Some more casting news for you today:

  • Jessica Brown Findlay (Downton Abbey) will join Daniel Radcliffe and James McAvoy in Paul McGuigan's untitled Frankenstein project set up at 20th Century Fox.
  • Olivia Thirlby (Dredd) has joined Jeremy Garelick's untitled comedy starring Kevin Hart and Josh Gad.
  • Jim Broadbent (Cloud Atlas), Ray Stevenson (Thor) and more join Big Game, written and directed by Jalmari Helander and starring Samuel L. Jackson.
  • Step Up 5 has released its full cast, which includes returning stars Ryan Guzman and Briana Evigan.

Hit the jump for more on each film.

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First up from Variety is word that Findlay will star in the untitled Frankenstein project.  Max Landis (Chronicle) scripted the film, but no plot details are known as of yet.  Radcliffe stars as Igor to McAvoy's Victor Von Frankenstein.

The Wrap reports that Thirlby will join Garelick's untitled comedy.  "Hart stars as Jimmy, who provides best-man services for socially challenged grooms who have no close friends willing to stand by them on their wedding day.  Gad will play Doug, a groom-to-be who fabricates not just his best man, but his nine groomsmen as well. Together they must carry out a charade that is designed to make Doug look his best but threatens to destroy everything if it fails."  The picture also stars Kaley Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory) Doug's self-important fiancee; Thirlby will play her sister, who becomes attracted to Jimmy. Affion Crockett (Never Back Down) also stars as a fake groomsman.

Here's the press release for Big Game:

FURTHER CAST ANNOUNCED TO STAR ALONGSIDE SAMUEL L. JACKSON IN JALMARI HELANDER’S “BIG GAME” 

Toronto, 11 September 2013 … Principal photography will commence from 12 September on action adventure film BIG GAME, written and directed by Jalmari Helander (Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale)As previously announced, Samuel L. Jackson will star as the President of The United States, alongside Onni Tommila (Rare Exports) as his unexpected 13-year old sidekick. New cast additions include British talent Jim Broadbent (Iris, The Iron Lady) and Ray Stevenson (Thor, GI Joe: Retaliation) and, from Germany, Mehmet Kurtulus (Short Sharp Shock). 

An adrenaline-fuelled action adventure, BIG GAME will shoot for eight weeks on locations across Bavaria and at Bavaria Film Studios.

BIG GAME tells the story of Oskari (Tommila), a shy, nervous 13-year old boy. Like his forefathers, his time has come to take a test of manhood by spending one day and one night alone in the wilderness of a vast local forest.  Armed only with a bow and arrow, his task is to return with a prize to prove himself.   But this is no ordinary night; Air Force One is shot down by terrorists and Oskari discovers the President of the United States (Jackson) in an escape pod. Now the fate of the most powerful man in the world lies in his hands. With the terrorists closing in, Oskari and the President must team up to survive the most extraordinary 24 hours of their lives.

Based on a story by Jalmari Helander and Petri Jokiranta, BIG GAME combines the universal rite-of-passage theme of iconic 80's films, such as E.T. and The Karate Kid with the visceral thrill of high-concept action classics such as Die Hard and Taken. The Director of Photography is Mika Orasmaa (Rare Exports, Iron Sky) with Scanline VFX (Marvel’s Avengers Assemble, Iron Man) on board for all special effects.

As director and co-writer, Jalmari Helander comments: “BIG GAME is an action adventure story on an epic scale. I’m delighted to be taking this genre on as it has always been very close to my heart, as action-packed adventure stories contain the elements that I believe make movies that are worth watching.”

A Finnish-German-UK co-production, Petri Jokiranta will produce under the Subzero banner, alongside Will Clarke and Andy Mayson for Altitude Film Entertainment, with Jens Meurer of Egoli Tossell Film as the German producer. Alex Garland (28 Days Later, Dredd) is executive producer. Financiers include: Finnish Film Foundation; YLE; Nordisk Film & TV Fond; Visionplus Fund; Bavarian Film Partners; Bavarian Film and Television Fund (FFFBayern); German Federal Film Fund (DFFF), along with Comerica Bank Entertainment Group and KfW Bankengruppe.

BIG GAME is the first international project to have received backing from FFF Bayern’s special programme for international co-productions. 

Altitude Film Sales is handling worldwide sales, with Altitude and WME jointly representing the North American rights. Entertainment One has taken all rights to the film for the UK, Ascot Elite for all German-speaking territories and Nordisk for Scandinavia. 

http://www.facebook.com/BigGameMovie

And here's the full line-up for Step Up 5:

Summit Entertainment, a LIONSGATE® company, announced today that Ryan Guzman and Briana Evigan will star in STEP UP 5.  The film is being directed by Trish Sie from a script written by John Swetnam.  Adam Shankman and Jennifer Gibgot are producing via their Offspring Entertainment banner.  Offspring’s Matt Smith is executive producing.  Principal photography begins September 19th in Vancouver and Las Vegas.

In addition to Guzman and Evigan, several actors and dancers from the previous installments of STEP UP are returning to reprise their roles in the fifth film in Summit’s franchise.  The full list of returning cast is as follows:

  • Sean:  Ryan Guzman (STEP UP: REVOLUTION)
  • Andie:  Briana Evigan  (STEP UP 2 THE STREETS)
  • Moose:  Adam Sevani (STEP UP 2 THE STREETS, STEP UP 3-D, STEP UP: REVOLUTION)
  • Eddy:  Misha Gabriel (STEP UP: REVOLUTION)
  • Camille:  Alyson Stoner (STEP UP, STEP UP 3-D)
  • Jason:  Stephen 'tWitch' Boss (STEP UP 3-D, STEP UP: REVOLUTION)
  • Jenny Kido:  Mari Koda (STEP UP 2 THE STREETS, STEP UP 3-D, STEP UP: REVOLUTION)
  • Hair:  Chris Scott (STEP UP 2 THE STREETS, STEP UP 3-D)
  • Monster:  Luis Rosado (STEP UP 2 THE STREETS, STEP UP 3-D)
  • Vladd aka Robot Guy:  Chadd Smith (STEP UP 3-D, STEP UP: REVOLUTION)
  • The Santiago Twins:  Martin Lombard & Facundo Lombard (STEP UP 3-D)

THE MOB (dancers)

  • Marc 'Marvelous' Inniss (STEP UP: REVOLUTION)
  • Nolan Padilla (STEP UP: REVOLUTION)
  • Phillip Chbeeb (STEP UP: REVOLUTION)
  • Bianca Brewton (STEP UP: REVOLUTION)
  • Tony Bellissimo ( STEP UP 3-D, STEP UP: REVOLUTION)
  • Josue 'Beastmode' Figueroa (STEP UP 3-D, STEP UP: REVOLUTION)
  • Brandy Lamkim (STEP UP 2 THE STREETS, STEP UP: REVOLUTION)

Erik Feig, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group’s President of Production, Meredith Milton, Summit’s Executive Vice President of Production, and Jina Jones, Lionsgate’s Director of Development, will oversee the project for the studio.