Jackman Film Role Rumors

[jo]

Another budding film producers/investors, this time from Russia, are interested in Hugh Jackman to play the title role of Tamerlane --

www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/russian-orthodox-philanthropists-set-their-sights-on-hollywood/505548.html

Russian Orthodox philanthropists are set to finance a wide range of Russian-themed Hollywood films, Izvestia reported Wednesday.

Among the first of these films may be a Hollywood adaptation about Tamerlane the Great, a Turko-Mongol conqueror.

Andrei Poklonsky, chairman of the "Russian Club of Orthodox Philanthropists," said in comments to Izvestia that work on the film's script was already underway by Hollywood screenwriters.

The script "blends together a captivating premise, strong characters and major drama," Poklonsky said, adding that "X-Men" producer Ralph Winter had already expressed an interest in the project. The search is on for a director.

American actor Hugh Jackman is being considered for the role of Tamerlane, according to Izvestia.


But the buck doesn't stop with Tamerlane. According to the report, the group is also looking to invest 100 million rubles into the creation of a biopic about Vladimir Svyatoslavich, the prince of Novgorod and ruler of Kievan Rus' from 980 to 1015.

The "Russian Club of Orthodox Philanthropists," established in 2003, unites Orthodox entrepreneurs from various business spheres. Members of the club contribute regularly to the restoration and reconstruction of Orthodox cathedrals and churches, and also donate to children's orphanages, Izvestia reported.

Who is Tamerlane? The name sounds faintly familiar to me as a historical warrior figure from Asia, like Genghis Khan.

www.silk-road.com/artl/timur.shtml


This could be really interesting for Hugh -- a historical biopic of a great warrior!


Jo

[foxie]

Good for him I want a romantic comedy!

[jo]

Edgar Allan Poe wrote a poem about him --

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamerlane_(poem)


And parts of the poem itself --

www.eapoe.org/works/poems/tamerlna.htm


Tamerlane must have been a romantic figure as a warrior and as a person to have inspired a remarkable man of letters!

[birchie]

Not sure how I feel about him playing this character or doing another action/adventure type role, even if it's a historical one. I second the vote for a romantic comedy. I'm so ready for him to do anything romantic at this point even a dramatic romance would be good. As long as there's good writing behind it.

As for Timur, wiki has a very long piece here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timur
which includes...

The look would be pretty good but, give me romance or give me death...that's how that quote goes right?
Sue

[birchie]

Seem they are still thinking about the sequel for Real Steel. Remember back shortly after the movie came out Hugh & Sean Levy signed on with the studio to do a sequel. I'm glad they're holding out for a good script but I think time is running out on the idea. Here's a good article about the latest thoughts on the project:
screenrant.com/real-steel-2-hugh-jackman-details/


Sue

[jo]

Cameo rumors!

www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/celebrity-news/robert-downey-jr-hugh-jackman-and-samuel-l-jackson-rumoured-to-star-in-cameo-rolls-in-star-wars-9733178.html

Robert Downey Jr, Hugh Jackman and Samuel L Jackson rumoured to star in cameo rolls in Star Wars


Actors Nick Frost and Daniel Craig are also rumoured to be starring


Trio cameo: The actors are rumoured to be starring in the new sequel


Emma Powell
Published: 15 September 2014
Updated: 11:44, 15 September 2014



Robert Downey Jr, Hugh Jackman, Samuel L Jackson and Nick Frost are tipped to appear in mystery cameo roles in Star Wars Episode VII.


The Hollywood trio are rumoured to have landed secret roles in the latest installment of the franchise after being invited to the set at Pinewood Studios along with Paul actor Nick Frost.


It is thought some of the actors will be forced to appear in the Disney movie in secret to avoid breaching their contract with various other studios.

A source told The Sun: "Everyone is clamouring for a set visit and cameo.

"Sam, Robert and Hugh have all been invited, as well as Nick Frost. Some are hiding their faces just for fun but others have to for contractual reasons.

"If they're tied to other studios, they're technically not allowed to appear in a Disney film."

While, Iron Man star Robert and Wolverine actor Hugh have never appeared in the series, Samuel, 65, previously starred in the prequel trilogy as jedi master Mace Windu from 1999 to 2005.


