Here's today's latest casting news:

  • David Oyelowo (Jack Reacher) will join A Most Violent Year, director J.C. Chandor's new film which recently replaced Javier Bardem with Oscar Isaac starring opposite Jessica Chastain.
  • Matthias Schoenaerts (Rust and Bone) will lead Galveston, an adaptation of the 2010 novel from Nic Pizzolatto to be directed by Janus Metz.
  • Kristen Stewart (The Twilight Saga) has joined Still Alice along with Alec Baldwin (30 Rock) and Kate Bosworth (Superman Returns).  Based on the Lisa Genova novel of the same name, Still Alice stars Julianne Moore and is directed by Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland.
  • Chris Colfer (Glee) and Ron Perlman (Pacific Rim) will lend their voices to Robodog, Marza Animation Planet Inc.’s first original 3D CG animated film which will be directed by the Oscar-nominated Henry F. Anderson III (Stuart Little).

Hit the jump for more on each project.

david-oyelowo-a-most-violent-year

First up from THR is news that Oyelowo is the latest addition to A Most Violent Year.  The 1981 New York period pic revolves around "an American immigrant (Isaac) and his wife (Chastain) trying to expand their business as violence and corruption threaten to destroy all they have built" during one of the city's most violent winters.  The thriller is expected to start filming tomorrow.

Deadline reports that Schoenaerts will lead Galveston, with a script adapted from his own novel by Pizzolatto.  The story centers on "Roy 'Big Country' Cady [who] is diagnosed with a terminal illness the same day he discovers his loan-sharking bar owning boss wants to kill him. He gets the better end of an ambush by the boss’s gun-toting cronies, but he takes two sisters he finds hiding in the apartment with him and makes a run for Galveston. That proves to be a bad call."  The search for the female lead is ongoing.

The Wrap reports the additional cast members of Still Alice, in which Moore stars "as a renowned psychologist who discovers she’s suffering from early onset Alzheimer’s disease.  Stewart will play Moore’s youngest daughter, who bonds with her mother during her illness in a way they never did before."

robodog

Here's the press release from Anderson III's feature directorial debut Robodog, along with the film's first image of the two lead characters:

CHRIS COLFER AND RON PERLMAN TO VOICE LEAD CHARACTERS IN MARZA ANIMATION PLANET’S 3D CG FILM ‘ROBODOG’

TIMELESS FILMS TO HANDLE INTERNATIONAL RIGHTS

Tokyo, Japan (January 28, 2014) – Golden Globe winners Chris Colfer (Fox’s “Glee,” STRUCK BY LIGHTNING) and Ron Perlman (HELLBOY, PERCY JACKSON: SEA OF MONSTERS, TANGLED) will lend their voices to Marza Animation Planet Inc.’s first original 3D CG animated film, ROBODOG, to be directed by Oscar nominated Henry F. Anderson III (STUART LITTLE, GNOMEO & JULIET), it was announced today by Marza’s CEO, Masanao Maeda.

Written by Robert Reece (THE LITTLE MERMAID: ARIEL’S BEGINNING) and William Schneider, ROBODOG is produced by Paul Wang (ASTRO BOY) and will be edited by studio veteran Tom Finan (DreamWorks’ upcoming MR. PEABODY & SHERMAN).

Currently in pre-production with voiceover work set to start on February 1st, UK-based Timeless Films is handling international rights to the project, and will present it to buyers at next month’s European Film Market in Berlin.

ROBODOG is a classic, heart-warming adventure story about an unlikely duo who couldn't be more different. KC (Kinetic Canine) (Colfer) is a bright, energetic but overzealous robotic dog, while MARSHALL (Perlman) is an old, curmudgeonly "real" dog, set in his ways and has little patience for anything new.  This canine odd couple embarks on the adventure of a lifetime where each will learn the true nature of friendship, and not to judge a book by its cover.

“We are absolutely ecstatic that Chris has chosen ROBODOG as his first foray into animation. Coupled with Ron’s extraordinary voiceover work, the duo’s talent will make for great chemistry onscreen. Timeless Films is by far the perfect fit for the project due to their expertise in both producing and selling animated films overseas,” said Maeda.

“We are thrilled to be working with Marza and the production team on this wonderfully original film and look forward to presenting it to all of our international distribution partners in Berlin,” said Ralph Kamp, Chairman and CEO of Timeless Films.

"Chris and Ron are the perfect actors to play KC and Marshall as their voices exemplify the qualities of each character. Chris has an appealing, youthful voice which fits right in with our lead character, KC, who is above all a charismatic entertainer. Ron's voice demands authority, but also has a soft, vulnerable side which works very well for Marshall who comes across as a grouch, but is really a sensitive dog dealing with his past,” said Anderson.

"The kid in me is barely being contained right now. I'm so happy to get the chance to work on my first animated film with this wonderful team,” said Colfer.

Colfer won a Golden Globe and has been nominated for two Emmys and a Screen Actors Guild Award for his ongoing role as Kurt Hummel in Fox's popular TV series, "Glee." He also wrote and starred in "Struck By Lightning," which was directed by Brian Dannelly, and also starred Allison Janney, Christina Hendricks and Dermot Mulroney. The film was released theatrically by Tribeca Film in 2013. Colfer is also an established author. His series of children's books began with "The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell" which debuted at #1 on the New York Times Best Seller List in the summer of 2012. He voiced over 80 different characters for the audiobook version, and is currently working on the 3rd and 4th installments.

Perlman has done extensive voiceover work in feature animated films and television series including providing the voice for the Stabbington Brothers in Disney’s hugely successful Oscar nominated hit TANGLED. He most recently lent his voice to 20thCentury Fox’s PERCY JACKSON: SEA OF MONSTERS and can next be heard in THE BOOK OF LIFE co-starring the voices of Channing Tatum, Zoe Saldana and Christina Applegate and produced by Guillermo del Toro, coming to theatres in October 2014. His other credits include PACIFIC RIM, HELL BOY and FX’s “Sons of Anarchy.”