Will Arnett joins the cast of 'The Challenger'

 

Will Arnett will star opposite Kristen Stewart in the upcoming Amazon Prime Video limited series about NASA astronaut Sally Ride and the Challenger shuttle disaster.

The series was officially picked up at Amazon in March with Stewart attached to play Ride. The show is ispired by Meredith E. Bagby’s book “The New Guys.”

The official logline for the show states:

“‘The Challenger’ tells the gripping story of one of the most defining moments in space history, both the unprecedented events leading up to the tragedy, and the shocking investigation that followed. As the members of the 1986 Rogers Commission interrogate the complex inner workings of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to find what, or who, was responsible for the Challenger’s doomed fate, the show explores Commission member Sally Ride’s (Stewart) personal journey. We follow Sally, and the rest of the diverse Astronaut Class of ’78, through the ranks of the shuttle program, through initial recruitment and training, professional and personal highs and lows, until Sally’s historic glass ceiling moment as she becomes the first American woman in space.”

Arnett will star as George Abbey, who is described as “the influential NASA official often referred to as the architect of the modern astronaut corps.”

Arnett’s recent TV credits include “The Madison,” “The Morning Show,” “Twisted Metal,” and “BoJack Horseman.” He is a seven-time Emmy nominee, including sharing in two nods for “BoJack” for best animated series. He was nominated four times for guest starring in “30 Rock,” as well as one more time for his role in “Arrested Development.” Arnett’s feature credits include “Is This Thing On?” both “The LEGO Movie” and “The LEGO Batman Movie,” and “Despicable Me.”

He is repped by CAA and Sloane Offer.

Maggie Cohn is creating the series in addition to serving as executive producer and showrunner. Kyra Sedgwick and Valerie Stadler will executive produce for Big Swing Productions, where the project was initially developed. Bagby is also an executive producer, as are Stewart, Dylan Meyer, and Maggie McLean under their Nevermind production banner. Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey will executive produce for Amblin Television. James Hawes (“Slow Horses,” “Black Mirror”) will direct and executive produce.

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'Flesh of the Gods' adds Esmé Creed-Miles, Roland Møller & Alba Baptista to the cast and starts production

 

The 80s-set vampire thriller Flesh Of The Gods, starring Kristen Stewart and Wagner Moura, has started production in the Canary Islands, Spain, with the second half of the shoot scheduled for Cologne, Germany. 

Esmé Creed-Miles (A Head Full of Ghosts), Roland Møller (Citadel) and Alba Baptista (Voltron) have newly joined the cast of Panos Cosmatos’ (Mandy) buzzy genre pic, which was previously pre-bought by A24 for domestic.

Stewart and Moura will portray Raoul and Alex, “a married couple in glittering ’80s L.A. who descend each evening from their luxury skyscraper condo and head into an electric nighttime realm. When they cross paths with the mysterious and enigmatic Nameless and her hard-partying cabal, Raoul and Alex are seduced into a glamorous, surrealistic world of hedonism, thrills and violence.”

The film is written by Andrew Kevin Walker (Se7en) based on a story by Cosmatos and Walker and has some new production partners. Pic is being produced by Hyperobject Industries, Augenschein Filmproduktion, Nevermind Pictures and XYZ Films. XYZ Films and YouRoc are financing, in association with IPR.VC and Vixens. XYZ will continue dealmaking at the Cannes market. Domestic rights are handled by CAA Media Finance and WME Independent, with XYZ Films handling international sales.

Flesh of the Gods marks the fourth collaboration between Cosmatos and XYZ, as they produced the recent Miley Cyrus film Something Beautiful, which will debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival last year. They also have Nekrokosm in development with A24. 

Creed-Miles will next star opposite Daisy Edgar-Jones in Georgia Oakley’s Sense and Sensibility for Focus Features and Working Title. She recently wrapped production as the lead of Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala’s A Head Full of Ghosts opposite Rebecca Hall for Lionsgate. Last year she co-starred in Kristen Stewart’s directorial debut, The Chronology of Water.

Danish actor Møller’s breakout performance was in the Oscar-nominated war drama Land of Mine. He’s also known for  Atomic Blonde, Papillon, Skyscraper, The Commuter, Riders of Justice and the Amazon spy series Citadel.

Baptista will next be seen in the Amazon feature, Voltron, starring opposite Henry Cavill, Sterling K. Brown for director Rawson Thurber. She is best known for Netflix series Warrior Nun.

