Tag Archives: cast

South Park creators are doing a Broadway musical

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Matt Stone and Trey Parker, aka the creators of South Park, are writing a musical…for Broadway!  The plot does not revolve around Kyle, Stan, Cartman, and Kenny.  Stone and Parker are finalizing a story “about a pair of mismatched Mormon boys sent on a mission to a place that’s about as far from Salt Lake City as you can get.”  This is an elaborate musical they’ve been working on for the last five years.  And if you’re a fan of the brilliantly raunchy duo you should know that they hold a special place in their hearts for musicals.  Their very first feature film was Cannibal! The Musical (1993), and this was followed by Orgasmo (1997) which they say “should have been a musical”–they wrote it that way.  And although South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut (1999) and Team America (2004) were not billed as musicals, Stone and Parker admit that they not-so-subtlety injected tunes into them because they just couldn’t help it.  If you’re an avid South Park fan I’m sure by now you’ve picked up on the creators’ passion for musicals.  With all that said, it shouldn’t come to a surprise that these guys are living their dream by actually making a live musical for Broadway.

Josh Gad (The Daily Show With Jon Stewart) and Andrew Rannells (Jersey Boys) are set to play the two male leads.  Other cast members include Nikki M. James, Rory O’Malley, and Michael Potts.  The Book of Mormon‘s music and lyrics are by Stone, Parker and Robert Lopez, the showrunner for Broadway’s long-running puppet show Avenue Q.  Stone and choreographer Casey Nicholaw will direct.  Preview performances begin February 24, 2011 in New York at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre and opening night is expected to roll around in late March.  Get your tickets now before they go on sale to the public at large!  Look after the break to hear Stone and Parker talk about the show.  You know it’s gonna be pure adulterated gutbusting insanity.

[Via SouthParkStudios] Continue reading South Park creators are doing a Broadway musical →

The Muppets are coming back to the big screen in a big way

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Here’s your very first glimpse into the first Muppets movie made for the big screen in eleven long years.  Take it all in…

Now let’s talk deets.  James Bobin (of Flight of the Conchords fame) is set to direct and Jason Segel (I Love You, Man, How I Met Your Mother) will executive produce, write (with Nicholas Stoller), and star in the film.  Segel happens to be a big fan of Jim Henson and his furry creations.  “We’ve worked really hard to stay true to the original spirit of the Muppets,” said Segel.  “We’ve missed the same thing everyone else has been missing.”  Here’s a leaked synopsis:

The Greatest Muppet Movie of All Time is about Gary, Mary, and Walter (a man, his girlfriend, and the man’s life-long nondescript, brown puppet best friend) getting the old Muppet gang — now retired entertainers known for the same Muppet show we know them from — together to save the TV studio that the original show was shot in. A villain, Tex Richman (nice name, on par with Doc Hopper), bent on drilling for oil underneath the studio, is due to take over the studio in weeks and the only way to stop him? Putting on a show that draws ten million viewers.

Segel will star as the human lead Gary, Amy Adams is Mary, and Walter–who happens to be a brand new Muppet addition–will be voiced by Paul Rudd.  (FYI, Walter is the iPhone-wielding Muppet in the image above.)  Tex the antagonist will be voiced by Chris Cooper.  Rashida Jones is locked in, too.  Beyond that almost all the other information surrounding this movie is pure speculation.  But let’s add to that conversation!  Other potential guest voices include: Kristen Schaal, Jack Black, Donald Glover, Jane Lynch, Danny Trejo, Zach Galifianakis, and Lady Gaga.  And guess who’s rumored to play Gaga’s entourage?  John Krasinski (The Office), Ed Helms (The Hangover), and Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family).  Yeah.  This might just turn out to be the greatest Muppet movie of all time after all.

Production started in September, and Disney plans to release it wide Christmas 2011.

