Stay in the loop on industry and casting news with our write-up on who’s been slated for recent film and television roles.
Please note that shoot dates are subject to state and county restrictions and may change. Refer to Call Sheet for updates, and keep checking Backstage for the latest news on project development during this time.
“Minecraft”
After multiple delays, Warner Bros. has finally announced a release date for its latest video game adaptation. With its blocky graphics and sprawling open-world setting, Mojang Studios’ “Minecraft” has been a hit ever since it dropped in 2011. Jason Momoa (“Aquaman,” “Dune”) is set to star in the big-screen take on the game, which is scheduled to hit theaters on April 4, 2025. After passing through the hands of various filmmakers, the film has landed with director Jared Hess (“Napoleon Dynamite,” “Nacho Libre”) and screenwriter Allison Schroeder (“Hidden Figures,” “Frozen 2”). The story follows a teenage girl who sets out with a group of fellow adventurers to save the Overworld—the game’s main dimension—from the all-powerful Ender Dragon. Rachel Tenner Casting is building out the rest of the ensemble. Production will kick off in New Zealand this August.
“42.6”
Amazon Studios is moving forward with a May-December romance for the ages. Emmy nominee Craig Gillespie (“Pam & Tommy,” “I, Tonya”) will direct “42.6,” a rom-com starring Andy Samberg (returning to the world of sci-fi love stories after “Palm Springs”) and “Hacks” Emmy winner Jean Smart. Four decades after being cryogenically frozen, a man (Samberg) wakes up to find himself unchanged and un-aged. Stranded in a future he doesn’t understand, he turns to his now–much older ex-girlfriend (Smart) for help. In addition to starring, Samberg is co-writing the script with Seth Reiss (“The Menu”) and executive producing under his Party Over Here banner. Betty Mae Casting is on the hunt for more actors. Production on the film will begin in late June in New York and New Jersey.
“The Abandons”
Following her iconic turn as Cersei Lannister on “Game of Thrones,” Lena Headey will play a very different kind of matriarch in a new Netflix series. The five-time Emmy nominee is starring on “The Abandons,” a gritty Western from “Sons of Anarchy” and “Mayans M.C.” creator Kurt Sutter. Set during the Manifest Destiny era of the 19th century, the show follows a diverse group of pioneer families putting down roots in the Oregon wilderness. These outsiders ultimately must band together to stand against “a corrupt force of wealth and power” threatening their way of life. Wendy O’Brien Casting is searching for additional actors for the project, which has received a 10-episode order from Netflix. Filming is set to begin this June in Calgary.
This story originally appeared in the May 4 issue of Backstage Magazine.