Twelve Years a Slave

Kevin Hart Joins VALET GUYS, Alexander Ludwig Added to GROWN UPS 2, Taran Killam Joins TWELVE YEARS A SLAVE, and Chris Diamantopoulos Set for EMPIRE STATE

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 24th, 2012 at 1:46 pm

We’ve got a few casting stories to share this afternoon.  Briefly:

• Kevin Hart is joining Kevin James in the comedy Valet Guys.
• Alexander Ludwig (The Hunger Games) joins the cast of Grown Ups 2.
• SNL cast member Taran Killam has joined Brad Pitt and Michael Fassbender in Twelve Years a Slave.
• Chris Diamantopoulos has been added to Empire State alongside Dwayne Johnson and Liam Hemsworth.

Hit the jump for more on each casting addition.

Hailee Steinfeld to Star in WHY WE BROKE UP; Matt LeBlanc Leads LOVESICK; Scoot McNairy and Ruth Negga Join TWELVE YEARS A SLAVE

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: May 22nd, 2012 at 9:07 pm

All the casting news that money can buy:

• Hailee Steinfeld is in negotiations to star in the high school comedy Why We Broke Up
• Matt LeBlanc will headline the indie rom-com Lovesick
• Scoot McNairy and Ruth Negga will join Chiwetel Ejiofor, Brad Pitt and Michael Fassbender Twelve Years a Slave

More on each project after the jump.

Abigail Breslin to Topline FINAL GIRL, Paul Dano Joins TWELVE YEARS A SLAVE

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: May 21st, 2012 at 4:55 pm

We’ve got some Little Miss Sunshine alumni casting news today: one’s an Oscar-nominated topliner and the other is a BAFTA-nominated addition to an already phenomenal cast.  Check out the headlines below:

• Abigail Breslin is set to star in the title role of Final Girl, a thriller from debut director Tyler Shields.
• Paul Dano will join the cast of Steve McQueen’s Twelve Years a Slave, a picture that already boasts Michael Fassbender, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Adepero Oduye and Brad Pitt.

Hit the jump for more on each picture.

Casting Call: Lucas Till Gets PARANOIA, T.R. Knight Joins Jackie Robinson Biopic 42 and Adepero Oduye In Talks for Steve McQueen’s TWELVE YEARS A SLAVE

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: April 16th, 2012 at 5:48 pm

We have some movie casting updates to share with you today. Here they are at a glance:

• Lucas Till (X-Men: First Class) is in talks to join the corporate espionage thriller Paranoia opposite Liam Hemsworth.
• T.R. Knight (Grey’s Anatomy) will join the Jackie Robinson biopic, 42, where he will play the Dodgers traveling secretary tasked with sussing out the housing situation once Robinson joins the team.
• Adepero Oduye (Pariah) is in negotiations to join Steve McQueen’s Twelve Years a Slave with Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender and Brad Pitt.

Hit the jump for much more on each project.

Michael Fassbender Talks HAYWIRE, TWELVE YEARS A SLAVE, PROMETHEUS, and X-MEN: FIRST CLASS Sequel

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: January 17th, 2012 at 1:57 pm

With director Steven Soderbergh’s spy-action pic Haywire opening this weekend, I recently got to speak with most of the cast to talk about making the movie.  Starring MMA fighter Gina Carano as a burned spy who takes revenge against her handlers, Haywire also stars Channing Tatum, Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, Michael Angarano, Antonio Banderas, Michael Douglas, and Bill Paxton.  I’ve seen Haywire twice now and it’s fantastic.  On top of Carano’s star-making performance, the action scenes are some of the best I’ve seen in years.   It’s absolutely something you should see in a theater.

During my exclusive phone interview with Michael Fassbender we talked about how he got involved in Haywire, how he prepared for the role, the amazing fight scenes, how the script changed along the way, and if he remembered any of his training in real life.  In addition, we talked about whether or not he still has to audition, when he realized he’s won the actor’s lottery, what’s up with Twelve Year’s a Slave and the X-Men Sequel, and a lot more.  Hit the jump to either read or listen to what he had to say.

