The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Set Photo Round-Up: First Look at Scarlett Johansson as Janet Leigh in HITCHCOCK; Ben Stiller and Adam Scott Face Off in WALTER MITTY

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 16th, 2012 at 9:29 am

We’ve got a couple of set photos to share this morning.  First up is Scarlett Johansson in Hitchcock. Last month we got our first look at Anthony Hopkins in his full, uncanny makeup as legendary filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock for the film.  Directed by Sacha Gervasi, the pic follows Hitchcock through the troubled production of Psycho, and we now have our first look at Johansson as the film’s “star” Janet Leigh.  It’s not the best image, but Johansson does certainly look the part.  This project is incredibly high on my most anticipated list, especially with a stacked cast that includes Helen Mirren, Jessica Biel, Toni Collette, Danny Huston and more.

Additionally, we’ve got our first images of Ben Stiller and a fake beareded-Adam Scott fighting over a Stretch Armstrong doll for some reason in the remake of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.  Stiller is directing the project, which also stars Kristin Wiig, Shirley MacLaine, and Patton Oswalt.  Hit the jump to check out the images.

Sean Penn in Talks to Join Ben Stiller’s THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: April 23rd, 2012 at 1:26 pm

Ben Stiller is assembling quite the cast for his remake of the 1947 comedy The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.  Stiller is directing and starring in the pic, which centers on a LIFE Magazine proofreader who, incapable of standing up for himself in the real world, retreats to a fantasy where he becomes his poised, confident opposite.  Kristen Wiig, Shirley MacLaine, Patton Oswalt, Adam Scott and Kathryn Hahn are all set to star, and now Deadline reports that Sean Penn is in talks to appear in a small yet pivotal role as a photographer.

This is Stiller’s first directorial effort since 2008’s smash hit Tropic Thunder, and I’m really excited about the cast that he’s put together.  Not only is every actor a terrific comedian, but they all have proven dramatic chops as well.  Penn will be seen later this year in Ruben Fleischer’s (Zombieland) period crime drama The Gangster Squad and he’s being courted to star in one Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Flim-Flam Man and The Revenant.  Production on Walter Mitty begins soon in New York and Iceland.

Casting Call: Cast Locked for Bigfoot Found-Footage Film, EXISTS; Kathryn Hahn Joins Ben Stiller’s THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: April 4th, 2012 at 6:42 pm

We’ve got some new casting updates for you today, including a found-footage film tracking Bigfoot and a new project from Ben Stiller. Here they are at a glance:

• The Blair Witch Project director Eduardo Sanchez has added Dora Madison Burge, Samuel Davis, Roger Edwards, Chris Osborn and Denise Williamson to his Bigfoot found-footage film, Exists.
• Kathryn Hahn (Wanderlust) has joined Stiller’s The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

Hit the jump for more on both projects. [Update: We've been sent the full press release for Exists, which is now included after the jump.]

Adam Scott Joins THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 13th, 2012 at 7:57 am

The long-in-development remake of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty continues to rack up an impress supporting cast.  In the past several weeks, we’ve reported that Patton Oswalt and Kristen Wiig have joined Ben Stiller in the comedy, which centers on a magazine proofreader who, incapable of standing up for himself in the real world, retreats to a fantasy where he becomes his poised, confident opposite.  Today, Deadline reports that the talented Adam Scott has joined the picture, but there are currently no details on the role he’ll play.

Whenever Scott is in a movie, I know that I’ll at least be able to point to his performance as one good thing about the flick.  The fact that we get 22 episode of him on Parks and Recreation would be more than enough, but he’s also continuing to nab roles in movies.  Later this year, he’ll be seen in the general releases of the festival films Friends with Kids (also co-starring Wiig) and Bachelorette, and he also co-stars in See Girl Run, My Mother’s Curse, A.C.O.D., and his cult-hit TV series Party Down may be headed to the big screen.

Patton Oswalt in Talks for Ben Stiller’s THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: February 9th, 2012 at 4:56 pm

Coming off a terrific dramatic turn in Jason Reitman’s Young Adult, Patton Oswalt is now looking to star in Ben Stiller’s next directorial project. Showblitz reports that Oswalt is in talks to star in Stiller’s The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. The film is a remake of the 1947 Danny Kaye film which centers on a LIFE Magazine proofreader who, incapable of standing up for himself in the real world, retreats to a fantasy where he becomes his poised, confident opposite. Stiller stars as the proofreader, Kristin Wiig is onboard as his love interest, and Shirley MacLaine is set as Stiller’s mother. Oswalt will play Todd, “a friendly eHarmony counselor who helps the protagonist create an online dating profile.”

It seems like a perfectly suitable role for Oswalt, who I sincerely hope gets the chance to shine after holding his own opposite Charlize Theron in Young Adult. Oswalt will next be seen in the Dean Koontz adaptation Odd Thomas, and also stars alongside Steve Carell and Keira Knightley in Seeking a Friend for the End of the World. Production on Walter Mitty will begin in April in New York and Iceland.

Kristen Wiig in Talks to Star in Ben Stiller’s Remake of THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: January 19th, 2012 at 1:48 pm

While she’s currently being fielded with hundreds of questions about the non-existent Bridesmaids sequel, Kristen Wiig is firming up plans for her summer hiatus from SNL. We already know that she’s starring in the Sean Penn-directed character drama The Comedian alongside Robert De Niro, and now comes word that she may join yet another actor-turned-director’s project. THR reports that Wiig is in talks to star opposite Ben Stiller in the remake of the 1947 fantasy comedy The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Stiller will also direct the pic, which centers on a magazine proofreader who, incapable of standing up for himself in the real world, retreats to a fantasy where he becomes his poised, confident opposite.