The news follows reports that James Bond actor Daniel Craig has secured a mystery role in the saga after begging director JJ Abrams for the small part due to his love for the series.

An insider said: "Daniel asked for some sort of secret cameo role - and was happy to have his name left off the posters.

"Fans will love trying to work out which covered up character is him."

[mamaleh]

That would be so cool. "G 'day, R2D2" -- spoken, of course, out of the side of his mouth.

Ellen

[jo]

This sounds more than just a rumor --

www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/afm-dev-patel-attached-star-745027?mobile_redirect=false

AFM: Dev Patel Attached to Star in Weinstein Company's 'Lion' (Exclusive)

4:43 AM PST 10/30/2014 by Scott Roxborough


Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman are also on board the drama, based on a Vanity Fair article, which follows an Indian street kid adopted by Australian parents

Dev Patel, Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman are attached to star in Lion, a new drama that The Weinstein Company will be pitching to buyers at the American Film Market in Los Angeles next week.

The drama, based on an Vanity Fair article, follows a street kid from Calcutta (Patel) who is taken in and adopted by a couple in Australia, played by Kidman and Jackman. Jackman and Patel co-starred in Chappie, the upcoming sci-fi thriller from District 9 director Neill Blomkamp. Kidman and Jackman last appeared together in Baz Luhrmann's Australia in 2008.

The script to Lion, which TWC sent out to key international buyers ahead of the AFM, has generated major buzz and many expect the title to be among the top sellers at this year's market. TWC bought worldwide rights to Lion, from The King's Speech producer See-Saw Films, in Cannes for $12 million and views it as a potential awards player.

Patel, the star of Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire, is shaping up to be one of the stars of this year's market...

Hmmm...

*Potential awards player?

*Harvey Weinstein?

*Reteaming of Hugh and Nicole - are these lead roles?

*I wonder who and what will be the focus of the story?



Jo

[jo]

I wonder -- could this be the story and the person in this extraordinary journey of an Indian boy?


www.facebook.com/saroobrierley

Very exciting day in the development of my film!

Some very big news today with The Weinstein Company joining Saroo Brierley (Official)'s film "LION" as International Distribution partners, after securing the rights at the Cannes Film Festival. Full story on our website here: www.sunstarentertainment.com.au/news.html

From the link provided --

"CANNES: The Weinstein Company Team With Producers For Lion" (20/5/14)


The Weinstein Company has closed a $12 million deal for worldwide rights for “Lion,” a movie based on Saroo Brierley’s book “A Long Way Home.”


Production will start in August on “Lion,” which recounts the survival of a five-year-old Indian boy who takes a wrong train and winds up thousands of miles away from home and family.


“Lion” will be produced by See-Saw Films in association with Sunstar Entertainment and Aquarius Films. Producers are Emile Sherman, Iain Canning and Angie Fielder; Andrew Fraser and Shahen Mekertichian are executive producing.


Sherman and Canning teamed with TWC’s Harvey Weinstein on 2010′s “The King’s Speech.” Garth Davis (“Top of the Lake”) will direct from a script by Luke Davies.


The film is co-financed by Screen Australia. The TWC deal excludes Australia and New Zealand.


Brierley’s book recounts his family in India being thrown into poverty by his father leaving his mother in the mid 1980s. At the age of five, he was separated from his family after he and his older brothers began begging at the railway station for food and money. He wound up on the streets of Calcutta, where he was eventually rescued and adopted by an Australian family. Brierley learned English and grew up as a typical Australian but decided as an adult — using Google Earth and only a few faint clues — to try tracking down his mother and was reunited with her in 2011.


Brierley’s ordeal was the subject of a “60 Minutes” story last year. Watch it here.

“When we read the script we were simply blown away by this emotional story,” Harvey Weinstein said in a statement.

“Coupled with the fact this project gave us the opportunity to continue our relationship with See-Saw we jumped at the chance to join the ‘Lion’ team. Iain and Emile have this innate ability to make films that inspire and resonate with people. I look forward to sharing this fascinating and life affirming story with audiences all over the world.”