Esme Creed-Miles is repped by WME, Independent Talent Group and Omni Artists. Roland Møller is repped by CAA. Alba Baptista is repped by UTA and Brillstein Entertainment Partners. 

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Elizabeth Olsen joins Kristen and Oscar Isaac in 'Flesh of the Gods'

Image: Deadline

EXCLUSIVE: Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Elizabeth Olsen has joined Kristen Stewart and Oscar Isaac to co-star in vampire thriller Flesh Of The Gods from director Panos Cosmatos (Mandy).

Isaac and Stewart will portray Raoul and Alex, a married couple in glittering ’80s L.A. who descend each evening from their luxury skyscraper condo and head into an electric nighttime realm. When they cross paths with the mysterious and enigmatic Nameless (Olsen) and her hard-partying cabal, Raoul and Alex are seduced into a glamorous, surrealistic world of hedonism, thrills and violence.

The film is written by Andrew Kevin Walker (Se7en) based on a story by Cosmatos and Walker, and is produced by Adam McKay and Betsy Koch of Hyperobject Industries and Gena Konstantinakos and Isaac for Mad Gene Media.

Domestic rights are co-repped by CAA Media Finance and WME Independent, with XYZ Films continuing international sales at this week’s Cannes market. No date yet for start of shoot as schedules get aligned.

The movie returns Stewart to her vampire roots after the global sensation that was the Twilight franchise.

Olsen is is known for playing Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, appearing in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and the Disney+ series WandaVision. She made her breakthrough in the critically acclaimed indie thriller Martha Marcy May Marlene, and has also starring in Wind River, Ingrid Goes West, and Godzilla, among others.

Flesh of the Gods marks the fourth collaboration between Cosmatos and XYZ, as they produced the upcoming Miley Cyrus film Something Beautiful, which will debut at the Tribeca Film Festival in June. They also have Nekrokosm in development with A24.

Upcoming titles from XYZ Films include Banquet, starring Meghann Fahy and directed by Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia; the SXSW thriller Hallow Road, directed by Babak Anvari and starring Rosamund Pike and Matthew Rhys; and The Trip starring Jason Segel, Samara Weaving, Juliette Lewis and Timothy Olyphant, which is currently in post-production.

Olsen is repped by CAA, Brillstein and Sloane, Offer.

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'The Chronology of Water' casting and further synopsis details

The Chronology of Water

Drama

Based on Lidia Yuknavitch’s autobiographical bestseller “The Chronology of Water”

Lifelong swimmer and Olympic hopeful Lidia Yuknavitch (Poots) accepts a college swimming scholarship in Texas to escape her abusive father and alcoholic, suicidal mother. After losing her scholarship due to drugs and alcohol, Lidia moves to Eugene and enrolls at the University of Oregon, where she is accepted by Ken Kesey as one of thirteen graduate students who collaboratively write the novel Caverns with him. Drugs and alcohol continue to dominate, accompanied by bisexual promiscuity. The discovery of S&M helps Lidia cope with her inner demons. Ultimately, her career as a writer and teacher, along with the love of her husband and son, replaces the earlier chaos of her life.

Cast

• Imogen Poots
• Thora Birch
• Michael Epp
• Earl Cave
• Susannah Flood
• Jim Belushi
• Kim Gordon
• Tom Sturridge

Directed by

Kristen Stewart

Written by

Andy Mingo

Kristen Stewart

Director of Photography

Corey C. Waters

Produced by

Charles Gillibert, Yulia Zayceva, Max Pavlov, Svetlana Punte, Michael Pruss, Rebecca Feuer, Kristen Stewart, Maggie McLean, Dylan Meyer, Andy Mingo

Production Companies

CG Cinema International

Forma Pro Films

Scott Free

Nevermind Pictures

Curious Gremlin

Lorem Ipsum Entertainment

Scala Films

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Imogen Poots will star in Kristen's feature directorial debut 'The Chronology of Water' and more details

PEN Center USA Creative Nonfiction Award, the memoir is a lyrical journey through a life saved by art. A young woman finds her voice through the written word and her salvation as a swimmer – ultimately becoming a triumphant teacher, mother and a singular modern writer. A survivor’s story and a sexually abrasive and honest coming of age, the film is a physical memory wash of Yuknavitch’s inner life.

