Greenlit means a project is officially a go, so all you have to do is follow these leads to stay up to date. You never know where you’ll find an opportunity to land an audition!
“The Sympathizer”
Now that it’s “endgame” for Robert Downey Jr. and his run in the Avengers franchise, the Tony Stark–Iron Man portrayer has found his next big role. First reported by Deadline, the actor will star in the HBO and A24 drama series adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “The Sympathizer.” An espionage thriller and cross-culture satire, “The Sympathizer” follows “the struggles of a half-French, half-Vietnamese communist spy during the final days of the Vietnam War and his resulting exile in the United States.” According to Deadline’s sources, Downey Jr. is set to play multiple supporting roles as the main antagonists, including an up-and-coming Orange County congressman, a CIA agent, and a Hollywood film director. Downey, Jr. has been particular about choosing roles since the end of his run as Stark, but as he told Deadline in a statement, “A24 and HBO are the perfect combination of partners and co-parents … It’s exactly the type of challenge I’ve been craving, and I believe we will deliver an exceptional viewing experience to our audience.” This will also be his first television role in nearly 20 years, since “Ally McBeal.” A worldwide search is underway for the titular lead role and the rest of the predominantly Vietnamese ensemble. “Oldboy” director Park Chan-wook is on board as co-showrunner with Don McKellar and also will direct the series. Both will also exec produce along with Team Downey and Rhombus Media.
“The Rosie Project”
Since Henry Cavill has, too, hung up his superhero suit, he has been busy. The latest: the Steve Falk-helmed “The Rosie Project.” Falk will also write the film, which, according to Deadline, “follows an unlucky-in-love university professor who creates an elaborate questionnaire in an effort to find a wife and meets an unconventional woman who doesn’t match any of his ‘requirements’ but might be the perfect woman for him.” “The Rosie Project” is expected to shoot at the top of 2022 after Cavill wraps filming on Netflix’s “Enola Holmes” sequel and then Matthew Vaughn’s “Argyle.” No other actors have been announced for the upcoming film.
Untitled Wes Anderson Feature Film
Feeling a bit like Groundhog Day, Bill Murray and Wes Anderson will reportedly team up on yet another feature film. The veteran actor is among the cast of the filmmaker’s latest feature, which will begin production in Spain in August, Variety reports. Excluding the new film, which will also star Tilda Swinton and which is being kept under wraps other than its filming location, Murray has starred in nine Anderson features to date: “The French Dispatch,” “Isle of Dogs,” “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “Moonrise Kingdom,” “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” “The Darjeeling Limited,” “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou,” “The Royal Tenenbaums,” and “Rushmore.” Murray and Swinton co-star in Anderson’s “The French Dispatch,” which recently had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. Douglas Aibel is Anderson’s usual casting director—expect him to return for another round.
“Indiana Jones 5”
As filming heats up on the highly anticipated fifth installment of the “Indiana Jones” franchise, director James Mangold has added another major star. Antonio Banderas will star with franchise lead Harrison Ford and the previously announced Phoebe Waller-Bridge in the upcoming project. In addition to the three stars, Mads Mikkelsen, Boyd Holbrook, and Shaunette Renée Wilson will also star. It was already reported that Mangold will take over the directing reins from Steven Spielberg, who still is serving as a producer. John Williams, who has worked on every score in the 40-year-old franchise, also will return as the composer. Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, and Mangold co-wrote the script. Production is currently underway in the U.K. with the film set to bow on July 29, 2022. Nina Gold is the casting director.
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