John Cusack to Play Hero in '2012'
By LESLIE SIMMONS, Reuters
Posted: 2008-05-20 17:04:34
LOS ANGELES (May 20) - John Cusack will tackle a
big-budget disaster film as his next project.
The actor has signed on to play a heroic survivor in
Roland Emmerich's apocalyptic "2012," which Columbia Pictures
plans to release next July. British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor
("American Gangster") is in talks to co-star.
Ian McKellenCast In: 'The Hobbit'About the Role: The 68-year-old actor, who earned an Oscar nomination for his turn as true-hearted wizard Gandalf in the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy, will reprise the part in director Guillermo del Toro's 'The Hobbit,' playing a younger version of himself who helps Bilbo Baggins (Frodo's uncle) slay a dragon.
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Mel GibsonCast In: 'Edge of Darkness'About the Role: This thriller, based on a BBC miniseries, marks Gibson's first starring turn since 2002's 'Signs.' He'll play a straitlaced cop investigating the death of his activist daughter.
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Brad PittCast In: 'Chad Schmidt'About the Role: Pitt will play the eponymous Chad Schmidt, a wannabe actor whose career is hurt by his uncanny resemblance to Brad Pitt (also played by -- you guessed it -- Brad Pitt).
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Emma WatsonCast In: 'Napoleon and Betsy'About the Role: The 'Harry Potter' star will play an impetuous young noblewoman who falls for diminuitive French dictator Napoleon whilst he's in exile on the British Isle of Helena.
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Shia LaBeoufCast In: 'New York, I Love You' & 'The Dark Fields'About the Roles: After shooting the Anthony Minghella-scripted portion of the anthology film 'New York,' "The Beef" will play a slacker dude who ingests a top-secret drug to make him smarter -- but begins to experience seriously trippy side effects -- in the psychological thriller 'Dark Fields.'
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Natalie PortmanCast In: 'Wuthering Heights'About the Role: She'll play Heathcliff's star-crossed lover Catherine Earnshaw in the latest adaptation of Emily Bronte's classic novel.
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Elizabeth BanksCast In: 'W.'About the Role: The 'Definitely, Maybe' star will play First Lady Laura Bush to Josh Brolin's George W. in Oliver Stone's (supposedly) fair biopic.
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Leonardo DiCaprioCast In: 'Shutter Island,' 'Rise of Theodore Roosevelt,' 'Low Dweller'About the Roles: He'll reteam with Martin Scorsese for the first two, playing a U.S. Marshal and a young Teddy Roosevelt, respectively. And he'll star as an ex-con in Ridley Scott's 'Dweller.'
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Ben AffleckCast In: 'State of Play'About the Role: He'll star opposite Russell Crowe in the murder mystery thriller 'Play' -- and he could also be on tap to reprise his role as CIA analyst Jack Ryan in Sam Raimi's franchise reboot.
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Adam SandlerCast In: Untitled Judd Apatow ComedyAbout the Role: Apatow is keeping a lid on the plot to his 'Knocked Up' follow-up. He and former roommate Sandler last worked together writing the script for this summer's 'You Don't Mess With the Zohan.'
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Cusack will play a divorced dad, writer and sometime limo
driver who tries to save his family in the wake of a global
cataclysm. Ejiofor, also in hero mode, would play an idealistic
science adviser to the president.
Emmerich, known for such big-budget disaster movies as
"Independence Day" and "Godzilla," is directing the project
from a script he worked on with his "10,000 BC" co-writer
Harald Kloser.
"2012" was the first big spec script to hit the market
after the 100-day Hollywood writers strike ended in February.
The project was shopped around with a $200 million budget, but
Columbia said it will be made for less than that. The studio
plans to begin filming in July -- unless there is an actors
strike then.
Cusack returns to theaters on Friday in the indie comedy
"War, Inc.," which he wrote and produced. He was most recently
seen in the box office disappointment "Grace is Gone." Ejiofor
is in theaters with David Mamet's "Redbelt."
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2008-05-20 12:53:07