“Lidia’s memoir honors corporeal experience, radically,” said Stewart. “To make that experience physical feels vital to me and what this impulse means … is that it absolutely must be a film. This project has been cooking for five years with the help of Scott Free, whom I could not be more privileged to have as partners and friends. Imogen Poots will carry this movie and the staggering weight of Lidia’s life. She can hold it. I am beyond lucky to have her.”

Scott Free’s Ridley Scott and Michael Pruss are producing alongside Mingo. Scott Free’s Rebecca Feuer will serve as an executive producer on the film.

“Ridley and I are delighted to be working with Kristen again, this time on her feature directorial debut, adapted from Lidia Yuknavitch’s extraordinary memoir,” said Pruss. “Just as we have seen in Kristen’s short films as a director, I have no doubt that she will bring that same level of style, uniqueness and fearless emotionality to The Chronology of Water. Furthermore, to have the the opportunity to work with Imogen — who is tailor-made for the lead role — is incredibly exciting. The combination of their talents will no doubt produce something exquisite for film audiences worldwide.”

Stewart teamed with Scott Free in 2017 for her short film directorial debut Come Swim, which she wrote, directed and screened at both Cannes and Sundance, after collaborating with them as an actress in Jake Scott’s Welcome to the Rileys, and A24’s Equals from director Drake Doremus. 

Stewart is coming off her Oscar-nominated performance portraying Princess Diana in Pablo Larrain’s Spencer, which earned her some of the best reviews of her career on top of numerous accolades that included a Critics Choice Award. Stewart most recently can be seen in David Cronenberg’s Crimes of the Future alongside Viggo Mortensen. Stewart also recently completed productions for a sci-fi love story opposite Steven Yeun and the Rose Glass-directed Love Lies Bleeding. 

Poots was seen in Florian Zeller’s Best Picture Oscar-nominated The Father, alongside Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman, and in Azazel Jacobs’s French Exit. On the TV side, she co-starred opposite Josh Brolin in Amazon’s Outer Range.

Stewart is represented by WME and McKuin Frankel Whitehead. Poots is represented by WME, Entertainment 360, B-Side Management and Yorn Levine Barnes, Krintzman, Rubenstein, Kohner, Endlich & Gellman. Yuknavitch is represented by The Gersh Agency and Massie McQuilkin.

Scott Free’s upcoming films include Napoleon for Apple, directed by Ridley Scott with Joaquin Phoenix starring as the French military leader and emperor Napoleon; Boston Strangler with 20th Century/Hulu, starring Keira Knightley from director Matt Ruskin; Berlin Nobody, a thriller written and directed by Jordan Scott starring Eric Bana, Sadie Sink and Sylvia Hoeks; a new movie in the Alien franchise, to be directed by Fede Alvarez; A Haunting in Venice from Kenneth Branagh, starring Branagh, Jamie Dornan, Tina Fey and Michele Yeoh; and Outside, a feature adaption from bestselling Icelandic author Ragnar Jónasson. 

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Katy O'Brian, Ed Harris, Jena Malone and Dave Franco join the case of 'Love Lies Bleeding'

 

Katy O’Brian, Dave Franco, Ed Harris and Jena Malone have joined Kristen Stewart and Anna Baryshnikov in Love Lies Bleeding with A24 and Film4 teaming on the pic. Rose Glass will direct from a script she co-wrote with Weronika Tofilska.

The film is described as a romance fueled by ego, desire and the American Dream.

A24 will produce alongside Andrea Cornwell for Lobo Films and Oliver Kassman for Escape Plan Productions. Film4 developed the film alongside the filmmakers and will co-finance with A24, which will handle the global release of the film. Production starts this week.

Franco is coming off his scene-stealing role in the hit Apple series The Afterparty. On the film side, he has the Netflix vampire pic Day Shift up next, co-starring opposite Jamie Foxx. He also recently made his directorial debut on the 2021 thriller The Rental.

This marks O’Brian’s first major film role. Her credits include recurring roles on The Mandalorian, The Walking Dead, The Rookie and Black Lightning.

Harris can currently be seen on the HBO series Westworld, which had its fourth season premiere on Sunday. He is onscreen in Top Gun: Maverick, which passed the $1 billion worldwide box office milestone over the weekend. Malone can be seen starring opposite Billy Bob Thornton in the final season of Amazon Prime’s Goliath.

Franco is repped by WME, Anonymous Content and Felker Toczek Suddleson, O’Brian is repped by by Daniel Hoff Agency and RCM Management, Malone is repped by Gersh and Entertainment 360 and Harris is repped by CAA.

