Ok, that headline is a tiny bit misleading, even if it is true. Casey Affleck is set to play a character called Stoner, rather than following in Cheech & Chong’s footsteps. He’s taking on the title role of William Stoner in the film adaptation of John Williams’ novel, Stoner.
The novel, ‘follows the hardscrabble life of William Stoner, a dirt-poor farmer turned academic, who emerges as an unlikely existential hero while making his way through the first half of the 20th Century. Williams’ 1965 novel has been praised as “a masterly portrait of a truly virtuous and dedicated man.” (New Yorker) “….so well told and beautifully written, so deeply moving, that it takes your breath away.” (New York Times Book Review)’
Blumhouse Productions, Cohen Media Group (CMG) and Film4 are backing the movie, with Joe Wright (Atonement, Hanna) directing.
“Because the novel is so beautiful but not well-known, fans of Stoner feel like they’re in a secret club. I’m so excited that Casey, Joe and Andrew [Bovell, Screenwrtier] have come aboard to help expand this club’s membership,” comments Blumhouse head honcho, Jason Blum. “This quintessentially American work is being brought to the screen by a terrific international team and we’re confident their combined perspectives will add rich layers to this moving story.”
What happens after you’ve been world-famous in Hollywood, but nobody remembers you anymore? That’s the central idea behind Film Stars Don’t Die In Liverpool, based on the true story of Gloria Grahame, and featuring a great cast including Annette Bening, Jamie Bell, Julie Walters, Vanessa Redgrave, Kenneth Cranham, Stephen Graham, Frances Barber and Leanne Best.
Chadwick Boseman continues his run a playing African-American luminaries as after being Jackie Robinson in 42 and James Brown in Get On Up, he is Thurgood Marshall in this autumn’s Marshall. Although that name probably isn’t that well known outside the US, he’s extremely well-known in America, not least for his involvement in the landmark school desegregation case, Brown v. Board of Education, as well as becoming the first African-American US Supreme Court justice.
There’s a bit of intrigue in Hollywood at the moment. There are rumours that Jared Leto is a bit angry about the announcement that 
If you put Kate Winslet and Jim Broadbent in a movie, you’re probably on to a good thing. The two British acting luminaries are ser to be part of the English voice cast for Mary And The Witch’s Flower, alongside Ewen Bremner, Louis Ashbourne Serkis, Lynda Baron, Rasmus Hardiker, Teresa Gallagher and Morwenna Banks. Ruby Barnhill (The BFG) will be titular Mary, according to 
With DC’s film universe not being the unmitigated critical and commercial success Warner Bros. obviously hoped it would be (the only exception being the all-conquering Wonder Woman), it appears the studio is now looking to how it can explore and use some its iconic characters away from the interconnected universe – even if they’re already involved in that wider series. Indeed, it sounds as is rather than aping the Marvel movies, Warner/DC is now hoping to be more like what Disney/Lucasfilm is doing with Star Wars.
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