There’s a lot of breaking news in Hollywood happening every minute. In the age of the blockbuster, it’s easy for some smaller movie and television news to slip through the crack. Last Week in Hollywood is our new weekly series highlighting all the interesting news from the last week that we thought didn’t warrant its own post, but was still worth mentioning. It’s less personal opinions and more a hearty roundup of what you might have missed.
Will Ferrell & More Join Barbie
The cast for Barbie has expanded. Will Ferrell, Issa Rae, Michael Cera, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Rhea Perlman, Ncuti Gatwa, Emerald Fennell, Sharon Rooney, Scott Evans, Ana Cruz Kayne, Connor Swindells, Ritu Arya, and Jamie Demetriou have all joined the cast of the upcoming Warner Bros. film. No word on who any of them are playing, but some sources are stating Ferrell is playing the CEO of a toy company.
Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling lead the cast as Barbie and Ken. Greta Gerwig is directing and co-wrote the script with her husband Noah Baumbach. The film’s plot is under wraps, but it will reportedly involve meta-commetary.
KJ Apa & Isabel May Are The Wonder Twins
KJ Apa (Riverdale) and Isabel May (1883) have been cast as Zan and Jayna, The Wonder Twins, in the upcoming DC comedy film of the same name. The film is being developed as an original film for HBO Max.
The characters made their debut on The All-New Super Friends Hour. Jayna is known for her talent of transforming into an animal, while Zan can take the form of water (yes, really). Black Adam and Rampage co-writer Adam Sztykiel is making his directorial debut on film. He also wrote the script. Production is set to begin this summer in Atlanta.
Peacock Developing New Casper Series
Peacock is developing Casper, a live-action horror/adventure series which is set to reimagine the origin of Casper the Friendly Ghost in “a coming-of-age story that explores what it means to be alive.” Kai Yu Wu will write and executive produce.
“When a new family arrives in the small town of Eternal Falls, Casper finds himself entangled in a mystery uncovering dark secrets that have been buried for over 100 years,” reads the synopsis.
Susan Sarandon to Play Blue Beetle Villain
Susan Sarandon has closed a deal to play villain Victoria Kord in the DC film Blue Beetle. Kord is a new character created for the movie. It is unknown how she relates to Ted Kord, the second Blue Beetle in DC Comics. Sarandon replaces Sharon Stone, who was previously in talks for the role.
Xolo Maridueña is set to star in the lead role of Jaime Reyes / Blue Beetle. Angel Manuel Soto is set to direct from a screenplay by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer. The film hits theaters on August 18, 2023.
Additional Casting Updates
- Olivia Thirlby has been added to the cast of Christopher Nolan‘s Oppenheimer. | Deadline
- Levi Miller (Pan) has joined Kraven the Hunter, the upcoming Sony / Marvel film based on the character of the same name. | Deadline
- Justin Bartha, who co-starred in the two theatrical National Treasure films, is set to reprise his role as Riley Poole, a computer expert, resident genius, and best friend of Nicolas Cage’s Benjamin Franklen Gates, in the upcoming Disney+ series. It will be a guest appearance. | TVLine
That’s it for the last week. What projects mentioned are you interested in seeing once completed? Tell us down in the comments!