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Anna Baryshnikov joins Kristen in 'Love Lies Bleeding'

Anna Baryshnikov (Dickinson) will join Oscar nominee Kristen Stewart in A24’s romantic thriller Love Lies Bleeding from double BAFTA Award-nominated director Rose Glass (Saint Maud).

The film written by Glass and Weronika Tofilska is reportedly set in the world of bodybuilding, examining a romance fueled by ego, desire and the American Dream. Film4 developed the project alongside the filmmakers and will co-finance alongside A24, which is producing and handling the pic’s global release. Andrea Cornwell is also producing for Lobo Films, alongside Oliver Kassman for Escape Plan Productions.

Baryshnikov starred as Lavinia Dickinson, sister of poet Emily Dickinson (Hailee Steinfeld), in Apple’s Peabody Award-winning series, Dickinson, which came to the end of its third and final season last December. The actress made her feature film debut in Amazon’s Oscar-winning Manchester by the Sea, written and directed by Kenneth Lonergan, also appearing opposite Maggie Gyllenhaal in the Netflix indie The Kindergarten Teacher, written and directed by Sara Colangelo. Additional credits include Todd Solondz’s Wiener-Dog and the series Prodigal Son, Superior Donuts and Good Girls Revolt.

Channel 4 Television’s feature film division Film4 has recently released titles including Julia Ducournau’s Titane, Jonathan Butterell’s Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Rebecca Hall’s Passing, Edgar Wright’s Last Night in Soho, Will Sharpe’s The Electrical Life of Louis Wain, Aml Ameen’s Boxing Day, Eva Husson’s Mothering Sunday, Michael Pearce’s Encounter, Prano Bailey-Bond’s Censor, Ben Sharrock’s Limbo, and The Real Charlie Chaplin from Peter Middleton and James Spinney. Forthcoming titles include Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees of Inisherin, Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things, Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest, Steve McQueen’s Occupied City, Mark Jenkin’s Enys Men, Florian Zeller’s The Son, Jim Archer’s Brian & Charles, Oliver Hermanus’ Living and Soudade Kaadan’s Nezouh.

A24 has recently released titles including the acclaimed Michelle Yeoh starrer Everything Everywhere All At Once from Daniels, which has come in as its highest-grossing film yet, and Alex Garland’s horror, Men. Upcoming releases include Ari Aster’s Disappointment Blvd. starring Joaquin Phoenix, and Celine Song’s directorial debut, Past Lives.

Baryshnikov is represented by CAA and Brookside Artist Management.

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Kristen talks to Variety about starting casting for 'The Chronology of Water'

 

It’s been known for some time that actor Kristen Stewart has been gearing up for a trip behind the camera with her the adaptation of the memoir “The Chronology of Water.” For an upcoming episode of the “Variety Awards Circuit Podcast,” Stewart spoke with Variety about the feature and its current status, which is currently casting for the lead role of author Lidia Yuknavitch.

“We’re casting right now,” Stewart says. “We’ve been putting together and have been thinking about this for a really long time. I’m so stoked. It’s taken the time it’s needed. Some of these take a decade to put together. I just jump every gun in my life and start talking about stuff before they’re really relevant, but it’s more relevant than ever. Now we’re casting the movie. We’re finding our Lidia Yuknavitch.”

According to Stewart, she was taking it out this week to find potential investors. “We don’t need that much. It’s a really small movie. It’s something I would have wanted to be cast in when I was younger.”

As the writer and director, Stewart was asked if she had any plans to make an Alfred Hitchcock-like appearance in the film, to which she replied, “No. There’s actually no part for me. I guess depending on who plays Lydia, I could maybe play her older sister but probably not. I keep trying to figure out a way to get in there but I don’t think so.”

The actor is garnering a ton of awards buzz for her performance as Princess Diana in Pablo Larraín’s “Spencer.” The Neon film has thrust her to the forefront of the best actress race and could bring her first Oscar nomination.

On top of promoting the upcoming release of “Spencer” from Neon and Topic Studios, she just wrapped filming on writer and director David Cronenberg’s “Crimes of the Future” with Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux and Scott Speedman.

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Jack Farthing joins the cast of 'Spencer' as Prince Charles

Production on Pablo Larraín’s Spencer, starring Kristen Stewart as Lady Di, has moved to the UK for the final stretch of filming. The production has today released a second image of Stewart as the former Princess.

The film focuses on one weekend in the life of Princess Diana, as she spends the Christmas holiday with the royal family at the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, and decides to leave her marriage to Prince Charles.

