Casting Net: Liev Schreiber in talks to play Boris Spassky in Bobby Fischer pic. Plus: Common, more

• Liev Schreiber (Ray Donovan) and Peter Sarsgaard (Blue Jasmine) are in talks to star in the Bobby Fischer film Pawn Sacrifice, starring Tobey Maguire as the chess genius. Ed Zwick (Love & Other Drugs, Blood Diamond) is set to direct the movie about Fischer’s historic match against Russian chess champion Boris Spassky (Schreiber). Sarsgaard would take on the role of a priest who helps Fischer get through the trying time. [THR]

• Common (Now You See Me) is in talks to play a trusted hitman in Unknown director Jaume Collet-Serra’s Run All Night, starring Liam Neeson as a former hitman who must take out his old boss (Ed Harris) to protect his family. Common’s character works with Harris. [THR]

• Jason Segel (How I Met Your Mother) is attached to star in a maple syrup heist comedy for Identity Thief director Seth Gordon. Sony Pictures has signed on for the project which will be written by Family Guy alum Chris Sheridan. [Deadline]

• Adewale Akinnuoye Agbaje (Mr. Eko on Lost) will join the big screen musical adaptation of Annie as the bodyguard of Benjamin Stacks (Jamie Foxx). [Deadline]

• Gerard Butler (Olympus Has Fallen) is in talks to star alongside Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game of Thrones) in Gods of Egypt for Dark City director Alex Proyas. The story follows a common thief who teams up with a mythical god. Geoffrey Rush (The King’s Speech) has also signed on to star as the sun god Ra. [Deadline; THR]

• Harrison Gilbertson has joined the cast of the gothic thriller Fallen, an adaptation of Lauren Kate’s YA novel about a strange reform school called Sword and Cross where most of the students are fallen angels. Shine director Scott Hicks is helming the project. [The Wrap]

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