Here's the latest casting information for the following films:

  • J.K. Simmons is in talks to join Alan Taylor's Terminator: Genesis, starring Emilia Clarke, Jason Clarke, Jai Courtney, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.  The film opens July 1, 2015.
  • Aubrey Plaza is set to lead Hal Hartley's dark comedy, Ned Rifle.
  • Adeel Akhtar will play Smee to Garrett Hedlund's Hook in Joe Wright's Pan.

Hit the jump for more on each project.

aubrey plaza ned rifle

First up from Heat Vision is news that Simmons is in talks to join Terminator: Genesis, the reboot of the popular sci-fi franchise about a cyborg assassin from a war-torn future where mankind fights back against machines.  Emilia Clarke stars as Sarah Connor, the target of the Terminator in the original film since she was the mother of resistance fighter, John Connor, who is played by Jason Clarke in this version.  Courtney plays Kyle Reese, a time-traveling freedom fighter who attempts to save Sarah Connor from the title bot.  Simmons is said to be playing "a weary and alcoholic detective who has followed a bizarre case involving Sarah Connor and robots for more than three decades."

The Wrap reports that Akhtar will star alongside Hedlund in Wright's Peter Pan picture, Pan.  Hugh Jackman stars as Blackbeard and Rooney Mara is in talks to play Tiger Lily.  Smee, played by Bob Hoskins in Hook, is a pirate who serves as Captain Hook's right-hand man.  Wright's casting a rather diverse collection of actors for his Peter Pan story, which tells of how "a young orphan boy from London is spirited away to the magical Neverland where he finds grand adventures that shape him into the hero known to generations as Peter Pan."

Finally, Variety reports that Plaza will lead Ned Rifle, the final chapter in Hartley's trilogy that includes 1997′s Henry Fool and 2007′s Fay Grim.  Plaza will play Susan, the long lost flame of Henry Fool.  Thomas Jay Ryan (Henry Fool), Parker Posey (Fay Grim), Liam Aiken, and James Urbaniak reprise their original roles.  The film also stars Martin Donovan, Karen Sillas, Robert John Burke and William Sage.  Production is scheduled to begin next month in New York City.