Newly announced today is Jack Farthing (Poldark) as Prince Charles. Also starring are Timothy Spall (Mr. Turner), Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water) and Sean Harris (Mission: Impossible – Fallout).

Filming has been taking place in Germany, before moving to the UK. An autumn 2021 launch is anticipated. 2022 marks the 25th anniversary of Diana’s death.

Pic is directed by Pablo Larraín (Jackie, Neruda) and written by Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders). The film is produced by Juan de Dios Larraín (Jackie) for Fabula Films, Jonas Dornbach and Janine Jackowski (Toni Erdmann) for Komplizen Film and Paul Webster (Atonement) for Shoebox Films.

FilmNation Entertainment handled international sales with all key territories selling out of the Cannes virtual market. The CAA Media Finance group and Endeavor Content sold to NEON and Topic Studios to distribute in the United States, STXinternational will distribute the film in the UK, France, Italy and Benelux and DCM will distribute in Germany.

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FIRST still of Kristen as Princess Diana for 'Spencer' + casting news

Click on image for full view.

Timothy Spall (Mr. Turner), Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water) and Sean Harris (Mission: Impossible – Fallout) have joined Kristen Stewart in buzzed-about Lady Diana biopic Spencer, which is now filming in Germany before moving to the UK.

The producers have today released a first-look image of Stewart as the iconic Lady Di.

As Deadline first revealed, Jackie filmmaker Pablo Larraín is directing the Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders) script about a weekend in the early ‘90s when Diana decided her marriage to Prince Charles wasn’t working and that she needed to veer from a path that had put her in line to one day be queen

The drama takes place over three days in one of her final Christmas holidays in the House of Windsor in their Sandringham estate. The producers have not said who will play Prince Charles and their two children: Prince William and Prince Harry.

Stewart said of the film: “Spencer is a dive inside an emotional imagining of who Diana was at a pivotal turning point in her life. It is a physical assertion of the sum of her parts, which starts with her given name; Spencer. It is a harrowing effort for her to return to herself, as Diana strives to hold onto what the name Spencer means to her.’

The movie is among the first – if not the first – UK film productions to shoot on the continent after Brexit. However, in a surprising outcome, producer Paul Webster told us today that “no visas were necessary for cast and crew from the UK,” something that has been anticipated as a result of the UK leaving the EU.

There was a minor-meltdown among some corners of the UK media and social media late last year when it was reported that the two princes couldn’t be portrayed by British actors due to Brexit travel restrictions. Producer Webster subsequently told us this wasn’t the case. Presumably some of the cast will be German, however, as the project is getting investment from German funding bodies.

Larraín is producing with Fabula partner Juan de Dios, as well as Jonas Dornbach, Janine Jackowski and Webster. Neon and Topic Studios picked up U.S. rights and are expected to debut the film in fall 2021. 2022 marks the 25th anniversary of Diana’s death.

Larraín’s impressive creative team includes Director of Photography Claire Mathon (Portrait of a Lady on Fire), Costume Designer Jacqueline Durran (Little Women), Make Up and Hair Designer Wakana Yoshihara (Murder On The Orient Express) and Guy Hendrix Dyas (Inception) is the Production Designer. Composing the original score is Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood (Phantom Thread).

Executive producers are Tom Quinn, Jeff Deutchman and Christina Zisa for NEON and Michael Bloom, Maria Zuckerman and Ryan Heller for Topic Studios. FilmNation handled international sales and, as we first reported, sold all key territories last Cannes. STX will release in the UK.

The film is supported by German Federal Film Fund (DFFF), medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, German Federal Film Board (FFA), Film- und Medienstiftung NRW and HessenFilm und Medien.

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Mary Steenburgen, Dan Levy, Alison Brie, Audrey Plaza and Victor Garber and more join the cast of 'Happiest Season"

Pic: ET Canada

As Clea DuVall's Happiest Season — the gay rom-com starring Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis — heads into production in Pittsburgh, the movie has rounded out its supporting cast.

Mary Steenburgen, Victor Garber and Schitt's Creek creator and star Dan Levy are joining the TriStar and Entertainment One project, along with GLOW star Alison Brie and Aubrey Plaza.

Happiest Season follows a woman (Stewart) whose plan to propose to her girlfriend (Davis) while at her family’s annual holiday party is upended when she discovers her partner hasn’t yet come out to her conservative parents (Steenburgen and Garber).

