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Casting Tidbits: Geoffrey Rush, Jennifer Garner & Stana Katic

by Ethan Anderton
June 10, 2010

So, Peter, what's happening? Aahh, now, are you going to go ahead and have those Casting Bits for us this afternoon? First up, Variety confirms news that we heard way back in September by officially announcing that Geoffrey Rush will reprise his role as conniving pirate Captain Hector Barbossa in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Rush is one of only a handful of actors returning from the original film, let alone the entire franchise, along with fan favorite Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow. Surely there will be plenty of room for witty banter between the two pirates in their pursuit of the Fountain of Youth.

Next, THR reports Jennifer Garner and Nick Nolte are in talks to join Russell Brand, Helen Mirren and Greta Gerwig in the remake of the 1981 comedy Arthur. Not changing much of the story from the original, the remake still follows a very rich, happy drunk (Brand) who is told by his mother that he must marry the wealthy girl of her choosing or else lose his inheritance. But just then he meets a poor girl (Gerwig) and falls in love, forcing him to choose between money and happiness. Garner is playing the wealthy girl in question who carries her own secrets as well while Nolte is her deeply religious father. Jason Winer is directing.

Finally, Heat Vision reports that Stana Katic ("Castle", The Spirit) and Odette Yustman (Cloverfield, The Unborn) have joined the cast of The Double. This news comes hot on the tails of Stephen Moyer's casting in the story about a retired CIA operative (Richard Gere) who is forced to partner with a young FBI agent (Topher Grace) to hunt down the killer of a senator in Washington. Katic will play a feisty Russian prostitute who fiercely protects key information, while Yustman has the role of Grace’s wife, a strong woman who raises a family while coping with her husband's career. This will mark the directorial debut of Michael Brandt, who also wrote the script with his writing partner Derek Haas (both of Wanted and 3:10 to Yuma).

Well, that's all for this edition of Casting Tidbits. Be sure to stay tuned for more casting updates on the way.

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