We’ve got a trio of interesting casting developments to address this afternoon. Briefly:
- Aaron Sorkin’s The Newsroom star Jeff Daniels is being eyed to play Apple CEO John Sculley in the Sorkin-penned Steve Jobs biopic.
- Zero Dark Thirty actor Edgar Ramirez is in final negotiations to join Jennifer Lawrence in director David O. Russell’s next film, Joy.
- Susan Sarandon and Kathy Bates have been added to the increasingly fantastic cast for Mommy director Xavier Dolan’s English-language debut, The Death and Life of John F. Donovan.
More on the aforementioned casting after the jump.
Per The Wrap, Jeff Daniels is being eyed to join the cast of director Danny Boyle’s Steve Jobs biopic, which was written by Aaron Sorkin. Michael Fassbender has closed his deal to play the Apple innovator, Seth Rogen is set to co-star as Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, and while Natalie Portman was possibly looking to play the film’s female lead, she ultimately passed on the picture. Nevertheless, things are moving along to start production early next year, and Daniels is apparently considered to be Boyle’s top choice to play John Sculley, who was the CEO of Apple from 1983 to 1993 and with whom Sorkin met while doing research for the picture. This biopic has had a bit of a rocky road to production, but with Universal's backing it looks like things are moving forward full-steam ahead.
Additionally, Deliver Us from Evil and Carlos actor Edgar Ramirez has been cast in a significant role in the next film from American Hustle director David O. Russell, Joy. The story revolves around the woman who invented the Miracle Mop with Jennifer Lawrence set in the lead as Joy Mangano, and THR reports that Ramirez will be playing Mangano’s philandering husband, whom she eventually divorces. Robert De Niro is also onboard to play Mangano’s father, and Russell has said he’s writing a role for frequent collaborator Bradley Cooper as well, though his casting isn't yet official. Ramirez recently wrapped the Point Break remake, in which he plays Patrick Swayze’s role of Bodhi. Joy opens in theaters on December 25, 2015.
Finally, French-Canadian filmmaker Xavier Dolan continues to put together a stellar cast for his English-language debut, The Death and Life of John F. Donovan. The drama tells the story of a fictional actor (Kit Harington) famous for playing a Marvel-style superhero whose life and career are turned upside down when his privte correspondence with an 11-year-old fan is exposed and made to look indecent. Jessica Chastain plays the film’s antagonist, a gossip columnist who jumps on the story, and THR reports that Susan Sarandon and Kathy Bates are now set to play Harington’s mother and manager, respectively. The Hollywood satire starts production in spring 2015 in London, New York, Miami, and Montreal.
