Casting »

Usually, soap operas provide the gateway to bigger gigs. One could go on and on about the big-time names that popped up in the overly dramatic worlds of the soaps. Brad Pitt was in Another World; Kevin Bacon drank a lot on Guiding Light; Leonardo DiCaprio spent time on Santa Barbara; and Meg Ryan dealt with life As the World Turns. General Hospital alone let loose Demi Moore, Rick Springfield, John Stamos, Jack Wagner, and Mark Hamill. And now the famous hospital in Port Charles is attracting Hollywood talent.

Collective jaws dropped yesterday as word hit that James Franco would be picking up a guest spot on the popular ABC soap General Hospital. We're not talking a 1-off appearance. SoapNet reports that he'll start on November 20 and be there for a number of weeks, making life difficult for Jason Morgan. But that's not the kicker. They claim Franco was the one who came up with the idea. (Although that could just be misinterpreting a quote expressing the surprise that someone of his "caliber would choose to spend some of his valuable time" on the soap.)

None of this makes sense. There's been a lot of chatter about the struggles of soap operas these days, so it's not exactly an irresistible sort of gig. While the economy is bad, Franco has been busy with a lot of projects, so he can't be strapped for cash. So what makes a popular Hollywood actor decide to (maybe) approach a soap opera and sign on for a pretty long stint? There has been mention of Franco having the same manager as Steve Burton (Jason Morgan), but that's a pretty weak reason.

Are we witnessing a new, and baffling, trend?

Now that we've all had enough time to get used to the idea that Spielberg is about to remake one of the most respected films in history, maybe it will help a little to know that it might star Robert Downey Jr. According to the LA Times' Hero Complex blog, the announcement is imminent that Downey will be starring in Spielberg's update of the classic film, which marks a change from some of the other names that had been attached, including the obvious heir apparent to Jimmy Stewart (and long time Spielberg cohort) Tom Hanks and Will Smith.

Harvey was the story of a gentle soul by the name of Elwood P. Dowd, and his best friend, who happens to be an invisible six-foot rabbit named Harvey. The original play won the Pulitzer Prize, but most of us probably remember the 1950 film starring Jimmy Stewart as Dowd. News of the remake hit back in August, and according to Complex, during a set visit to Iron Man 2, "the actor spoke with affection and awe about the late Stewart's nuanced timing and camera sense."

Overture Films' remake of Sweden's critically acclaimed Let the Right One In has been decried as unnecessary by a lot of critics and film fans. But it's happening no matter how much digital ink we spend complaining about it, and at least they have gone and hired themselves one heck of a cast. In an official press release, Overture has announced that Richard Jenkins, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Chloe Moretz have been cast in Let Me In.

The roles are the same, though the names have been Americanized. Smit-McPhee will be playing Owen, the lonely boy who befriends the strange smelling girl who haunts his apartment complex. Moretz will be playing Abby, the immortal with a child's face. Jenkins will play her caretaker, Hakan. (They haven't decided what to change the name to, I guess. I bet you'll see him renamed Hank or Henry before long.) While I haven't seen enough of Moretz to judge her work, I know Smit-McPhee and Jenkins will be fantastic. (If you haven't rented Romulus, My Father, do so! Its a wonderful film, and it'll give you a preview of what you can expect out of Smit-McPhee in The Road.)

Of course, the performances will all depend on how the troubling, eerie story is handled by director Matt Reeves. If the nuances of the characters are bungled, then it won't matter how good the cast is. Let Me In begins filming in New Mexico (now there's a departure from the Swedish snow) this fall, and will hit theaters January 15, 2010.

Recently, I rejoiced about all of the upcoming projects that The Proposition and The Road director John Hillcoat's got brewing. But there's also another in turnaround that's getting new life. As The Hollywood Reporter's Risky Biz Blog reports, there's a whole slew of talent circling around the once-struggling The Wettest County in the World. Scarlett Johansson's name has been thrown around as well as one heck of a diverse mix of young male talent -- Ryan Gosling, Shia LaBeouf, Michael Shannon, and Paul Dano.

