We’ve got a bit of casting news to share with you tonight.  Here it is at a glance:

• Emmanuelle Chriqui (Entourage) is in talks to star opposite Luke Wilson (Old School) in the indie sports comedy, The Million Dollar Man. 
• John Boyega (Attack the Block) is set to star in Creeping Zero, a sci-fi film from director Billy O’Brien (Isolation).
• Nate Parker (Red Hook Summer) is in talks to join Spike Lee’s remake of Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy. 

Hit the jump for more on each film. 

We have some more casting additions to report to you today. Here are the basics:

• John Boyega (Attack the Block) will join Thandie Newton and Chiwetel Ejiofor in Half of a Yellow Sun from director Biyi Bandele. Boyega is also in negotiations to topline Creeping Zero, an indie sci-fi flick from Billy O’Brien, the writer/director of Invasion.
• The post-apocalyptic train-thriller, Snow Piercer, has added Kenny Doughty (Titus) to the cast. He’s also set to make his directorial debut with the British revenge thriller, Vengeance Waits.

Hit the jump for more information on each project.

In somewhat disappointing news today, HBO has decided to pass on Da Brick, a drama pilot from Academy Award-nominated director Spike Lee and boxing legend, Mike Tyson. Written by John Ridley and directed by Lee, Da Brick was partially inspired by Tyson’s formative youth and looked at what it was like to be a young, black man in an America that is supposedly “post-racial.” The project began when Tyson was on the set of Entourage for a guest role and he mentioned to series creator, Doug Ellin that he’d like to build a show around his own life, much like they did for Mark Wahlberg’s early days. What’s most disappointing to me is that John Boyega (Attack the Block) was set to star as Donnie, the central character who is a young boxer fresh out of juvenile detention on his 18th birthday. I would have been infinitely more interested in Boyega’s performance than the show’s premise itself, but as Deadline reports, HBO has passed. Such a shame. Da Brick was executive produced by Lee, Tyson, Ridley and Ellin.

Joe Cornish’s Attack the Block pretty much amazed everyone who go the chance to see it this year. Throughout its numerous special screenings and limited theatrical run, it captivated audiences with its of-kilter alien invasion story set in South London. Given that the film is so loved by the people, naturally there’s been talk of possible sequels. At this summer’s Comic-Con, Cornish revealed that producer Edgar Wright had come up with an idea for the sequel, though he was remiss to reveal just what the idea entailed. However, the film’s star John Boyega has been coming up with ideas of his own, and recently Cornish revealed what Boyega would have in store for the characters if he had his way. Hit the jump to find out what it was, and for Cornish’s comments on a possible American remake and TV show spinoff.

As a young actor, you can’t ask for a much better debut vehicle than Attack the Block.  John Boyega came out of that movie a star, but it was not immediate clear what Hollywood would do with a black, teenage, British star best known for playing a hoodlum.  The answer is very satisfying: Boyega has signed with HBO to star in the boxing drama Da Brick.  The show is loosely based on Mike Tyson’s upbringing, motivated by an offhand conversation between Tyson and producer Doug Ellin (Entourage).  In the fictional version, Boyega will play “Donnie, who, after his release from juvenlie detention on his 18th birthday begins an exploration of what it means to be a man for himself and those around him.”  Milauna Jemai (Lincoln Heights), Julito McCullum (The Wire), and Kamahl Naiqui (Gossip Girl) form the supporting cast.  Hit the jump for details on their roles.

The Joe Cornish-directed alien invasion film Attack the Block has landed at Comic Con. Though it’s on the small end of the budget scale when compared to summer blockbusters, it may very well turn out to be the best bang for your buck in 2011. After receiving praise at SXSW and earning critical supporters both in England and stateside, Attack the Block is now only one week away from limited release in the states. The involvement of executive producer Edgar Wright and Big Talk Productions, known for Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and Scott Pilgrim vs the World, have led many people to draw direct comparisons to these movies. However, I think that while Attack the Block might have the same popcorn appeal and light-hearted character as these other films, it stands apart from them in many other ways. Hit the jump for my thoughts as well as a Q&A from Cornish, Wright and principal actor John Boyega.

I’ve raved about Joe Cornish’s Attack the Block, Scott loved it, Steve’s loved it, and plenty of other online writers have cheered it on as well.  And if you don’t like our opinions, the film has picked up accolades at the SXSW and Los Angeles Film Festivals.  I’m not sure how much convincing you need to see this film, but for Comic-Con attendees who can’t wait to see this flick, I’ve got some great news.  Collider will be giving out 5 pairs of tickets to a special Comic-Con screening of the flick. Additionally, you can click here to register for free passes on a first-come, first serve basis, but our winners will be guaranteed seats.  If you do get passes through RSVPing and not directly through us, be sure to show up early as your pass does not guarantee you a seat.

