A new trailer for Academy Award-winning writer Geoffrey Fletcher’s (Precious) first directing venture Violet & Daisy has been released.  The film centers on two young female assassins, played by Saiorse Ronan (Atonement) and Alexis Bledel (Gilmore Girls), who set out for what they think will be a quick and easy hit, but turns into something much more complicated when their target throws a wrench in the works.  The marketing and posters for the film thus far have seemed to be going for that pulpy and modern pop take on young women in today’s society, like Spring Breakers, but the trailer gives off a tone that seems a bit muddled.  It has elements of quirky comedy and a more serious and dire consequences drama, but not a clear vision that can be derived just from the trailer.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer, and click here to read Matt’s review from TIFF 2011.  The film also stars James Gandolfini, Danny Trejo, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, and Cody Horn.  Violet & Daisy will be released on June 7th.

Here’s a look at the latest casting news:

• Chandler Riggs (The Walking Dead) and Joel Courtney (Super 8) are set to topline the Stephen King adaptation, Mercy, directed by Peter Cornwell (The Haunting in Connecticut) and also starring Frances O’Connor (A.I. Artificial Intelligence).
• Angela Bassett (Malcom X) will join writer/director Gregg Araki’s White Bird in a Blizzard, which also stars Shailene Woodley (The Descendants), Gabourey Sidibe (Precious), Christopher Meloni (Law & Order: SVU), Eva Green (Casino Royale), Shiloh Fernandez (Red Riding Hood) and Mark Indelicato (Ugly Betty).
• Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Without a Trace) has joined director Doug Liman’s All You Need is Kill, starring Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt and Bill Paxton.

Hit the jump for more details on each casting.

The concept of an adorable female assassin is nothing new.  I’m pretty sure that at least half of all anime is based on this premise.  The appeal is that you juxtapose wide-eyed innocence and blood-drenched experience.  However, it’s an idea that’s been done to near-death (see: anime, +50%) and I was curious to see how Oscar-winning screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher (Precious) would handle adorable-assassins in his directorial debut Violet & Daisy.  Fletcher has delivered a script was tons of potential for a fun action-comedy that doesn’t blow the genre apart but manages to do a solid job of staying playful and upbeat with the talented Saoirse Ronan and James Gandolfini selling the dramatic aspects of the story.  Unfortunately, Fletcher is constantly hamstrung by his lack of experience, budgetary constraints, and Alexis Bledel’s lackluster performance.