What is Casting Couch? It’s basically a casting news bonanza. Learn who the big names Melissa McCarthy has recruited for her movie Tammy are, as well as what Kiefer Sutherland is getting himself into, after the jump.
Though we’ve yet to see for ourselves what the results of teaming Kristen Wiig up with the Anchorman crew in Anchorman 2 are going to be, the film’s director and star, Adam McKay and Will Ferrell, must be happy with what they’ve seen so far, because THR is reporting that they’re now in talks to make her the star of an indie comedy they’re producing called Welcome to Me. McKay’s wife, Shira Piven, will be directing the film, which is said to be about a woman with dissociative personality disorder who stumbles into a fortune and uses her newfound cash to create a cable access show where she talks about her life. Sounds like it’s going to be like that live tour thing that Charlie Sheen did, only not scary because it isn’t real.
Christina Applegate
Speaking of Anchorman 2 actresses, it’s looking like Christina Applegate has landed another high-profile gig. Variety is reporting that she’s going to be joining Ed Helms as the female lead of the upcoming Vacation reboot that finally ages the Rusty Griswold character and puts him in the shoes of Chevy Chase’s overbearing but well-meaning Clark. Applegate will be playing Rusty’s wife, who most likely will be incredulous at most of his antics throughout the movie, but who will then offer up emotional support when all of his planning doesn’t work out. If they stick to the classic Vacation formula, that is. But seeing as this is 2013 and not 1983, probably she won’t have to show her boobs like Beverly D’Angelo did back in the original. That was a weird choice for a comedy about a family vacation, huh?
Rufus Sewell
The Rock has found himself a buddy to hang out with in his upcoming Brett Ratner joint, Hercules. Deadline is reporting that Dark City actor Rufus Sewell is joining the film in the role of Autolycus, who is said to be a thief who is a member of Hercules’ merry band of head-smashing warriors. The report says that the film is about Hercules renouncing his mythic origins and spending his time in exile working as a mercenary alongside a team of comrades who all have various skills, so it sounds like it’s pretty much going to be a sword and sandals version of The A-Team. And it also sounds like we’re about to be getting a whole host of other casting announcements as Ratner begins to fill out the ranks of Hercules’ crew. Stay tuned.
Dax Shepard
There’s new news about that upcoming Robert Downey Jr. dramedy, The Judge. Last time we were talking about it they were said to be looking for an actress to play Downey’s hot-shot lawyer character’s ex-girlfriend, with Vera Farmiga being one of the last actresses standing. Well now not only does Farmiga seem to be official for the film, but Deadline is reporting that they’ve also signed Dax Shepard to a role as well. There’s not yet any word on what character Shepard will be playing, and seeing as the film is about Downey’s character coming back to his hometown and Vincent D’Onofrio is already on board as the brother, there aren’t really any good guesses we can make either. Maybe the movie has a character who’s a young guy who likes to brag about his cars?
Mark Duplass
Shepard isn’t the only comedic actor who’s getting work this week. Deadline also has word that indie filmmaker and star of screens both big and small, Mark Duplass, has joined the film Tammy, which is the Melissa McCarthy-starring vehicle that she co-wrote with her husband Ben Falcone (the pair will also direct it together). The film is about McCarthy’s titular character losing everything and setting out on a road trip with her foul-mouthed grandmother, and Duplass is said to be playing a man who she meets out on the road and develops “a strange relationship with,” which could basically mean anything. Maybe they do some role-playing? You don’t think they’re into butt stuff, do you?
Susan Sarandon
Duplass’ involvement isn’t the only news concerning Tammy, either. Far from it. THR is reporting that Susan Sarandon is currently in talks to take the role of the foul-mouthed, diabetic grandmother—a part that at one point was being offered to Shirley MacLaine. And, in addition to Sarandon’s possible involvement, their article also reports that Kathy Bates has boarded the film in the role of the grandmother’s helpful, lesbian friend. It would appear that McCarthy and her director/husband aren’t messing around when it comes to recruiting high-profile, hugely talented actresses. Tammy could very well prove to be the strong follow-up to Bridesmaids that her career needed, seeing as all of these other comedies where she’s playing the same loudmouth character over and over again seem to be creating a backlash pretty quickly.
Kiefer Sutherland
It’s been a while since we’ve got a chance to see Kiefer Sutherland breaking bones and bashing heads. Actually, other than a small role in Melancholia, I can’t remember seeing him in a dang thing since the glory days of 24. Do you really think he was hanging all of his hopes on the possibility that the 24 movie would eventually work out? Either way, he seems to have decided to get himself back out there and take another job. Heat Vision reports that he’s in the very advanced stages of negotiations to join schlock-master Paul W.S. Anderson’s upcoming 3D disaster movie, Pompeii, in the role of the film’s villain, a corrupt Roman senator who’s trying to force the protagonist’s true love into marrying him. Sutherland joins Game of Thrones actor Kit Harington, Jared Harris, and Emily Browning in what actually turned out to be a promising-looking cast. Hopefully the material they’re working with doesn’t turn out to be terrible.