Who, truly, is surprised that Helena Bonham Carter will play the fairy godmother in Cinderella? The sole aspect of this news which could honestly surprise is that she hasn’t been selected for the evil stepmother role — it’ll go to Cate Blanchett; though if she hadn’t been cast beforehand, who’s to say — but your confusion would only stem from knowing little about the title at hand; we’re not going to blame you for that, anyhow.
As it were, THR have news of Carter joining the Kenneth Branagh-directed, Disney-backed title, the specifics of which remain in place: Lily James (Wrath of the Titans, Downton Abbey) is to play Cinderella herself, Richard Madden (Game of Thrones) as the prince, and Holliday Grainger (Great Expectations, The Borgias) & Sophie McShera (Downton Abbey) in the stepsister roles. If they sound like a strait-laced bunch, expect Carter to shake up the dynamic with a bit more quirkiness à la the same performance she’s given across every film of hers these past seven years and has no clear intention of stopping.
Cinderella is expected to begin production in the fall.
Next, Deadline report that Ron Howard‘s In the Heart of the City is keeping up its nice casting run with the addition of Cillian Murphy. The Christopher Nolan favorite has landed a reasonably sized role, what with reports saying his involvement will require a turn as second mate on the Essex, the ship which was famously destroyed by a whale and, later, served as an inspiration for Herman Melville‘s writing of Moby Dick. Documentation shows that said mate, Matthew Joy, collaborated with first mate Owen Chase (Chris Hemsworth) to convince their captain, Pollard (Benjamin Walker), that South America was the Essex’s safest destination after enduring attack.
Tom Holland is also tapped for In the Heart of the Sea, which, using a script from one Charles Leavitt (The Seventh Son, Blood Diamond), will roll cameras come September.
In some lesser news, Brett Ratner‘s Hercules has found its antagonist in Kon-Tiki star Tobias Santelmann. This dark and gritty spin on the Greek legend will see Dwayne Johnson face off against “Rhesus, a golden-locked barbarian and revolutionary,” save for any fantasy elements this story typically would (maybe even should) otherwise carry. Tempered curiosity notwithstanding, it’s a fine cast on the director’s side; along with the two noted players, Hercules is to also feature John Hurt, Ian McShane, Joseph Fiennes, and singer Rebecca Ferguson. Then again, Jack the Giant Slayer had a nice ensemble, too… [THR]
Fun or terrible, Hercules will open on July 25, 2014.
Last, and least surprising: Robert Downey Jr. will appear in The Avengers 2 and The Avengers 3; the former, written and directed by Joss Whedon, hits on May 1, 2015, while the latter is without a date. (Or script, helmer, supporting cast.) The only thing of true note, as far as I can tell, is a lack of Iron Man 4 notices in the Marvel press release. Does this mark the end of the line for Tony Stark? We will see.
Would you say any of these projects improve in outlook with these additions?