Sorry, Shia, but I feel compelled to sing: "Which of these boys is not like the other?" If there's any chance of getting into one of those odd-man-out scenarios, this would be the one. i can't imagine they're all up for the same part (as there are 4 main gigs), but could he really compare to four actors who have proven themselves to be quite hardcore and skilled? I don't care how many big-box office films he's been in, there's a difference between money and impressive acting skills.

A period piece rife with Depression-era bootleggers, Wettest is a crime drama based on author Matt Bondurant's own grandfather and great-uncles. The trio were a moonshine-led criminal gang, and the film will follow them alongside a writer named Sherwood Anderson who's "on the trail of the bootlegging story" and researching the 1936 novel Kit Brandon.

I say drop the names who can't compare and go wild because this combination sounds almost perfect. (We wouldn't want another Appaloosa/Renee Zellweger scenario!) How 'bout you?

I would love to see Hugh Jackman in a boxing movie. It seems like he's long past due for one given his physical prowess, and he'd be a good fit for a Cinderella Man sort of tale. Unfortunately, he's decided to pursue the sport through robots and Shawn Levy, as Variety reports that he's in line for Real Steel.

Based on a story by Richard Matheson, Real Steel is probably best described as Rocky meets Wall-E and The Iron Giant. Jackman plays a professional boxer who has to hang up the gloves, and rearranges his life when human boxers are replaced by 2000 pound robots. Our obsolete fighter tries to go with the flow, and becomes a Robot Boxing promoter, but success constantly eludes him because all he can afford are crappy robot parts. Then one day, he discovers a discarded robot who has a distinct gift for winning. Wouldn't you know it, the ex-fighter also discovers he's the father of a 13 year old son, and they bond as their scrappy robot fights his way to the championship.

There's not going to be a lot of surprises with Real Steel (they'll be misfits who find each other, and build a family), and Levy's track record isn't particularly promising. Nor is Hollywood particularly good at adapting Matheson's work to the big screen. But with Steven Spielberg as executive producer (a job which reunites him distantly with Matheson), there might be some hope. Not much, but some. I really wish Jackman would take some time and pick another film like The Prestige or The Fountain, and steer clear of the goofy popcorn concepts.

In Milk, Josh Brolin got to play the man who wanted Sean Penn's Harvey Milk out of the way. Now, Brolin gets to be the acclaimed actor's replacement. Variety reports that Brolin has signed on to star in Asger Leth's Cartel -- the role that Penn vacated back in June when he decided to take a break from Hollywood and focus on his personal life.

Inspired by the early '90s Italian film called La scorta, Cartel follows Ed Marker (Brolin) -- a man who "journeys to protect his son after his wife is brutally murdered in the gritty world of Mexican cartels." This is a big jump from the original film, which focused on the struggles of four cops trying to keep a prosecutor safe while mob bosses were brought to justice. So much for a remake!

But what do you think of the switch? I think it goes without saying that Brolin's talents are certainly worthy, but how do you think the change in actors will affect the film? Considering the gritty beauty of Leth's Ghosts of Cite Soliel, I think Brolin's the perfect match. It's no stretch to imagine him sliding into Leth's visual style whilst battling drug-dealing baddies, although it would've been nice to see Penn take on a rough gig like that. Production begins this January in Mexico City.

Whenever I get into a debate about the future of action movies, not five minutes goes by before someone brings up how Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has stomped on their soul. His propensity for Disney films and tutus has dismayed those who saw him as this generation's Schwarzenegger. While he's not one of my favorite actors, there's no denying he's got charisma, and I was hoping that 20,000 Leagues rumor would come true and save him from foppish comedy. Happily, he may have looked at his resume and decided it had a little too much camp and not enough muscle, because Variety reports that he's set to star in CBS Films' Faster with George Tillman Jr. directing.

