Casting Net: Jennifer Lawrence, Chris Pratt in early talks for sci-fi love story 'Passengers'

Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt have been offered roles in Sony’s new sci-fi love story, Passengers, and are in early talks to join. The film takes place on a spacecraft which is making a journey that will take over a century. Morten Tyldum is very close to closing his directing deal with the film. Lawrence and Pratt are both in the middle of several projects, which might make it difficult to land the deal. [The Hollywood Reporter]
Samuel L. Jackson is in talks to star in the Tim Burton directed, Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children. Eva Green will be playing the titular character and Asa Butterfield (Hugo) a lead. Jackson would play Barron, a key role, but with no details about the charcter. It is adapted from a Ransom Rigg novel and set for a March 4, 2016 release date. [Deadline]
Anthony Hopkins, Al Pacino, Dan Stevens are in final negotiations to star in the legal thriller, Beyond Deceit. The film will tell the story of an ambitious lawyer (to be played by Stevens) who takes on a case against the ruthless executive of a big pharmaceutical company, only to be pulled into a murder case where he is a suspect. Hopkins would play the executive and Pacino the head of the law firm and Stevens’ mentor. Malin Ackerman may be cast as Stevens’ ex-girlfriend who mysteriously returns into his life. Principal photography is planned to begin in March in New Orleans. [The Hollywood Reporter]

Joanne Froggatt (Downton Abbey) has joined Starfish. The drama is inspired by the true life story of a married couple whose love becomes tested when the husband is diagnosed with a rare, and devastating disease. Principal photography is set to start in August. [The Hollywood Reporter]
Morena Baccarin, Taylor Schilling, Crystal Reed, Rebecca Rittenhouse, Sarah Greene, and Jessica De Gouw have all made test deals with 20th Century Fox for the female lead role, opposite Ryan Reynolds, in Deadpool. The film is based on the character he played in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. The character was a smart-mouthed mercenary with cancer who went under military experiments to try and replicate Wolverine’s mutant healing factor. He came away with the ability to heal, but was severly scarred. Deadpool is set for a Feburary 2016 release. [Deadline]

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