, but Butler needs a meaty role now. Seeing as it was Steven Berkoff's Coriolanus was what ushered Butler into acting, I can think of no better production (save perhaps The Scottish Play) that could wrangle him another plea bargain.
Shakespeare's 'Coriolanus' Finally Gets the Movie Treatment!
Filed under: Classics », Drama », Casting », Deals »
I never thought the day would arrive that I could blog this news! Coriolanus is hitting the screen in its first big feature film. After countless reimaginings of star-crossed lovers, turmoil in Hamlet town, and double toil and trouble, we're finally getting something new in Shakespeare Land. (And it only took a year after making my wish known as King Lear got another dose of the feature treatment.)Empire reports that Ralph Fiennes is going to make his directorial debut with his take on the war-filled play, John Logan is penning the adaptation, and he's lined up Vanessa Redgrave, William Hurt, and Jessica Chastain to star. Coriolanus is one of Shakespeare's tragedies that follows Gaius Martius, a determined and formidable Roman general who is not a fan of the lower classes. He wins a great battle for Rome, becomes a hero, and is invited to become a consul in the Senate -- but he must get the support of the plebeians, which leads to his ultimate downfall.
Fiennes will also take on the title role, although there is no word on who the others will play. (It is, however, probably a very safe bet to say that Redgrave will be Gaius' mother, Volumnia. Otherwise, she'd be criminally underused.) Fiennes is probably one of the best bets out there, and one of the only ones who could follow in the shoes set forth on the screen -- Morgan Freeman (in one of the few adaptations in 1979) -- plus stage stints by Laurence Olivier, Colm Feore, Richard Burton, Ian McKellen, and my personal favorite -- Christopher Walken. Oh yeah, and Fiennes has tackled the role before.
I'm so very in. You?
Rhona Mitra Steps Into 'The Boy in the Box'
Filed under: Independent », Thrillers », Casting », Cinematical Indie »
Actress Rhona Mitra is definitely no stranger to the ways of the law. She spent a good deal of time on The Practice, and then jumped ship for the ultra-wacky law show Boston Legal. Since then, well, she's not only got nipped and tucked, but she's taken some time for Skinwalkers, the flop that is The Number 23, and Shooter. Now The Hollywood Reporter has posted that she's going to co-star in a new indie thriller called The Boy in the Box -- written by actor Glenn Taranto and helmed by Anders Anderson.No, this is not a retro celebrity biopic about Corey Hart. Rather, it's about a "small-town police chief (Jon Hamm, We Were Soldiers ) determined to discover the truth behind the mummified remains of a boy who was murdered a half-century earlier." Mummification -- that's not something that pops up in a thriller every day. Or in life for that matter. Anyway, Mitra will play "the police chief's wife, who is trying to move on after the disappearance of their own son eight years earlier." No wonder he's obsessed.
But there's even more cast on this sucker. The film is re-teaming Mitra with Sweet Home Alabama co-star Josh Lucas, who will play the slain child's dad. I imagine that means flashbacks -- since Lucas sure as hell isn't old enough to have a son who has been dead for 50 years. Wrapping things up, there's Dawson Leary / James Van Der Beek, Marcus Thomas (You Kill Me), the young tyke Jimmy Bennett (Evan Almighty) -- who I imagine will play the slain kid, and Jessica Chastain (Law and Order). I'll just go out on a limb and say Dawson did it! He's got a good creepy look to him when he wants to. As for you Buffy and Grey's fans out there, Box also has the vengeance demon/overachieving doctor Kali Rocha.
It'll be a little while before this film gets up and running. Having tackled the skinwalkers, Mitra is about to head for New Zealand and face lycans in Underworld: Rise of the Lycans.
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