We recently reported that Shirley MacLaine is in talks to star as Stiller’s mother in the film, and Wiig would make an excellent addition to the cast. The Bridesmaids star would play Stiller’s co-worker and the girl of his fantasies (originally played by Virginia Mayo). Production on Walter Mitty is set to begin in April in New York and Iceland, and it’s assumed that Wiig will move on to The Comedian directly after Stiller’s film.

Jessica Chastain, Bryan Cranston, and Martin Short Join MADAGASCAR 3; Shirley MacLaine Is Ben Stiller’s Mom in WALTER MITTY

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: January 13th, 2012 at 11:46 am

We’ve got a couple of casting stories to bring you this afternoon. First up, Jessica Chastain, Bryan Cranston, and Martin Short have been added to the voice cast of DreamWorks Animation’s Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted. It’s a curious bit of news, as the film hits theaters in a matter of months and a full trailer has already been released, but I’m assuming the three are up for minor roles. Heat Vision’s report doesn’t specify what characters Chastain, Cranston, and Short will be lending their voices to, but Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Sacha Baron Cohen are all reprising their roles from the first two films.

The plot finds the zoo animals yet again trying to make their way back to New York City, but this time they find themselves on the wrong side of the law in Europe. Frances McDormand voices the villain in the pic, which hits theaters June 8th. Hit the jump for casting news regarding Ben Stiller’s directorial project The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

Ben Stiller Set to Direct and Star in Remake of THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY

by Jason Barr    Posted: July 19th, 2011 at 11:01 pm

Back in April, we reported that Ben Stiller was in talks to star in the remake of the 1947 comedy/fantasy The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Although no directors were attached to the pic at that time, names like Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard, and Gore Verbinski were being thrown around. Flash forward three months and reports are filing in that the director search has finally landed on a familiar name: Ben Stiller. Per Twitch, Stiller will pull double duty as star and director of the remake which 20th Century Fox reportedly wants to have in front of cameras around January 2012.

For those unfamiliar, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty originally starred Danny Kaye in the title role as well as Virginia Mayo and Boris Karloff. The pic centers on Walter Mitty, a magazine proofreader who is incapable of standing up for himself in the real world, so he retreats to a fantasy where he becomes his poised, confident opposite. As for Stiller, his previous feature directorial output includes: Tropic Thunder, Zoolander, The Cable Guy, and Reality Bites (all of which he also had roles in). He can next be seen wearing his acting hat alongside Eddie Murphy, Matthew Broderick, and Casey Affleck in director Brett Ratner’s action/comedy Tower Heist due out on November 4th of this year. If you’re interested in learning more about the Walter Mitty, check out a more detailed synopsis of the 1947 original after the jump.

Ben Stiller in Talks for THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY Remake

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: April 7th, 2011 at 8:57 pm

A remake of the 1947 film The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (based on a short story by James Thurber) has been kicking around in development for years now.  Jim Carrey, Mike Myers, Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell, and Sacha Baron Cohen have all eyed the lead role at some point, but even such considerable star power failed to overcome a reportedly problematic script.  Ben Stiller is the latest actor to set his sights on the role, and Deadline hears the actor is committed enough to plan Secret Life as his next film.

Steve Conrad (The Pursuit of Happyness) scripted a page-one rewrite, and won Stiller over with his fresh take on the material.  Though the project has previously sirened the likes of Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard, and (most recently) Gore Verbinski, no director is currently attached.  20th Century Fox is looking for a director who can handle action scenes and deliver a PG cut.  There are tentative plans to start filming in late fall.  Read a synopsis for The Secret Life of Walter Mitty after the break.

Gore Verbinski Intrigued by THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: June 29th, 2010 at 8:32 pm

Last we checked, an offer was out to Borat star Sacha Baron Cohen to star in a remake of the 1947 Danny Kaye comedy The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.  No update on that, but Fox has made advancements on the directorial front, entering into early negotiations with Gore Verbinski (The Pirates of the Caribbean) to helm.  Steven Conrad (The Pursuit of Happyness) will adapt James Thurber’s 1939 short story, in which the ordinary Mitty daydreams of heroics.  When the script was in the hands of Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon), Mitty was a mega-store owner.  More after the jump:

Sacha Baron Cohen to Possibly Star in THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: April 18th, 2010 at 11:08 pm

Sacha Baron Cohen is the latest in a string of actors to star in the long-in-development remake of the 1947 Danny Kaye comedy The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.  Pajiba reports that 20th Century Fox has offered the title role to the Bruno star.  The plans to remake Walter Mitty began in 1994 with Jim Carrey set to star.  Since then, the project has passed through several actors (Kevin Anderson, Owen Wilson, Mike Myers), directors (Ron Howard, Steven Spielberg, Mark Waters, Chuck Russell), and studios (New Line Cinema, Paramount/Dreamworks, 20th Century Fox).

The role of a daydreaming pulp magazine editor whose reality and imagination get mixed up could be a good fit for Cohen, but this would be the first film he’s had to carry that wasn’t based off one of his own characters.  Cohen is currently set to play a supporting role in Martin Scorsese’s adaptation of the children’s novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret. As for The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, the current draft of the script is begin handled by Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon), which now has Mitty working as a mega-store owner.  No director is currently attached.

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