Some weekend casting news for you:

  • Oscar Isaac (Drive) has landed the lead in Lincoln Lawyer director Brad Furman’s Pablo Escobar biopic.
  • Glenn Close, Taryn Manning (Hustle & Flow) and Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers have been confirmed to join Low Down, a 1960s-set drama about a jazz musician (John Hawkes) struggling with addiction.
  • Nicolas Cage will star in horror-thriller Hotel 33, based on a “real-life” mass-vanishing that took place at a Pennsylvania hotel.
  • Timothy Olyphant looks set for the role of a border-town sheriff dealing with the aftermath of a cartel deal gone bad in Gonzalo López-Gallego’s crime thriller The Man on Carrion Road.

Hit the jump for more on each project.

Little is known about Furman’s Escobar pic, beyond the fact that it will tell the life’s story of the ruthless Columbian drug kingpin who rose to power in the mid-‘70s. Per Deadline, Furman has been working to get this project off the ground for quite some time. Isaac is a great choice; the Guatemala-born, Florida-raised thesp has been racking up memorable performances in films like Drive, Sucker Punch and The Bourne Legacy, and later this year, plays the title character in Coen Brothers drama Inside Llewyn Davis. But if Entourage has taught us anything (and it probably hasn’t), it’s that a Pablo Escobar biopic can swiftly be sunk by a sub-standard fat suit. Take care, Furman. Matt Aldrich’s script for this as-yet-untitled crime saga previously resided on the esteemed Black List.

Indie Low Down sees Hawkes playing a 1960s jazz man who jams with the likes of Miles Davis, and struggles with addiction. The story unfolds from the perspective of his daughter (Elle Fanning). According to THR, Taryn Manning will play a failed actress with a young daughter and addiction troubles of her own. The roles of Close and Flea are not specified; though it’s a safe bet the latter will get to work with his vaunted bass guitar. Peter Dinklage also stars. All told, it’s a pretty compelling bunch of performers, to which Close, Flea and always lovable hard-luck-case Manning are fine additions. First-timer Jeff Preiss is directing the film, with production currently underway in L.A.

Writer-director Kellie Madison (who scripted Dear Mr. Gacy) will guide Nicolas Cage through the doors of Hotel 33. He’ll play a detective investigating the disappearance of 32 people on the opening night of Williamsport’s Grand Hotel in 1953; when four teens break into the now-abandoned haunt (presumably for drugs and sex and other no-good teen stuff), Cage finds himself having to piece together the mysterious events behind two more missing persons.

Said first-time director Madison about her forthcoming project:

“This is a real-life mystery based on factual events -- a frighteningly look at the nature of evil, exploring and revealing timeless truths about the dark side of human nature, fear and the paranormal and will leave audiences shocked and captivated for years to come.  It’s going to be fantastic!!!!”

That’s a lot of exclamation points; colour me intrigued. Production on the pic gets rolling in September in anticipation of a theatrical release via Open Road Films.

And finally, Timothy Olyphant is attached to play another grizzled, no-nonsense lawman in The Man on Carrion Road. The synopsis pegs it as “the visceral story of a botched Mexican cartel deal in the back roads of a border town. The town's new sheriff (played by Olyphant) must team up with the retired lawman he replaced to investigate the source of the deal in order to stop a mysterious cartel butcher and his systematic brutalization of the town's residents.”

So basically, Raylan Givens hunts Anton Chigurh? Yes, please. No word yet on who will be playing the old sheriff Olyphant joins forces with, but we’re all in agreement it should be Ian McShane, right?

Director Gonzalo López-Gallego is best known in America for helming the critically reviled found-footage-in-space horror film Apollo 18. Encouragingly, though, back in 2007, he made acclaimed Spanish-language thriller King of the Hill. His latest foray into horror, Open Grave, is in post-production now, while The Man on Carrion Road will get rolling this August in Columbia.

You can check out the press releases for Hotel 33 and The Man on Carrion Road below.

NICOLAS CAGE HAS SIGNED TO STAR IN SUPERNATURAL HORROR THRILLER ‘HOTEL 33’

EMMETT/FURLA AND ENVISION ENTERTAINMENTTO PRODUCE

FORESIGHT UNLIMITED TO HANDLE FOREIGN SALESAND INTRODUCE THE PICTURE AT CANNES

Los Angeles, CA (May 10th, 2013) – Following their successful collaboration on 2 GUNS and LONE SURVIVOR, Foresight Unlimited, Envision Entertainment and Emmett/Furla Films are joining forces to produce the surreal thriller HOTEL 33, starring Oscar®-winning actor Nicolas Cage (LEAVING LAS VEGAS), it was announced today by Foresight CEO Mark Damon and Emmett/Furla’s Randall Emmett.