Furthermore, folks at the Comic-Con screening will be treated to a Q&A with Cornish, executive producer Edgar Wright, and star John Boyega.  Hit the jump for more details on the screening, the Comic-Con panel for the film, and to find out other sites that are giving away tickets.  Attack the Block hits theaters in the US on July 29th.

Is Attack the Block destined to be a cult favorite?  Probably.  A sleeper hit?  If it’s marketed correctly.  A great film?  Absolutely.  Writer-director Joe Cornish has created an action-thriller that is fast, frenetic, and fun, with a big heart and a sharp wit.  While it may be billed as the next Shaun of the Dead, Cornish has crafted his own glow-fanged beast that isn’t an homage to the alien invasion genre but rather resets it into a framework you’ve never seen before.  The film is grounded by the fresh, lively performances of its young lead actors, including a breakthrough turn from John Boyega, and while you may not understand every word they say, their attitude and the attitude of Attack the Block comes in loud and clear.

Joe Cornish’s Attack the Block has been getting tremendous amounts of positive buzz since its premiere at SXSW last month.  Shortly after SXSW, Screen Gems picked up the film for U.S. distribution, but hasn’t yet announced a release date.  In the meantime, the movie is set to open in the UK on May 11th and is ramping up its marketing with a new trailer as well as vignettes on all of the main characters.

Hit the jump to check out the short trailer and the vignettes.  Attack the Block stars Jodie Whittaker, John Boyega, Alex Esmail, Franz Drameh, Leeon Jones, Simon Howard, Luke Treadaway, Jumayn Hunter, and Nick Frost.  Hopefully we’ll have a U.S. release date for the film soon, but there is a fan appreciation screening in L.A. on Tuesday, April 26th.

Joe Cornish’s Attack the Block received rave reviews coming out of this year’s SXSW Film Festival and went on the hunt for a U.S. distributor.  Screen Gems has now sent out a press release announcing they will distribute the film.  For those unfamiliar with the flick, it’s about a group of street tough kids who fight off alien invaders.

Hit the jump to check out the press release.  Click here for Scott’s positive review from SXSW and click here for all of our Attack the Block coverage.  A U.S. release date hasn’t been announced yet, but the film opens in the UK on May 11th.

For the past week, everyone at the 25th annual SXSW Film Festival in Austin has been talking about one film:  Joe Cornish’s Attack The Block.  The film (which was produced by Cornish’s writing-buddy and friend to all film geeks, Edgar Wright) has been called the “best film of SXSW 2011″ since its very first screening, but it’s taken this long for me to find out for myself.  And, after catching the last screening of Attack The Block at this year’s festival, I can in fact confirm that Cornish’s film really is the best film at this year’s SXSW.  It’s even better than that, though:  Attack The Block is one of those films that immediately becomes one of your absolute favorites, a film you’ll judge other, similar films against for years to come.  Wanna know more?  Read on for our full review:

Joe Cornish has been working with Edgar Wright (the needs-no-introduction director of Shaun of The Dead, Hot Fuzz, and Scott Pilgrim VS. The World) for awhile now, but in years past he’s kept to the writing side of things:  the two wrote the still-unproduced Ant-Man screenplay that Wright’s been talking about making for the past few years, and awhile back they completed a series of rewrites on the Adventures of Tin-Tin script that Spielberg and Peter Jackson had written for their forthcoming, animated, 3D epic.  But now Cornish has stepped into the director’s chair on his first feature film, and Attack The Block is supposed to be a hell of a lot of fun.

Attack The Block features a quintet of south London street toughs– all no older than their teens– whose lives of petty crime and tough-guy posturing are interrupted when a full blown alien invasion comes to their neighborhood.  While these kids might not be the most upstanding members society’s ever seen, they find out they have a talent for taking out aliens.  Collider.com contributing writer Scott Wampler sat down with Cornish, Wright, and Nick Frost– who appears in a major role in Attack The Block– at SXSW this weekend, and here’s what he was able to find out about Cornish’s first film (along with some of those other projects he and Wright have worked on).

The international trailer for Joe Cornish’s Attack the Block has gone online.  If Cornish’s name looks familiar, it’s probably because his credits include co-writing The Adventures of Tintin and Ant-Man with Edgar Wright.  Wright serves as one of the executive producers on Block, which is about a teen street gang who take on hostile alien invaders.  While the trailer plays up the Shaun of the Dead connection (Nick Frost co-stars, Nira Park and James Wilson are producers), that’s not a bad film to call back.  It’s also a similar-sounding set-up: a director who understands the conventions of a genre (in this case, alien invasion flicks), mixes it with a low-key setting, and is able to derive both laughs and thrills from the result.

2011 has no shortage of alien flicks, but Attack the Block looks like it could be a standout.  Attack the Block will play at this year’s SXSW Film Festival.  It opens in the UK on May 13th.