Actress-turned-director DuVall will be making her studio directing debut on the feature, which she co-wrote with Mary Holland.

Holland will also appear in the movie, along with Ana Gasteyer (The Goldbergs), Burl Moseley (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend), Sarayu Blue (Blockers) and Jake McDorman (What We Do in the Shadows).

The project will be produced by Temple Hill's Marty Bowen and Isaac Klausner. Jonathan McCoy and Wyck Godfrey will executive produce.

TriStar will release the film worldwide, with the exception of the United Kingdom and Canada, which will be handled by eOne.

The movie will hit theaters Nov. 20.

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Kelvin Harrison Jr., Courtney Love & James Jagger join the cast of ‘JT’

Kelvin Harrison Jr., Courtney Love and James Jagger have signed on to join Justin Kelly-directed biopic JT, about the JT Leroy literary scheme orchestrated by Laura Albert and her sister-in-law Savannah Knoop. Kristen Stewart, Laura Dern and Diane Kruger also star in the film, which is currently in production in Canada.

Kelly wrote the script based on Knoop’s book Girl Boy Girl: How I Became JT LeRoy. Knoop took on the boy-wonder-author persona of Leroy for six years, amassing a huge cult following from fans and celebrities. His public esteem led to high profile relationships and collaborations with Hollywood A-listers like Love, Gus Van Sant, and Bono.

The documentary Author: The JT Leroy Story from Jeff Feuerzeig bowed at Sundance last year and can be streamed on Amazon video.

Cassian Elwes is financing and producing with Gary Pearl, Dave Hansen of Buffalo Gal, Mark Amin’s Sobini Films, LBI Entertainment’s Julie Yorn and Patrick Walmsley, and Thirty Three Management’s Thor Bradwell. Exec producers are Fortitude’s Nadine de Barros, Sobini’ Cami Winikoff and Tyler Boehm, and Jeff Beesley.

Harrison can currently be seen in A24’s horror thriller It Comes At Night, from Trey Edward Shults, and next in Dee Rees’ Sundance period drama Mudbound, which was picked up by Netflix. He’s repped by WME and Stagecoach Entertainment.

Jagger, who starred in HBO’s short-lived series Vinyl, will appear in The Last Full Measure, starring Samuel L. Jackson, Ed Harris, Christopher Plummer and Peter Fonda. He’s with Framework Entertainment, ICM and Schreck, Rose, Dapello.

Love’s upcoming projects include ’80s drama The Possibility of Fireflies, and Lifetime original films Menendez: Blood Brothers and A Midsummer’s Nightmare. She’s repped by UTA.

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Jim Sturgess joins the cast of 'JT Leroy' with Kristen

UK actor Jim Sturgess has joined Kristen Stewart, Diane Kruger and Laura Dern in Justin Kelly’s upcoming JT Leroy biopic, which is shooting preliminary footage here in Cannes. Fortitude International is handling sales on the project and has struck a multi-territory deal with a studio, which can’t be announced yet, as well as a deal with Pony Canyon for Japan.

Cassian Elwes is financing and producing the film with Julie Yorn, Patrick Walmsley, Mark Amin, and Thor Bradwell. Executive producers are Fortitude’s Nadine de Barros, with Cami Winikoff, Tyler Boehm, as well as Wayne Godfrey and Robert Jones of the Fyzz Facility, which is fully financing the feature.

It’s based on the true story of two women who created a fake child author persona, tricking the literary community and the Hollywood elite before the hoax was exposed. Kelly adapted the script from a book by Savannah Knoop, who was the public face of the fictional character. Production will get underway in July.

The film climaxes at the Cannes Film Festival, and director Kelly is here with producer Elwes and DP T.J. Williams filming footage which will be adapted in post-production to be used for the final sequence. If you find yourself looking down the lens of ARRI camera while queuing up for a Cannes screening this year, you may well end up in JT Leroy.

“We’re keeping it small so we can move quick. It’s a hectic place, but there are so many cameras around so it’s easy to shoot,” commented director Kelly to Screen.

Read all the updates on 'JT Leroy' at our previous post here.

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Kristen has been cast in the as yet untitled Kelly Reichardt project

Kristen Stewart has joined Michelle Williams and Laura Dern in the hot indie drama known as the Untitled Kelly Reichardt Project. Written and directed by Reichardt, the film is a series of vignettes that revolve around the lives of people in small-town Montana.