[Via EW; CinemaBlend; TheFilmStage]

Spielberg’s ‘Terra Nova’ selects series regulars, ready for production

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FOX is ready to push forward with the Steven Spielberg/Peter Chernin sci-fi drama Terra Nova.  The series regulars have been cast and they are: Jason O’Mara (Life on Mars; who will play lead Jim Shannon), Shelley Conn (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; Elizabeth Shannon), Allison Miller (Boston Legal; Skye), Mido Hamada (he was baddie Samir Mehran from the last season of 24), Landon Liboiron (Degrassi: The Next Generation), and Christine Adams (The Whole Truth, Pushing Daisies).  According to EW, Adams will play “a battle-hardened resident of Terra Nova who gets to know the Shannon family.”  And here’s a bit of disappointing news.  24 alum David Fury–who was signed on as executive producer with pal Jon Cessar–has left the show due to “creative differences.”

Terra Nova follows Jim Shannon, a man who is sent back in time to prehistoric Earth with family in an attempt to save the human race.  Production begins next week in Australia.  The show premieres next fall, but FOX plans to preview the pilot this May.

[Via EW; IGN]

It’s (finally) official: Peter Jackson will direct ‘The Hobbit’ [Update: Martin Freeman cast as Bilbo]

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Peter Jackson, the man who helmed the Lord of the Rings trilogy movie adaptations will be back to direct the two-part prequel series The Hobbit.  Originally Jackson was going to serve as executive producer with Guillermo del Toro as director.  But when MGM’s financial woes forced production delays del Toro decided to back out of the project leaving the director spot open for some time.  Since the beginning of last summer it had been rumored that Jackson would take control of the reigns again, and today Warner Bros., New Line Cinema, and MGM finally confirmed it.  In a statement Jackson said, “Exploring Tolkien’s Middle-earth goes way beyond a normal film-making experience.  It’s an all-immersive journey into a very special place of imagination, beauty and drama.  We’re looking forward to re-entering this wondrous world with Gandalf and Bilbo – and our friends at New Line Cinema, Warner Brothers and MGM”.

The Hobbit will be cut up into two parts (as originally planned by del Toro) and will be shot in 3D.  Principal photography begins in February 2011.  Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis, and Hugo Weaving are locked in to reprise their roles as Gandalf, Gollum and Elrond, respectively.  It has not been confirmed whether or not Ian Holm will return to star as Bilbo Baggins.

Update (10/21): Casting news!  Martin Freeman (The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Hot Fuzz) is Bilbo Baggins.  The following actors comprise Bilbo’s Company of Dwarves who set forth to reclaim a treasure from a dangerous dragon: Richard Armitage (MI-5, Captain America: The First Avenger) is Thorin Oakenshield, leader of the Company of Dwarves; Aidan Turner (Being Human) and Rob Kazinsky (EastEnders) will play Kili and Fili; Graham McTavish (Secretariat) is Dwalin, John Callen (Power Rangers Jungle Fury) is Oin; Stephen Hunter (All Saints) is Bombur, Mark Hadlow (King Kong) is Dori, and Peter Hambleton (The Strip) is Gloin.

Peter Jackson on Freeman as Baggins: “Despite the various rumors and speculation surround this role, there has only ever been one Bilbo Baggins for us.  There are a few times in your career when you come across an actor who you know was born to play a role, but that was the case as soon as I met Martin.  He is intelligent, funny, surprising and brave — exactly like Bilbo and I feel incredibly proud to be able to announce that he is our Hobbit.”

[Via EW; Wiki; Deadline]

Sarah Waynes Callies joins AMC’s The Walking Dead

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So we already know–AMC is taking Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead, a highly acclaimed comic book series about a world run by zombies, and bring it to television.  Main protagonist Rick Grimes and his partner Shane have already been cast with Andrew Lincoln and Jon Bernthal filling in their shoes, respectively.  And now Rick’s wife has been chosen.  Prison Break‘s Sarah Waynes Callies will be Lori Grimes, the female lead.  It’s all starting to come together now, and man did I just get even more excited about this show!  Callies rocked it as Dr. Sara Tendredit on Prison Break and I can’t wait to see her become a zombie killin’ machine come this October.

Other cast additions include Laurie Holden who will play Andrea, one of the human survivors, and Steven Yeun as Glenn.

[Via EW-Ausiello Files; IGN]