Virginia Madsen and Elias Koteas have been cast to play opposite each other in the upcoming drama Jake Squared, from writer-director Howard Goldberg, Deadline reports. Koteas will be playing the titular character, a “filmmaker whose self-examination movie spins out of control,” while Madsen will be seen as Beth, who is simply described as “Jake’s confidant.” Goldberg‘s last picture — which came out quite a few years ago, back in 1996 — was titled Eden and had Nip/Tuck star Dylan Walsh in the leading role. Aside from that, he hasn’t seen much work in Hollywood; but this project — and the fact that he is a Sundance Institute Fellowship recipient — could definitely help his career out.
As for the stars of the film: Koteas has always had a knack for the darker side of roles, with his latest — Last Days on Mars — following suit. He’s also been cast alongside Jesse Eisenberg, among several other familiar faces, for the upcoming magician heist film, Now You See Me. The Oscar-nominated Madsen, meanwhile, has kept busy by attaching herself to the likes of AMC’s Hell on Wheels, as well as the female-led comedy The Hot Flashes. Although the duo seems a bit odd at first glance, both are perfectly great actors; I’m not worried about their union in the slightest. Now, the only trouble is figuring out if the project will end up being worthwhile. It may be a little too early to tell just yet.
Do you think Koteas and Madsen will make a good pair for Jake Squared?