CAST EM’: Ridley Scott’s The Counselor
Yesterday it was confirmed that Michael Fassbender has signed on as the lead in The Counselor. The hard-boiled drug thriller was written by Cormac McCarthy (No Country For Old Men) and will be directed by Ridley Scott (American Gangster, Black Rain). It was also mentioned that Jeremy Renner, Bradley Cooper and Brad Pitt are in the mix for the role of the film’s villain. Pitt seems like he could take the part since he hasn’t played many heavies along with his connections with both Scott and Fassbender. He’s repeatedly stated he might retire soon and it would make sense for Brad to finally play a full-on villain like the one in this film.
If Ridley is smart he’ll try to convince Jeremy Renner to take a supporting part even if Pitt decides on taking the main villain role. I would assume like with any Ridley Scott project well known actors will want to fill out the rest of the cast. Even with high profiled actors like Fassbender, Pitt and Renner involved I could see more awards quality actors taking the rest of the roles. Along with the standard amount of up and comers that Ridley loves to use. Below are a few of my own casting choices but since I don’t know much about the story or characters the decisions are a bit blind.
TOM HARDY: Hardy is usually the go-to actor these days. From commercial films like The Dark Knight Rises or indies like Bronson, Warrior and Tinker Taylor Solider Spy he’s gathering a lot of praise. He does any sort of part no matter how big or small. It seems to come down to the director and the other actors he’s able to work with. The Counselor seems a great project that Hardy could attach himself to. Tom could play a thuggish enforcer, a cop, an addict or even a fellow lawyer since he has a rather large range.
ELIZABETH OLSEN: Olsen has blown up in the last couple of months. She’s ramping up other projects but it would be nice to see her take a part in this as either a girlfriend of Fassbender or even a college observing his character’s spiral into the underbelly. There hasn’t been talk of any actresses involved but I would like to see Elizabeth more than most take a role.
EMMA STONE: Running on the same idea with Olsen, Emma is slowly gathering more dramatic projects. She got a lot of awareness this year for The Help and has the period mob film Gangster Squad later this year. The latter seems like the most serious role Stone has taken to date. I’d love to see her take more chances on less comedic parts like with this movie.
JOEL KINNAMAN: The Swedish-American actor has a bunch of high profile projects in the last couple of years. Joel is also gather praise thanks to his roles the series The Killing and the Snabba Cash films. Joel was attached with Kit Harington to Arthur And Lancelot but the film was put on pause. Harington ended up signing onto another project in the meantime. I would assume Joel will do the same as well.
Tom Hiddleston Could Star In Winter’s Tale
HollywoodReporter says screenwriter Akiva Goldsman (The Client, A Time To Kill, A Beautiful Mind) is going to direct his first film based on the novel Winter’s Tale by Mark Helprin. A slew of high-profiled actors are testing for the film which include Tom Hiddleston, (Thor, War Horse, Avengers) and Ben Walker (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter) for the male lead. Bella Heathcote (Cogan’s Trade, Dark Shadows), Elizabeth Olsen, Gabriele Wilde and Sarah Gadon for the female lead. Russell Crowe is attached for the role of the villain.
Elizabeth Olsen Joins Cillian Murphy, De Niro & Sigourney Weaver In Red Lights
Elizabeth Olsen is quickly becoming the breakout actress of Sundance 2011. Her two films Silent House and Martha Marcy May Marlene are getting solid reviews. The latter recently being bought up by Paramount. Olsen has just been cast in Red Lights according to HollywoodReporter. Elizabeth will join Robert De Niro, Sigourney Weaver and Cillian Murphy who have been previous cast in the supernatural thriller. The follow up to Buried from director Rodrigo Cortes focuses on a psychology professor (Weaver) who tries to investigate a world-renowned psychic (De Niro).
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