Casting News: Blake Lively Turns Down Pride and Prejudice and Zombies; Olivia Wilde Feels the Rush; Posse Added to Last Stand
Posted 10.06.11 by Ryan
In June, Emma Stone (The Help, the upcoming The Amazing Spider-Man) decided to pass on the lead role of Elizabeth Bennett in Liongate's adaptation of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, but was hardly the only name associated with the role. Prior to Stone, the studio reportedly "flirted" with actresses Mia Wasikowska and Anne Hathaway without much results, while Scarlett Johansson was rumored for the part last year after Natalie Portman dropped out.
Recently, reports have revealed that Gossip Girl actress Blake Lively was offered the role and, after a few weeks of contemplation, it looks like Lively will put starring in summer box office bomb Green Lantern behind her as she takes on an exciting, high-profile role with a built-in fanba...wait, nope, she didn't take it, either. Didn't expect that. Variety writer Justin Kroll revealed the news on his Twitter.
Casting update, news broke a couple weeks back that Blake Lively was offered lead in PRIDE PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES. She has officially passed
With so many actresses turning down the part, Kroll later Tweeted: "with Lively passing have to wonder about the state of this [movie]." Kroll also revealed that Rooney Mara (the upcoming Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) was also offered the role but turned it down.
Of course, this isn't the first time the project has run into trouble, with directors David O. Russell (The Fighter) and Mike White (Year of the Dog) being attached to the movie at one point before dropping out and letting Craig Gillespie (the recent Fright Night remake) take the helm.
Armed with a rewrite of Russell's script by his Fright Night screenwriter Marti Noxon, Gillespie has said that Pride and Prejudice and Zombies will stay "incredibly true" to Jane Austen, though, obviously the zombies from Seth Grahame-Smith's best–selling mash–up novel will be included as well. That is, if anyone ever accepts the lead role.
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Speaking of moving on from an appearance in a summer comic book movie with poor box office results,
Olivia Wilde (
Cowboys and Aliens) has lined up yet another part in director
Ron Howard's Formula One drama
Rush. The movie follows
Chris Hemsworth (
Thor) as British Formula One driver
James Hunt and his historic rivalry with fellow driver
Niki Lauda (
Inglourious Basterds's
Daniel Bruhl).
Deadline reports that Wilde will play supermodel Suzy Miller, who married the womanizing Hunt and eventually left him to marry Richarad Burton, who may be played by Russell Crowe if Howard gets his way.
Peter Morgan (Hereafter) wrote the script for Rush, which will serve as Howard's next project now that his adaptation of The Dark Tower was dumped by Universal.
The Rush role is one of several Wilde has recently lined up for herself. In the past two months Wilde was cast in the indie comedy The Longest Week opposite her The Change-Up co-star Jason Bateman, replaced actress Jennifer Garner in the dark comedy Better Living Through Chemistry, and could yet land the second of two female lead roles in the sci-fi movie Horizons opposite Tom Cruise should her Tron: Legacy director
Joseph Kosinski ultimately cast her. Let's just say she's busy.
***
The upcoming chase movie The Last Stand — otherwise known as Arnold Schwarzenegger's first movie role since finishing his last term as California's governor — has just added three cast members.
The Last Stand sees Schwarzenegger play the sheriff of a small border town who is forced to go up against an escaped drug kingpin and his gang as they attempt to flee to Mexico in a specially outfitted car. Variety reports that Jaimie Alexander (Thor) has been cast as a police officer under Schwarzenegger's command who enjoys a "playful romance" with a fellow cop, played by 300's Rodrigo Santoro.
While the drug kingpin role remains uncast, Deadline reports that Zach Gilford (Friday Night Lights) will also play one of the cops working under Schwarzenegger's command, while Variety reported last month that Swedish actor Peter Stormare will play the main villain's right-hand man who carries out all his orders, a part that should feel familiar to anyone who has seen Stormare's work in movies like Armageddon or Fargo.
Written by newcomer Andrew Knauer and rewritten by Jeffrey Nachmanoff (Traitor) and George Nolfi (The Bourne Ultimatum), The Last Stand will be directed by director Ji-woon Kim (The Good, the Bad, the Weird). In February, Ji-woon offered a description of the movie to ComingSoon that ought to excite action movie fans.
My concept for The Last Stand is that it's kind of a combination of Die Hard and High Noon where (the latter) was about protecting something very important that needs to be protected, while 'Die Hard' is a very drawn-out, long process that almost kills someone in the process, so my film will be something that has to be very well protected and in the process, we almost die protecting it in a way.
The Last Stand will start production on October 20 in New Mexico, and will open in theaters January 18, 2013.