Nicole Kidman stars in a new David E. Kelley limited series for HBO, while Kristen Stewart continues her indie movie trend to star as real-life ’60s actress Jean Seberg.
Here’s the latest scoop on some casting news this week:
Nicole Kidman to Star in Psychological Thriller Series for HBO
Nicole Kidman is teaming up again with Big Little Lies writer David E. Kelley for the limited HBO series The Undoing – and it sounds like a good one.
Here’s the premise, via The Hollywood Reporter: “Based on Jean Hanff Korelitz’s book You Should Have Known, the psychological thriller revolves around Grace Sachs (Kidman), who is living the only life she ever wanted for herself. She’s a successful therapist on the brink of publishing her first book and has a devoted husband and young son who attends an elite private school in New York City. Weeks before her book is published, a chasm opens in her life: a violent death, a missing husband and, in the place of a man Grace thought she knew, only a chain of terrible revelations. Left behind in the wake of a spreading and very public disaster — and horrified by the ways in which she has failed to heed her own advice — Grace must dismantle one life and create another for her child and herself.”
It definitely sounds right up Kidman’s alley. She said in a statement, “David has created another propulsive series with a fascinating, complicated female role at its center. I’m excited and honored to continue collaborating with HBO and David E. Kelly.” Kidman is set to also reprise her role on season two of Big Little Lies in 2019.
Photo by Craig Barritt/Getty Images for The Weinstein Company
Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen Team Up for New Thriller
Ian McKellen, Helen Mirren and director Bill Condon are set to do The Good Liar, a thriller about a con artist falling for his mark.
Based on a novel by Nicholas Searle, McKellan plays grifter Roy Courtnay who decides to do one last score (never a good idea) when he meets his mark, a wealthy widow named Betty McLeish (Mirren). He becomes ingratiated in the woman’s life and begins to care for her, which ultimately could become his undoing when all is not what it seems. Apparently, it’s a real “cat and mouse” type scenario.
The Good Liar will also mark the fourth collaboration between Condon and McKellen, who first worked together on Gods and Monsters. Also, Mirren and McKellen starred together in the Broadway play Dance of Death. (via THR).
Kristen Stewart to Star as Jean Seberg in Another Thriller
It’s all about the thrillers this week, amirite? Kristen Stewart’s short hair will come in handy when she portrays the doomed American actress Jean Seberg in Against All Enemies.
After a failed career in the US, Seberg became a symbol in the ’60s for the French New Wave films and probably best known for her performance in film Breathless. She was also an FBI target for her support of the Black Panther party and the civil rights movement. The film follows a young FBI agent assigned to investigate Seberg in Los Angeles. Seberg committed suicide in 1979 at age 40. (via THR)
Spike Lee Eyeing a Superhero Movie?
Believe it. Spike Lee could be directing a big-screen version of the Marvel comic Nightwatch for Sony Pictures.
As part of the Spider-Man universe, the story centers on African-American scientist Dr. Kevin Trench, who discovers an alter-ego named Nightwatch, who is Tench’s corpse wearing a futuristic suit of armor. Tench steals the suit while fighting crime and trying to discover the origins of his alternate self and his new costume (time travel has something to do with it). When not teaming up with Spider-Man, he also found time to partner with Captain America, Deathlok and others before the end of his short-lived comic book series. Hmmm, I’m thinking Lee might have a really cool handle on this if he does it. (via THR).
Nicolas Cage, Laurence Fishburne Head Up Drug Trade Movie
Actor Nic Cage joins forces with co-stars Laurence Fishburne, Leslie Bibb, Barry Pepper and more to star in Running with the Devil, an action-thriller about the border-crossing drug trade.
The fascinating part is that it’s written and directed by Jason Cabell, a former Navy SEAL who also worked as a DEA agent in Colombia, sources told THR. Here’s the skinny: “This film tells the story of a cocaine shipment that travels from Mexico through the U.S. to Canada. When the shipment is compromised to the dismay of a cartel leader known as The Boss (Pepper), he orders his most trusted Cook (Cage) and another master drug trafficker, The Man (Fishburne), on a dangerous journey to audit the company’s supply chain.”