David Glasser, Robert Walak, Dan Guando, Negeen Yazdi and Michal Steinberg negotiated on behalf of TWC. Craig Emanuel of Loeb and Loeb represented the deal on behalf of Cross City Sales and the producers, See-Saw Films and Sunstar Entertainment.

I found a link to the real life story --

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2669552/A-long-way-home-Remarkable-tale-Indian-boy-accidentally-transported-1-000-miles-home-aged-four-way-25-years-later-thanks-Google-Earth.html


Hmmm...not so sure if there are really exciting roles for Hugh and Nicole. I wonder if the main attraction for them is that this seems to be an Australian film venture...and that this is more of an accomodation? The focus seems mostly on the story of the lost boy who grew into manhood in his adoptive country, Australia.

If filming starts in August - wouldn't Hugh be involved with APOCALYPSE filming in the summer?

Jo

[mamaleh]

Since the film focuses on the youth, perhaps Hugh's and Nicole's filming time requirement will be minimal.

Ellen

[jo]

No LION role for Hugh!

An update from The Hollywood Reporter --

www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/afm-dev-patel-attached-star-745027

Nicole Kidman is also on board the drama, based on a Vanity Fair article, which follows an Indian street kid adopted by Australian parents

Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman are attached to star in Lion, a new drama that The Weinstein Co. will be pitching to buyers at the American Film Market in Los Angeles next week.

Hugh Jackman was also believed to be attached to the project but his agent told THR he was not involved in Lion...

Jo

[hughmanity]

Well that was short-lived excitement after reading Hugh is, in fact, NOT attached to this film.  So when ARE we going to hear some new, confirmed film news???   <please>

[jo]

Not a film role rumor, but actually a non-rumor about a Broadway role

Frank RichVerified account
‏@frankrichny No truth to Broadway rumors of "#TheInterview: The Musical" starring Harvey Fierstein & Hugh Jackman.

*Yes, it is the famous/infamous once New York Times theatre critic Frank Rich ( although he is now a freelance writer on serious topics). I wonder where he came up with the rumor? Or was it just his sense of humor?

*But Harvey would die to co-star with Hugh - LOL!

Seriously, there seems to be a campaign now to nominate ( and have win) The Interview for an Oscar best picture!


Jo

[jo]

I was reading an IGN article on the forthcoming DEADPOOL movie (due out in February 2016) and read among the voluminous comments re someone reading about the Wolverine part. Which led me to looking for articles that might mention the possibility.

www.enstarz.com/articles/48809/20141017/deadpool-movie-is-a-hugh-jackman-as-wolverine-cameo-on-the-way-the-comics-say-yes-video.htm

'Deadpool' Movie: Is A Hugh Jackman As Wolverine Cameo On The Way? The Comics Say Yes

[jo]

These tweets also prompted me to look for more details --

IGN ‏@ign · 7h7 hours ago
Transformers 4 & @gameofthrones actors in talks for the #Deadpool movie. go.ign.com/418hBsK pic.twitter.com/8Uyd7FWHM3


LaMugre ‏@iamlamugre · 1h1 hour ago
@ign @gameofthrones i read the script, it's hilarious! Especially the Hugh jackman part

[jo]

Given Baz Bamigboye's track record and reputation in show business reporting for the British media, this is probably a done deal, rather than just a rumor --

www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2902676/BAZ-BAMIGBOYE-Hugh-Jackman-helps-Eagle-off.html

BAZ BAMIGBOYE: Hugh Jackman helps the Eagle to take off

By Baz Bamigboye for the Daily Mail

Published: 00:01 GMT, 9 January 2015 | Updated: 00:01 GMT, 9 January 2015


X-men's Wolverine is to star as the mentor who tried to achieve lift-off for Olympian Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards at the 1988 Winter Games in Calgary.

Hugh Jackman will appear in the film with hot young actor Taron Egerton, who has been picked to portray eager Eddie in a movie inspired by how the Briton achieved Olympic glory even though he came last in his two ski-jumping events.

Jackman will play Chuck Berghorn, a ski expert from Lake Placid who helped the down-on-his-luck sportsman train for the Calgary Games.

Several actors, including George MacKay, Jamie Bell and Daniel Kaluuya, were considered for the Eddie role.

