Casting Bits: Scoot McNairy In ‘Argo;’ Nick Frost ‘Ice Age 4;’ Kevin James And Emily Watson In ‘Little Boy’
Sometimes there’s no way to make a casting roundup conform to any sort of sense. Such is the case here, as we’ve got info on a wild reality-based political thriller set in 1979, an animated sequel, and an indie family drama with a very unlikely cast. In other words, after the break you’ll find info on:
There was a point a few months ago whereScoot McNairy, one of the two leads of Gareth Edwards' filmMonsters, waspeggedas the Next Big Thing, with a bunch of possible projects supposedly in the wings. That seemed to fizzle out a bit — that report was perhaps a little PR blast that failed to really make an impact. But now the actor has a new role, and in one of the films that we’re really starting to anticipate, too.
McNairy will be inArgo, the film thatBen Affleckisdirecting and starring inbased on the true story of a CIA effort to extract hostages from Tehran in 1979. The hook: the agents posed as a movie crew making a big-budget sci-fi film. We don’t know his role, but do know that he’ll work alongsideBryan Cranston,John GoodmanandAlan Arkin. That’s good company to keep! Scoot McNairy also recently shot a role in another one of our highly anticipated films for the year, Andrew Dominik’sCogan’s Trade, so he’s not doing too poorly at all. [Variety]
It’s a total non-sequitur that brings us fromArgotoIce Age: Continental Drift, which has just added the voices ofNick Frost,JB Smoove,Joy Behar,Heather Morris,Josh Gad,Alan Tudyk,Kunal Nayyar,Nicki MinajandAlain Chabat. They join an already sizable voice cast that includesRay Romano,Queen Latifah,Denis Leary,Jeremy Renner,John Leguizamo,Sean William Scott,Aziz Ansari,Wanda Sykes,Keke Palmer,Jennifer Lopez,DrakeandJosh Peck. I dare you to keep that cast straight.
The film is being directed bySteve MartinoandMike Thurmeier, and all trade reports offer by way of story is that " Scrat’s pursuit of an acorn has world-changing consequences that help Sid (Leguizamo) reunite with his long lost family. The rest of the gang, meanwhile, tries to make their way home despite roadblocks from a determined menagerie of colorful characters." In other words, it’s anIce Agemovie, with all that entails. [Variety]
Let’s take one more left turn to report on an indie calledLittle Boythat has assembled a peculiar cast.
Kevin James,Emily Watson,Ben Chaplin, andDavid Henrieare all attached to the U.S./Mexican co-production that is called “a family drama set in small-town America in the early days of WWII. It revolves around an 8-year-old with developmental problems. His only friend is his father, and with his departure to war, the troubled boy is forced to confront the cruelty of schoolmates and others.”
It’s easy to make jokes about Kevin James movies likeZookeeper, but I’m happy to see him diving into something that is the complete opposite of that film. We’ll be looking forward to seeing how this one turns out. If he ends up in thisand the new Charlie Kaufman film, it’ll be like watching a minor seismic shift.
Oh, and the 8-year old inLittle Boywill be played byJakob Salvati, a new talent found via a nationwide casting search.Alejandro Monteverde(Bella) will direct. [Variety]