Stewart will play a young lawyer from Boise who takes a teaching job several hours from her house. Despite her nerves about teaching, she’s determined to prove to herself that she can do it. Soon after taking the job, Beth develops a close friendship with Jamie, a local woman who’s auditing her class. James Le Gros and Jared Harris (Mad Men) also have been cast in the ensemble project, which is being produced by Neil Kopp and Anish Savjani. It will shoot on location in Big Sky country.

More details have also emerged about the characters and the story line. Dern is set as Laura Wells, a lawyer in Helena who keeps going back into a bad relationship with Ryan Lewis (Le Gros), a married man who couldn’t care less for his wife and daughter. Williams portrays Ryan’s wife, Gina Lewis, who works in advertising with her philandering husband. Finally, Harris is a former construction worker who was injured in a work-related accident and starts plotting a hostage attempt.

Stewart (Twilight, Still Alice, Snow White And The Huntsman) is repped by Gersh Agency and McKuin, Frankel, Whitehead LLP. Reichardt’s most recent credit is Night Moves, which she directed and co-wrote with Jon Raymond. Jesse Eisenberg and Dakota Fanning starred in that 2013 film. She is repped by UTA.

Source: Deadline

Aurora Perrineau joins the cast of 'Equals'

Aurora Perrineau has been cast in sci-fi romance Equals following her gig rocking out as Shana in the upcoming Jem And The Holograms movie. Equals, from director Drake Doremus (Like Crazy), is set in a future society where emotions have been eradicated and one man, Silas (Nicholas Hoult), finds himself suffering from “Switched-On Syndrome.” Kristen Stewart plays Nia, another of the “infected” who is able to hide her condition. Perrineau’s credits include Pretty Little Liars and indie thriller A House Is Not A Home. She’ll play Iris, a new mother whose baby is born crying — a sign the tyke can feel those dreaded emotions. Kate Lyn Sheil also recently joined the project, which starts filming next month in Japan and Singapore. Perrineau’s repped by APA, Freeze Frame Entertainment and Manatt, Phelps & Phillips.

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Kate Lyn Sheil joins the cast of 'Equals'

Actress Kate Lyn Sheil (House of Cards, You’re Next) has been cast in Equals, the futuristic love story from director Drake Doremus (Like Crazy, Breathe In) starring Twilight‘s Kristen Stewart and X-Men‘s Nicholas Hoult.

The hot Cannes 2014 sales project is set in a future society where emotions have been eradicated. A new breed of humans, called Equals, live peacefully until a disease begins activating emotions in its victims, who are sent away and never seen again. Hoult is set to star as Silas, who becomes infected and is outcast until he connects with Nia (Stewart), another “switched on” Equal who is able to hide her emotions. Sheil will play Kate, a fellow co-worker of Silas and Nia. Guy Pearce signed on last month to the pic, which is gearing up for an August shoot in Japan and Singapore and was scripted by Moon writer Nathan Parker. Producers are Ridley Scott, Michael Schaefer, Ann Ruark, and Jay Stern and Chip Diggins of Route One which is also financing. Exec producers are Mike Pruss, Lee Jea Woo, Choi Pyung Ho and Russell Levine.

New York-based Sheil was introduced last season on Netflix’s drama House of Cards as Lisa Williams, the social worker who befriends Rachel Posner and becomes her live-in lover. The actress and writer stars next opposite The Newsroom‘s John Gallagher Jr in romantic thriller The Heart Machine from director Zachary Wigon, as well as Sundance pic Listen Up Philip opposite Elizabeth Moss and Jason Schwartzman, which Tribeca Film will open in October.

Indie audiences know Sheil’s work with emerging filmmakers Ti West (The Sacrament, VHS), Amy Seimetz (Sun Don’t Shine), Adam Wingard (You’re Next), Robert Byington (Somebody Up There Likes Me), Rick Alverson (The Comedy), Joe Swanberg (Silver Bullets), Sophia Takal (Green), Alex Ross Perry (The Color Wheel) and Lawrence Michael Levine (Gabi on the Rooftop). She’s repped by CAA and One Entertainment.

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Guy Pearce joins the cast of "Equals"

The Wrap Drake Doremus will direct the romance from Scott Free and Route One, which begins shooting in August.

Guy Pearce has joined Kristen Stewart and Nicholas Hoult in the cast of the futuristic romance “Equals,” producers Scott Free Productions and Route One Films said Thursday.

Filming will begin in Japan and Singapore in August on the Drake Doremus-directed tale. Doremus (“Like Crazy”) previously worked with Pearce on his feature “Breathe In.”