Hugh Jackman is to star as the mentor who tried to achieve lift-off for Olympian Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards at the 1988 Winter Games in Calgary


However, Egerton clinched the part after performing in what was described to me as a 'magical' screen-test opposite Jackman.

The test was filmed in New York, where Jackman is starring in the Broadway production of Jez Butterworth's Royal Court hit The River.

Director Dexter Fletcher and producer Matthew Vaughn hope to begin filming early in the spring. Some scenes may be shot in Cheltenham, where Eddie (real name Michael Edwards) was raised.

The film-makers would like Timothy Spall to portray Eddie's father. Spall has received acclaim for his brilliant portrait of artist J.M.W. Turner in Mike Leigh's great film Mr Turner, which is expected to pick up a palette piled with nominations when contenders for the EE Bafta Awards are announced today.

Egerton, meanwhile, is an actor on the rise. The Welsh-born thespian studied at Rada and landed on his feet with his first professional job, when he appeared at the National Theatre in Stephen Beresford's family drama The Last Of The Haussmans with Julie Walters, Helen McCrory and Rory Kinnear.

He plays Edward Brittain, opposite Alicia Vikander as his sister Vera, in the deeply moving film of Vera's memoir Testament Of Youth, which opens here next Friday.

And, after that, you can catch him in the wacky, big-screen adaptation of comic book Kingsman: The Secret Service, alongside Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Michael Caine, Samuel L. Jackson and the fantastic, scene-stealing Sofia Boutella.

Oh, and as this page was first to report, Take That's Gary Barlow will write songs for the Eddie the Eagle film.

It could be just a featured role?

Jo

[hughmanity]

Did anyone hear about this one before? Seems to have come out of nowhere!

[suefb]

Sounds different. I do wonder how much of a role Hugh will have, especially if they hope for filming to begin in early spring? But I agree, it does sound solid (eg Egerton got the role after a screen test with Hugh) vs a lot of speculative rumors we hear about.

[jo]

Eddie the Eagle does sound like quite a character --

www.nytimes.com/1996/02/04/sports/ski-jumping-this-eagle-hasn-t-landed.html

SKI JUMPING

SKI JUMPING;This Eagle Hasn't Landed

By JERE LONGMAN

Published: February 4, 1996

LAKE PLACID, N.Y.— He appeared for training in his insulated pink jumpsuit like Gumby dipped in Pepto Bismol, his thick glasses perpetually fogged, having landed hard on his head a'd his wallet in recent years.

On a recent, bitter afternoon of ski jumping, the temperature held below zero, much like his chances of qualifying for t'e 1998 Winter Olympics. But Eddie (the Eagle) Edwards already has his Olympic legend secured. Let others represent the agony of victory; Eddie the Eagle forever embodies the thrill of defeat.

While Matti Nykanen, a dour Finn, won the gold medals at the 1988 Winter Games in Calgary, Eddie the Eagle won all the attention. He finished last on the hill and first in the public embrace, a part-time plasterer from Cheltenham, England, who survived on cheap rent at a Finnish mental institution and who treated a broken jaw by tying a pillow case around his head because he could not afford medical attention.

Inevitably, the world's elite ski jumpers grew resentful of his fame, and humorless Olympic officials grew embarrassed and safety-conscious about his astigmatic novelty act. Qualifying standards were established that he could not meet. Essentially, Eddie the Eagle had his Olympic wings clipped.

After recovering from a skull fracture and bankruptcy, however, his career has again taken flight. Sort of. Eddie the Eagle has resumed training in Lake Placid, where he learned to ski jump in 1986 using a pair of borrowed, oversized boots that required five pairs of socks and a helmet strapped to his chin with a piece of string.

He has new equipment, a new sponsor, a firm resolve to qualify for the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, and, at age 32, a growing confidence that, if he will not break any records, at least he will not break any bones.

"In Calgary, I was thinking about whether they had nice hospitals and pretty nurses," he said over dinner. "Now I'm actually thinking about my technique."

Does he have any chance of making the Olympics in 1998?

"Not a chance in hell," said Alan Johnson, coach of the United States ski jumping team.

Why not?