Michael Fassbender and Director Steve McQueen SHAME Interview

by Christina Radish    Posted: November 29th, 2011 at 9:53 am

Co-written and directed by Steve McQueen, the NC-17 rated Shame is a provocative and emotionally raw drama that tells the story of Brandon (Michael Fassbender), a handsome and successful New Yorker who is so consumed with his sexual obsession that he is on an inevitable path towards self-destruction. When his wayward sister, Sissy (Carey Mulligan), comes to crash at his Manhattan apartment, Brandon’s constant quest for numbness clashes with Sissy’s need to be loved.

At a press conference to promote the film’s release, writer/director Steve McQueen and actor Michael Fassbender talked about what inspired this story, their thoughts on the NC-17 rating for the film, why they enjoy collaborating together, and creating an atmosphere on set where everyone knows each other and works together to get the job done. Fassbender also talked about how blessed he is to work with the people he’s being allowed to work with, at this point in his career. Check out what they had to say after the jump:

Brad Pitt Joins Steve McQueen’s TWELVE YEARS A SLAVE

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: October 25th, 2011 at 1:30 pm

Steve McQueen‘s adaptation of Solomon Northup’s autobiography Twelve Years a Slave continues to put together a damn fine cast.  Underrated actor Chiwetel Ejiofor signed on in August to play Northup, an educated and married black man living in 1853 New York.  Northup was approached by two men about a job offer in Washington D.C., but when he showed up he was kidnapped and forced into slavery.  A couple weeks ago, Michael Fassbender signed on to the project and now Screen Daily reports [and the The Playlist confirms] that Brad Pitt has joined the picture.

Pitt has been producing the project for several years through his Plan B shingle, however there are currently no details on his acting role.  A successful marketing campaign for Shame should help raise McQueen’s profile and therefore the profile of Slave, but getting a major star like Pitt on board is a major asset when it comes to picking up financing.  The movie should have no trouble finding buyers when it goes to the American Film Market next month.  Hit the jump for a synopsis of a Northup’s autobiography.

Michael Fassbender Reteaming With SHAME Director Steve McQueen for 12 YEARS A SLAVE

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: October 11th, 2011 at 12:18 pm

In what’s turning into quite the fruitful relationship, Michael Fassbender is reteaming with director Steve McQueen for the third time on McQueen’s drama 12 Years a Slave. Fassbender first worked with McQueen on 2008’s Hunger, and most recently collaborated on Shame, which screened at the Toronto Film Festival to highly positive reviews, including raves for Fassbender’s performance (Matt called it “a devastating powerhouse”). Based on the 1853 autobiography of Solomon Northrup, 12 Years a Slave stars Chiwetel Ejiofor as the married and educated free black man living in New York who was kidnapped by two men and put into a slave pen where he lived twelve years under forced slavery. Variety’s report doesn’t specify what role Fassbender will take on, but production is set to begin early next year. Hit the jump to read a synopsis of Northrup’s book.

Brad Pitt Producing Steve McQueen Drama TWELVE YEARS A SLAVE Starring Chiwetel Ejiofor

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: August 16th, 2011 at 1:14 pm

Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained isn’t the only film going into production that’s set to tackle the harsh realities of slavery. Brad Pitt is producing an adaptation of Solomon Northup’s harrowing autobiography Twelve Years a Slave through his Plan B production banner. THR reports that Steve McQueen (Hunger) is on board to direct, and British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor (Salt) will star as Northup. McQueen co-wrote the script with John Ridley.

Written in 1853, the autobiography tells the story of Northup, a married and educated free black man living in New York. He was approached by two men about a job offer in Washington D.C., but when he showed up he was kidnapped and put into a slave pen where he began a life of forced slavery under the guise of several owners. This is definitely some heavy material, as the book recounts the grueling realities of slavery in D.C. in vivid detail. Hit the jump to read a synopsis of the book.

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