With Hollywood continuing on its sequel craze, we’ve got a few cast additions on upcoming projects from over the weekend. Oddly all of these franchises are handing the directing reigns over to someone new and we’ll start with Kick-Ass 2. With production kicking off just a few days ago, as you can see above thanks to director Jeff Wadlow‘s informative Twitter stream, there was one mysterious cast member that has now been confirmed.
Tweeted a few days ago, we saw an intimidated Christopher Mintz-Plasse next to the character of Mother Russia, but no one could peg down who was playing the ex-KBG officer that fights in Red Mist’s gang. Now thanks to Iron World (via Bleeding Cool) the actress (or rather bodybuilder) is confirmed to be Olga Kurkulina and to get the role she dedicated three weeks of casting competing against others from America, Switzerland and Holland. Check out the initial photo, as well as one with her and her trainers and then a jib-filled one from the current set.
Update: A reader sent in some more photos from the set, featuring our first look at Mother Russia. Check them out below.
Aaron Johnson, Chloe Moretz, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Donald Faison, John Leguizamo, Andy Nyman, Jim Carrey and more will also star in Kick-Ass 2, arriving on June 28th, 2013.
In another sequel casting update, THR reports that David Thewlis has been added to the ensemble of Dean Parisot‘s Red 2, which sees Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren and John Malkovich and Mary-Louise Parker all returning, as well as newcomers Anthony Hopkins, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Byun-Hun Lee. Thewlis, who I adored most in Mike Leigh‘s Naked, is likely most recognized from his Harry Potter role and he joins this sequel as The Frog, “an information dealer who got his name by poisoning the water supply at the Kremlin using a poisonous Amazonian frog.” Hopefully the Galaxy Quest helmer improves greatly on the overpraised original when this one arrives on August 2nd, 2013.
Lastly, Scary Movie 5 has kicked off production with Undercover Brother director Malcolm Lee at the helm and we’ve got a few last-minute additions. In the parody of Darren Aronofsky‘s Black Swan, Deadline reports that Molly Shannon has joined to play a character inspired by that of Winona Ryder, who is on her way out in the world of ballet, while Heather Locklear has been added to parody Barbara Hershey’s controlling mother role. The Perks of Being A Wallflower‘s Kate Walsh has also joined in an undisclosed role for the ensemble, which features Ashley Tisdale, Charlie Sheen, Terry Crews and Lindsay Lohan. The film arrives in a few months on January 11th, 2013 and I hope they hire a fast editor.
Which sequel are you most looking forward to? Any casting pique your interest?