Rumorville: Amy Schumer Switches Genres, Emma Thompson is Working on a Musical + More

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Photo Source: Reuters

Welcome to Rumorville! Here you can learn about casting news that’s about to break in Hollywood. These speculations might be only rumors, but that doesn’t mean you can’t follow the trail all the way to the audition room.

“Christy Martin”
Amy Schumer is having a moment with her highly-anticipated comedy “I Feel Pretty” opening this weekend. While Schumer has, up to this point, only had a résumé of comedies, she looks to be exploring new paths for the future—namely, drama. She is looking at an appearance in the planned boxing drama biopic “Christy Martin” about the world champion who had to fight through a man’s world to get the success she deserved and found herself fighting for her life. The project will be written and directed by “Valentine’s Day” writer Katherine Fugate, and it will be her directing debut. Because she has no other feature directing credits, it is hard to tell who will be chosen to handle casting.

“Otherhood”
Netflix continues to pair up some of the most in-demand and beloved actors in Hollywood, and they dont seem to be stopping anytime soon. According to Deadline, Patricia Arquette and Angela Bassett are in negotiations to lead the romantic comedy “Otherhood,” which will center on three moms who leave their suburban life to reconnect with their estranged sons in New York City. Now, you may notice that said three. Netflix is also planning on adding another top-tier star to the hopeful pair of Arquette and Bassett, but there’s no word yet as to who that could be. New York actors should definitely keep their eyes open and watch Netflix casting to get in on this one.

“Nanny McPhee”
It’s been 13 years since Nanny McPhee was introduced to the world with her big screen debut, but Emma Thompson, who played the titular nanny and originally adapted the story, is hard at work on adapting the film into a stage musical. According to the actor, she’s writing the music and lyrics, and Scottish singer-songwriter Gary Clark is working on the book. The duo is aiming for an October workshop and a 2019–2020 season premiere on the West End. After that, if all goes according to plan, could a Broadway run be in the works? The film racked up $47 million in the U.S., so the Great White Way could extend the life of the fictional caretaker. For the British run, the film had two different directors and two different CDs as a result (Michelle Guish and Lucy Bevan), so there is a possibility they could employ their skills for the stage version too.

“Pet Sematary”
The work of Stephen King seems to be top of the list for producers who want to adapt material with a built-in audience and a remake of the 1989 horror “Pet Sematary” is no exception. The new adaptation has been in the works for a while, but it was announced in October that Kevin Kolsch and Dennis Widmyer would be directing from David Kajganich’s script. Now, it seems to be finally eyeing a cast, with Jason Clarke in negotiations to play the lead role of Louis Creed. As for other actors looking to get in on the fun, casting is uncertain at the moment, but Kolsch and Widmyer have worked together in the past on “Starry Eyes” and Cleo Valente ran the show for that—it is possible she may see a return for the King flick.

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