“Equals,” set in a society where emotions have been eradicated, is written by Nathan Parker (“Moon”).

It is produced by Ridley Scott, Michael Schaefer, Ann Ruark, and Jay Stern and Chip Diggins of Route One, who are also financing the movie. Mike Pruss, Lee Jea Woo, Choi Pyung Ho and Russell Levine are executive producers.

Mister Smith Entertainment is handling international on the film and was selling it at the Cannes Film Market. It has so far sold in more than 35 territories.

Pearce is currently starring in David Michod's “The Rover” with Robert Pattinson. He's also recently starred in the blockbuster “Iron Man 3,” “Prometheus” and sci-fi action feature “Lock Out.”

More details on the synopsis:

Variety “Equals” is set in a world where there is no greed, no poverty, no violence, and no emotion. But a new disease is threatening everyone: SOS, or Switched-On-Syndrome, activating depression, sensitivity, fear, love — and once a person is overtaken, they are sent away  and never seen again.

THR The film is billed as a futuristic love story set in a society where emotions have been eradicated. It is about the joy of finding connection, and the fear of having it taken away.

Connie Britton replaces Sharon Stone in 'American Ultra'

Jesse Eisenberg stars in the film, which Nima Nourizadeh is directing from a script by Max Landis

In a last-minute casting switch, Connie Britton has signed on to replace Sharon Stone in Lionsgate's action-comedy “American Ultra,” which stars Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart, the studio announced Thursday.

Stone exited the project due to an unforeseen scheduling conflict, an individual familiar with the project told TheWrap. Uma Thurman was originally linked to the role, though she never had a formal deal in place.

Nima Nourizadeh (“Project X”) is directing from a script by Max Landis (“Chronicle”).

Eisenberg stars as Mike, a seemingly hapless and unmotivated stoner whose small-town life with his live-in girlfriend, Phoebe (Stewart), is suddenly turned upside down. Unbeknownst to him, Mike is actually a highly trained, lethal sleeper agent in a government program created by Victoria Lasseter (Britton). When his secret past comes back to haunt him, Mike is thrust into the middle of a deadly operation and is forced to summon his inner action-hero in order to survive.

The film, which is currently in production, boasts a strong supporting cast including Topher Grace, Tony Hale, John Leguizamo, Bill Pullman and Walton Goggins.

A PalmStar/Likely Story/Circle of Confusion production, “American Ultra” is being produced by Anthony Bregman, Kevin Frakes, Raj Brinder Singh, David Alpert and Britton Rizzio, while Ray Angelic is executive producing.

Lionsgate's Jason Constantine and Eda Kowan are overseeing the project on behalf of the studio. FilmNation Entertainment is handling international sales.

Four-time Emmy nominee Britton, who has a strong relationship with Lionsgate, is represented by WME and Untitled Entertainment.

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Sharon Stone Joins the cast of "American Ultra"

Oscar winner Sharon Stone is set to join Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart in Lionsgate's action-comedy “American Ultra,” TheWrap has learned.

Stone takes over the role that Uma Thurman had been rumored for in the film, which Nima Nourizadeh (“Project X”) is directing from a script by Max Landis (“Chronicle”).

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Sharon Stone has been cast as Victoria Lasseter who, according to THR when Uma Thurman was in negotiations, "will play a government worker who spearheaded a secret program to create sleeper warriors, and now that someone wants to kill her creation, she will fight back like a momma bear protecting her cub."

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Bill Pullman and Tony Hale join the cast of 'American Ultra'

Bill Pullman and Tony Hale have been tapped to round out the cast of American Ultra, the action comedy that Lionsgate shelled out $7M for in March. Production begins today in New Orleans on the pic, which stars Jesse Eisenberg as Mike, a stoner slacker whose secret past as a highly-trained sleeper agent upturns his small-town life with girlfriend Phoebe (Kristen Stewart) as he’s thrust into a covert government operation.

Project X‘s Nima Nourizadeh is directing from a script by Max Landis (Chronicle) with Topher Grace, John Leguizamo, and Walton Goggins also co-starring. The PalmStar, Likely Story, and Circle of Confusion co-production is produced by Anthony Bregman, Kevin Frakes, Raj Brinder Singh, David Alpert, and Britton Rizzio. Ray Angelic is exec producing with Lionsgate’s Jason Constantine and Eda Kowan overseeing.

FilmNation is repping international sales.

Pullman is at ICM. Hale is repped by UTA.

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