LATEST NEWS

Casting Tidbits: Stephen Root, Stephen Lang & Thora Birch

by Ethan Anderton
November 17, 2009

Casting Tidbits roll out! First up, THR reports character actor Stephen Root has joined the casts of two vastly different forthcoming projects. In the Migeul Arteta directed comedy Cedar Rapids, Root will play the proud owner of an insurance company alongside Ed Helms, John C. Reilly and Anne Heche. On the other end of the spectrum, Robert Redford's historical drama, The Conspirator will see Root stepping into the role of a principal witness for the prosecution in the trial of supposed Confederate sympathizer, Mary Surratt, who is tried as a conspirator in the assassination of iconic President Abraham Lincoln.

Almost a year ago, there was news about a remake of Bonnie and Clyde starring Hilary Duff and Kevin Zegers, but we thought the project had died because of how truly awful an idea it was. Apparently the project is still going strong as ScreenDaily reports have added Thora Birch (American Beauty), Taryn Manning (Hustle & Flow), Cloris Leachman (The Women), Rance Howard (Angels & Demons), Richard Tyson (Black Hawk Down) and Natalie Canerday (Shotgun Stories) have all joined the remake written and to be directed by Tonya S. Holly.

In the briefest of casting news, THR reports that Stephen Lang, most recently seen in the satirical comedy The Men Who Stare at Goats, is joining director John Gray's indie drama White Irish Drinkers where he will play a tortured longshoreman. No word on any other casting or even plot information for the film, but you can next see Lang as Colonel Miles Quaritch in James Cameron's Avatar this December.

Finally, THR rounds out the casting news with comedic actress Anna Faris taking a role in the romantic comedy Wedding Banned, a story about a long-divorced couple who kidnap their daughter (Faris) on her wedding day to prevent her from making the same mistakes they did. The parents rekindle their relationship as they elude cops and the angry groom. Robin Williams is already cast as the father, and the search is still on for the mother as well as a director for the Jack Amiel and Michael Begler written script.

That's it for this edition of Casting Tidbits! Stay tuned for even more casting news coming down the line!

Tweet Pin It

Related categories: Casting Tidbits, Movie News