Foresight Unlimited will handle international sales for HOTEL 33, which will be produced by Randall Emmett and George Furla, and executive produced by Envision Entertainment’s Remington Chase, Stepan Martirosyan and Vitaly Grigoriants, and Foresight’s Mark Damon.  Malek Akkad is also an executive producer on the film.

Newcomer Kellie Madison wrote the script and will direct HOTEL 33 which will start production in September 2013.

The film is based on the presumed event surrounding the disappearance of 32 people on the opening night of the Grand Hotel in Williamsport, PA in 1953. While Detective Kaminsky (Nicolas Cage) is investigating the event, four teenagers break into the now-abandoned hotel for a night of festivities. Things soon go awry, and Detective Kaminsky now has to turn his attentions to discovering the mysterious happenings surrounding the strange disappearance of two of the four teenagers.

Open Road Films is distributing the film theatrically in the U.S.

“This is a real-life mystery based on factual events -- a frighteningly look at the nature of evil, exploring and revealing timeless truths about the dark side of human nature, fear and the paranormal and will leave audiences shocked and captivated for years to come.  It’s going to be fantastic!!!!” said Kellie Madison.

“Up-and-coming talent Kellie Madison has done a wonderful job in giving the script a seriously terrifying tone,” commented Mark Damon.  “Nicolas Cage is of course one of the great actors of our time and is perfectly suited to the role of the iconic haunted detective,” he continued.

“This is now the fourth movie Nic and I have worked on together.  He is not only a friend but a true talent and I cannot be more excited to be working with him again,” commented Randall Emmett.

One of Hollywood’s most dynamic and versatile actors, Oscar®-winning actor Nicolas Cage has starred in over 70 films including MOONSTRUCK, where he was nominated for the Golden Globe award for Best Actor in a comedy or musical, Spike Jonze’s ADAPTATION, where he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor and LEAVING LAS VEGAS where he won the Academy Award for Best Actor.  Cage’s upcoming films include David Gordon Green’s southern drama JOE based on Larry Brown’s novel and THE FROZEN GROUND to be released by Lionsgate in late 2013.

Kellie Madison wrote the screenplay for Anchor Bay Entertainment’s DEAR MR. GACY starring William Forsythe (“Boardwalk Empire”) and is based on Jason Moss and Jeffrey Kottler’s New York Times Best Selling book "The Last Victim" about Jason's real-life chilling encounter with infamous serial killer John Wayne Gacy. HOTEL 33 will be her feature film debut.

 

ATLAS INDEPENDENT AND RELATIVITY INTERNATIONAL TO

CO-FINANCE THE MAN ON CARRION ROAD IN TWO PICTURE DEAL.

Relativity to Commence International Sales at Cannes

LOS ANGELES, CA, MAY XX, 2013 – Atlas Independent, the affiliate company of Charles Roven’s Atlas Entertainment and Relativity International, the newly formed international division of Relativity Media are pleased to announce a two picture deal in which Atlas Independent will produce and Relativity International will co-finance and sell internationally. The first film of the two will be the Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego helmed The Man on Carrion Road. Relativity International, led by President Camela Galano, will commence international sales at Cannes.

Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego (Apollo 18) will direct The Man on Carrion Road based on rising screenwriter, Nils Lyew’s, script. Timothy Olyphant is currently attached to star. William Green and Aaron Ginsburg of Atlas Independent will produce. Atlas’ Andy Horwitz will executive produce. Atlas Independent is also currently in post-production on Lopez-Gallego’s feature, Open Grave.

The Man on Carrion Road is the visceral story of a botched Mexican cartel deal in the back roads of a border town. The town's new sheriff (played by Olyphant) must team up with the retired lawman he replaced to investigate the source of the deal in order to stop a mysterious cartel butcher and his systematic brutalization of the town's residents. A gritty and modern thriller, The Man on Carrion Road collides head on with the pathos and hard realities that inhabit life along the border; it's a story that explores the ambitions, difficulties, and consequences that turn men into monsters and monsters into reality.

The Man on Carrion Road will start production at the end of August in Medellin, Columbia.