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Casting Tidbits: Kevin Spacey, Antonio Banderas, & Bloodgood

by Ethan Anderton
January 13, 2010

Show me the Casting Tidbits! First up, we've got an un-casting tidbit as THR reports that actor Stuart Townsend has left the Marvel Comics adaptation of Thor due to creative differences. Originally set to play Fandral, one of the Warriors Three, Townsend has been replaced by virtually unknown actor Joshua Dallas who will join Ray Stevenson and Tadanobu Asano as the trio of Asgardian warrirors who were already cast back in November. This is another bit of bad luck for Townsend who at one time was cast as Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings trilogy before being replaced last minute by Viggo Mortensen. More casting below!

Next up, after a rousing bit of casting on Steven Soderbergh's action-spy thriller Knockout, even more actors have signed on as THR reports Channing Tatum (G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra) and Michael Angarano (Gentlemen Broncos) have joined the cast, and The Playlist also has word that Antonio Banderas is in talks to follow suit. In the story starring Gina Carano as a black ops super soldier who is double crossed by someone on her own team, Tatum will play a military gearhead-type who's sent to try and bring her back in once she's gone rogue. Meanwhile, Angarano plays a teen who sees Carano in trouble and decides to help, unwittingly ending up as her partner. Banderas would simply be the head of a Black-Ops European unit. Fingers crossed for a Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer cameo!

In the last Casting Tidbits, Salma Hayek and Maggie Grace wered added to the revenge drama Faster starring Dwayne Johnson, and now THR reports that British actor Oliver Jackson-Cohen and Terminator Salvation actress Moon Bloodgood have also joined the cast. In the story of an ex-con pursued by cops and killers as he sets out to avenge his brother's death, Jackson-Cohen will play a self-made millionaire who kills for fun, while Bloodgood will play the ex-con's girlfriend. But who will play the inevitable fruit seller run into by speeding cars?

And finally, one of my favorite actors, Kevin Spacey, has signed on to star in the Chinese black comedy Inseparable. Apparently this move makes Spacey the highest profile Hollywood actor ever to star in a Chinese production. The mixed English/Mandarin language film, directed by Dayyan Eng, tells the story ofa young man with problems at home and work who is befriended by a mysterious American expatriate (Spacey). In addition to starring in the film, Spacey and his longtime producing partner Dana Brunetti will executive produce the film via their Trigger Street Productions banner. Since we poorly dub Asian actors in Asian films with American actors, I wonder if we'll dub Spacey's voice with an Asian actor once the film comes stateside. That would increase the comedy factor to the max!

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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