Faster boasts a comforting, meat-and-potatoes action plot: Johnson will play an ex-con who is hell bent on avenging his brother's murder. Lest you think he's a wrongfully imprisoned ex-con, this looks to be a tale of honor among thieves, as Johnson and his brother were double crossed during a heist. One went to jail, the other went to the morgue, and Johnson's coming for those responsible. Good times with guns will be had by all.

Production is set to begin in January 2010. As you pass posters for The Tooth Fairy (which arrives in theaters at the very same time), you can take comfort that he's violently making up for it. Even if it's not as bloody as you might hope, at least there's no possible way he can wear a tutu in it.

I was slightly disappointed with the initial casting of John Carter of Mars, but as Andrew Stanton keeps bringing the wonderful with every addition to the roster, I just have to trust him when it comes to his choice of Taylor Kitsch. But Stanton is sending more impressive talent to Mars, as according to The Hollywood Reporter, James Purefoy, Thomas Haden Church, and Mark Strong have joined the cast.

Purefoy will be playing Kantos Kan, the captain of the Xavarian, the grand flagship of Helium. Carter meets him in the prisons of Warhoon, and they're forced to battle in a gladitorial match. They become allies as only former gladiators can, and Kan assists him on his quest to save Mars / Barsoom. I found it difficult to picture the secondary characters in Princess of Mars, so I feel lame in saying "Purefoy is perfect as Kan!" but he'll fit the part of a seasoned naval captain. He'll be quite dashing, even. (Actually, I think Purefoy would have made a good Carter.)

Church will be playing Tal Hajus, who THR calls "a vicious Thark warrior who is determined to become king." In the books, he's a Jabba the Hut type who lusts after Princess Dejah Thoris, and is happily ensconced as a leader, so this might be one of the first big changes you'll see in the story. It would probably make things a lot more interesting to have Church play him as a capable bastard than a slobby wreck.

Read more over at SciFi Squad

After months of speculation that Twilight star Robert Pattinson might star in director Peter Berg's upcoming adaptation of Frank Herbert's "Dune," newbie gossip slangers Gossip Cop broke the scoop that Pattinson would be out of either the Dune role or his gig in Bel Ami, the sordid tale of a playboy adapted from Guy de Maupaussant's novel. Naturally, Twi-hards rejoiced at the news that RPattz will keep the role in which he romances ladies left and right, rather than the one in which he puts his hand in a pain box and rides giant space sandworms. Will Dune fans agree?

Truth be told, Pattinson was never confirmed for the Dune cast but heavy speculation had him pegged to play the part of young Paul Atreides, the heir to a noble family in writer Herbert's space opera. The character was previously played by Kyle MacLachlan in David Lynch's 1984 film adaptation and by Alec Newman in the Sci-Fi Channel's television miniseries Dune and Children of Dune. Berg's version, according to Variety, is intended to be a tent pole-level event film and has potential to kick start an entirely new franchise.

It's been nearly two months since Leonardo DiCaprio optioned a new project, and he must have thought we would start calling him lazy. In August, Monika reported that he had 25 projects in various stages of pre-production, and now you can add a 26th, as Variety says he's attached to star in The Deep Blue Goodbye, an adaptation of John D. MacDonald's 1964 thriller.

Goodbye is the first of MacDonald's Travis McGee series, which spanned the course of 21 novels. McGee is like a beach bum version of James Bond, a bachelor who happily resides on a houseboat named the Busted Flush. (To add to his cool, he won it in a poker game.) He works as a freelance "salvage consultant," which means he tries to retrieve money or property that a client has been wrongfully deprived of. His life is one of money, adventure, dames, and weird villains all set against sunny Florida, some of whom he'll "bend way, way, over, but not break." Sexy stuff!

To be fair, DiCaprio has reportedly been attached to produce and play McGee for some time, but the movie reporting world learned about it thanks to Fox's new executive Peter Chernin, who is coming aboard Goodbye as producer alongside DiCaprio and his Appian Way partner Jennifer Davisson Killoran. Dana Stevens is penning the script, and the film does not yet have a start date. With DiCaprio's ever growing slate, this post could be long forgotten by the time Goodbye sails in front of the camera.