Charlize Theron, Tom Hardy hit Fury Road
Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy are in negotiations to star in Fury Road, this century’s installment of the Mad Max movie series from writer-director George Miller.
Despite his long association with the fourth movie, Mel Gibson is not reprising his iconic role of Max Rockatansky, the hardened ex-cop. That job goes to Hardy, the British-born actor who stole scenes as Handsome Bob in Guy Ritchie’s RocknRolla that proved to be a launch pad for Hardy, who booked a role in Christopher Nolan’s Inception as well. He also starred in Bronson.) Theron is playing the female lead.
The filmmakers are eyeing a summer 2010 shoot in Australia. The movie will be an Australian production that Warner Bros. will distribute. Road has been in the works for more than a decade, with Gibson attached to star at one point.
Brendan Gleeson joins The Guard
Brendan Gleeson is teaming with Ned Kelly screenwriter John Michael McDonagh to star in McDonagh’s The Guard, an Irish-set comedy-thriller also featuring Don Cheadle, Mark Strong and Liam Cunningham.
Shooting on location in Ireland, the film details the story of an unorthodox Irish policeman (Gleeson) who joins forces with a straitlaced FBI agent (Cheadle) to take on an international drug-smuggling gang.
Gleeson’s character is billed as a small-town cop with a confrontational personality, a subversive sense of humour, a dying mother, a fondness for prostitutes and no interest whatsoever in the international cocaine-smuggling ring that has brought FBI agent Wendell Everett to his door.
Written and directed by McDonagh, the film also stars Fionnuala Flanagan, David Wilmot, Rory Keenan, Pat Shortt and newcomer Katarina Cas.
Freeman down with Dirty comedy
Morgan Freeman is attached to star in and executive produce an untitled comedy feature previously dubbed Dirty Old Men.
The project revolves around an aging playboy, who finally meets the love of his life, while his best friend and wingman of 40 years (Freeman) does everything to break up the new couple. The tone is described as similar to Wedding Crashers and The 40-Year-Old Virgin.
Warner Bros. snapped up the spec script from Greg Coolidge (Employee Of The Month) and Josh Cagan (Bandslam) and director Peter Segal (Get Smart) is circling the project.
The studio would love to have Jack Nicholson reteam with Freeman on the film; the pair starred in Warners’ 2007 hit comedy The Bucket List. Nicholson is not attached to the project but is aware of it.
Freeman will next be seen in Warners’ Invictus, which sees him portraying Nelson Mandela for director Clint Eastwood. He begins shooting Summit’s action thriller Red in January.
Gerard Butler off to war in Coriolanus
Gerard Butler, currently in theatres with the surprise hit Law Abiding Citizen, will join Ralph Fiennes in a contemporary version of Shakespeare’s political and family drama Coriolanus. The project marks Fiennes’ directing debut.
Butler will play Tullus Aufidius, commander of the Volscian army from Shakespeare’s play. He joins a cast that also includes William Hurt, Eddie Marsan, Jessica Chastain and Vanessa Redgrave. Shooting is set to begin in Serbia in March.
The violent vengeance drama Law Abiding Citizen, co-starring Jamie Foxx, has earned about $52 million after three weekends.
