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Casting Tidbits: John Cusack, Jesse Eisenberg & Owen Wilson

by Ethan Anderton
May 26, 2010

Well, hello, beautiful. You must be Harvey's squeeze. And you are beautiful. Well, you look nervous. Is it the Casting Tidbits? You want to know how I got ’em? First up, Bloody Disgusting reports that John Cusack will star in the recently announced thriller, Jack, from director Brad Anderson (The Machinist). The story follows a doctor who rehabilitates and ultimately falls for an accident victim with memory loss, unaware that he is actually a killer. As the killer's memories begin to surface, he must decide whether to make a clean start or embrace the killer within. With Cusack in the mix on this one, I'm definitely all-in. More casting ahead!

Second, Bloody Disgusting reports that Sigourney Weaver will star in Red Lights, the next feature film from Rodrigo Cortés, who is getting a lot of buzz from Buried, the unique thriller starring Ryan Reynolds. Cortes is moving swiftly on the project which he has said is "about how the brain does not give a true picture of reality." Weaver will play Margaret Matheson in the film that follows a para-psychologist who attempts to debunk a very reputable psychic who has just returned to the limelight after 30 years. Quite an interesting low-key follow-up after starring in Avatar.

Also, though he wasn't able to strike a deal to reprise his role as Mr. Eko for the series finale of "LOST," STYD says Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje has landed the role of Derek in the prequel to John Carpenters' The Thing. Shooting is underway right now, and though we don't know the specifics of the character, we already know the story will follow a blue-collar mercenary helicopter pilot named Sam Carter (Joel Edgerton) who teams up with a PhD candidate named Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), who is part of a Norwegian research team working in Antarctica. They discover a "trapped organism" in an alien ship in the ice that is freed and begins attacking researchers.

Next, THR reports that Jesse Eisenberg will re-team with Zombieland director Reuben Fleischer for the action comedy 30 Minutes or Less. Eisenberg will play the second lead role alongside Aziz Ansari in the story of a junior high history teacher (Ansari) and a pizza-delivery man (Eisenberg) who are forced to rob a bank when one of them is strapped to a bomb vest. Danny McBride, Michael Pena and Nick Swardson will co-star as various nefarious thugs along the way.

In addition, Bloody Disgusting reports that Elvis Presley's granddaughter Riley Keough (The Runaways) will replace Olivia Thirlby in Jack & Diane, a movie that can be simply described as a lesbian werewolf movie" but is so much more than that. The story follows Jack and Diane, two teenage girls, who meet in New York City and spend the night kissing ferociously. Diane's charming innocence quickly begins to open Jack's tough skinned heart. But, when Jack discovers that Diane is leaving the country in a week she tries to push her away. Diane must struggle to keep their love alive while hiding the secret that her newly awakened sexual desire is giving her werewolf-like visions. This is the second time a talent switch has happened as Juno Temple replaced Alison Pull back in March.

Finally, Woody Allen has officially revealed his entire cast for his summer project, Midnight in Paris. Though we've heard many of the names before, this is the first official confirmation of the entire cast and the story. The film stars, in alphabetical order: Kathy Bates, Adrien Brody, Carla Bruni, Marion Cotillard, Rachel McAdams, Michael Sheen and Owen Wilson. Co-starring, in alphabetical order, are Nina Arianda, Kurt Fuller, Tom Hiddleston, Mimi Kennedy, Alison Pill and Corey Stoll. The film is a romantic comedy that follows a family travelling to the city for business. The party includes a young engaged couple that has their lives transformed throughout the journey. The film celebrates one man's love for Paris, and simultaneously explores the illusion people have that a life different from their own is better.

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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