It would seem that movie casting news for Young Adult Hollywood revolves around just a few hot and very in-demand names, and what a busy bunch they are! But because things change in showbiz faster than it takes them to fast track another young adult series into production, the names on that list are changing all the time. So to that end, we here at YA Mag will undertake the hefty task of keeping you up to date on who’s playing what, who’s hot, and who’s not. The roles and stars everyone can’t stop talking about are all here!
First and foremost, some mighty interesting superhero news: The list of actresses being considered to play a young Jean Grey (formerly portrayed by the hypnotic Famke Janssen) in X-Men: Apocalypse sounds like a casting director’s dream. Chloe Grace Moretz, Elle Fanning, Hailee Steinfeld have all been mentioned, but that’s not the only casting race linked with this film. Ben Hardy, Charlie Rowe, and Timothee Chalamet are the actors currently being reviewed for the role of young Cyclops, formerly belonging to James Marsden. And to confirm an earlier rumor: Channing Tatum has recently been cast as Gambit. We can’t wait!
Melissa McCarthy as Tinkerbell?? We’re not sure, but she is attached to an in-development title involving the Peter Pan character, rumored to be a fresh take on the classic tale… McCarthy is also producing, for 20th Century Fox.
Djimon Hounsou is in talks to appear in director Guy Ritchie’s Knights of the Roundtable: King Arthur as Sir Bedivere, a role freed up when Idris Elba dropped out. Djimon would join Charlie Hunnam as Arthur and Astrid Berges-Frisbey (I, Origins) as Guinevere, as well as Jude Law, who is in talks to play a yet-to-be-named villain.
Original Hunger Games alum Alexander Ludwig is joining Go With Me, a thriller about a young woman (Julia Stiles) who seeks the aid of a rough former logger to help confront her terrorizing stalker.
The awesome YA cast of Jason Dohring, Jesse Metcalfe, Cory Hardrict, La La Anthony, Margot Bingham, Mo McRae, Rob Riley, and Zulay Henao have all been announced for indie drama Destined, centering on a pivotal moment in a 13-year-old boy’s life that branches off into two hypothetical scenarios: one in which he becomes an up-and-coming architect being coerced into gentrifying and destroying his old neighborhood, and one in which he becomes an influential crimelord who rules his surroundings but may regret his actions.
Rebel Wilson and Jack Johnson are attached to star in comedy The Social Life, currently being retooled by the writers of The Fault in Our Stars. The film follows a Facebook-stalking expert who uses her abilities to help her friends weed out losers, but when she finds the perfect man, a Cyrano de Bergerac tale ensues.
The remake of 1977 film Pete’s Dragon continues to take shape, with Bryce Dallas Howard in early talks to land the female lead role. The film will follow a lonely orphan named Pete who escapes from an abusive foster family and arrives in a small fishing village in Maine, where he befriends a dragon named Elliott. The original movie is a musical, but this time around we can expect more of a straight narrative.
IN DEVELOPMENT
The reboots continue: even though we’re a good 30 years on, Sony is working on a new 1984,based on the iconic dystopian novel by George Orwell. The story focuses on a man whose job is to rewrite history and the struggles he endures to maintain his autonomy under the oppressive watchful eye of Big Brother.
A family friendly update of classic YA Robinson Crusoe is also in the works, describing the travails of an island survivor and the help he receives from a family of fun-loving animals.
Not only will we have a film version of Goosebumps; get ready for the much darker big screen adaptation of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark! Based on the popular children’s series, the horror flick will center on a group of kids who face their fears in order to save their town.
And lastly, the 90s renaissance has officially hit full-throttle: a high school dance comedy/musical set in the 90s has been announced, and it’s being called Can’t Touch This. Rad!
Melissa McCarthy as Tinkerbell?? We’re not sure, but she is attached to an in-development title involving the Peter Pan character, rumored to be a fresh take on the classic tale… McCarthy is also producing, for 20th Century Fox.
Djimon Hounsou is in talks to appear in director Guy Ritchie’s Knights of the Roundtable: King Arthur as Sir Bedivere, a role freed up when Idris Elba dropped out. Djimon would join Charlie Hunnam as Arthur and Astrid Berges-Frisbey (I, Origins) as Guinevere, as well as Jude Law, who is in talks to play a yet-to-be-named villain.
Original Hunger Games alum Alexander Ludwig is joining Go With Me, a thriller about a young woman (Julia Stiles) who seeks the aid of a rough former logger to help confront her terrorizing stalker.
Rebel Wilson and Jack Johnson are attached to star in comedy The Social Life, currently being retooled by the writers of The Fault in Our Stars. The film follows a Facebook-stalking expert who uses her abilities to help her friends weed out losers, but when she finds the perfect man, a Cyrano de Bergerac tale ensues.
The remake of 1977 film Pete’s Dragon continues to take shape, with Bryce Dallas Howard in early talks to land the female lead role. The film will follow a lonely orphan named Pete who escapes from an abusive foster family and arrives in a small fishing village in Maine, where he befriends a dragon named Elliott. The original movie is a musical, but this time around we can expect more of a straight narrative.