"Fat doesn't fly," said Chuck Berghorn, operations manager of the Lake Placid ski jump and the man who taught Eddie the Eagle to soar.

Still, Eddie the Eagle has big plans. He would like to build an artificial ski jump in England. He would like to write another book. As with the Jamaican bobsledders, he would like celluloid immortality in a movie.

"Of course, Robert Redford will have to play me," Eddie said. "Unless Demi Moore is my leading lady, in which case I will have to play myself."

Most of all, he would like to be taken seriously. Eventually, it happens to all the great comedic talents. Woody Allen. Robin Williams. Eddie the Eagle.

"I want to prove to the skeptics that @'m not a clown," he said. "I'm very serious about what I do. I want to be a good ski jumper who has a sense of humor."

Of course, Eddie the Eagle became popular precisely because he was not a good ski jumper. This was the Nordic equivalent of a baseball fantasy camp, except that Eddie got to spend his dream week in the Olympics.

Eddie the Eagle lacked skill the way England lacked snow and mountains, but he made it to the Olympics anyway, compressing a nine-year learning process into 18 insurance-intense months. If he appeared to be luxuriating in his ineptitude, he was also celebrating the not inconsiderable success of having hurtled off the side of a hill and actually survived.

Johnny Carson invited him to sit on the couch. He had his picture taken with showgirls. He marketed his own line of T-shirts. He made appearances to open malls, ski shops, amusement rides and parking garages, jumping off scaffolding and out of airplanes, landing on a nest egg that, by his account, was cushioned to the sum of $750,000 before it cracked.

He has also launched himself from a man-made ramp in the financial canyons of New York City, raced monster trucks, parachuted onto a golf course to greet Arnold Palmer and even recorded a song about himself in Finland that reached No. 2 on the charts. As his luck would have it, the Finnish star who was to have joined him in a duet died before the recording, leaving Eddie the Eagle to sing the lyrics phonetically. To this day, he has no idea whether the song celebrates his brief flights or snickers that he couldn't outjump a salmon.

There have been more serious setbacks. In 1989, Eddie the Eagle landed badly in Innsbruck, Austria, fracturing his skull and breaking two ribs. Two years later, he said, he went bankrupt because of poor management of a trust fund. He sued the managers, he said, and last year was able to recover $350,000. The greatest indignity came at the opening of a parking garage in England, when an eagle costume could not be located, forcing a crestfallen Eddie to flap his wings in a chicken suit.

"Stockings and suspenders I will wear, but I will never again wear a chicken suit," he said.

He does, however, plan an alteration or two. In March, he will have his jaw surgically realigned to cure a dental problem. And perhaps contact lenses to replace his thick glasses? Not a chance.

"It could drastically affect my look and my popularity," Eddie the Eagle said.

After the Calgary Olympics, according to Eddie's mentor, Berghorn, 15 or 20 people phoned and said they wanted to join the United States ski jumping team, including some guy from New Jersey who kept showing up in Lake Placid week after week.

"He was a computer wizard, and he said, 'If Eddie can do it, I can do it,' " Berghorn remembered. "But half the time he just sat there, in a daze, the way computer wizards do."

Eventually, the guy went away, but Eddie the Eagle hasn't. In Lake Placid, he is liked for his self-effacing humor and admired for his persistence and his star power. He is in fact royalty, having been voted King of Winter.

"I now insist that everyone call me Your Majesty," he said.

Ski jumpers, however, dismiss him as amiably irrelevant.

"It would be like if the New York Yankees hired a 2-foot-0 guy just to come to the plate and get a walk," said Johnson, the United States coach.

Somebody has already hired that Eddie, last name Gaedel. Eddie Edwards, too, has found a latter-day Bill Veeck, this one a British businessman who runs a small company called Eagle Airlines. The man wants his name kept quiet, but his avian interests have drawn him to a sponsorship of Eddie the Eagle. What Eddie has in mind is a stunt, where for $250,000, he would jump a hovering helicopter.

"It would be a scream," Eddie the Eagle said. "The crowd would scream if I made it; I'd scream if I didn't."

The movie will likely focus on their relationship when Berghorn taught Eddie how to soar like an eagle?

Maybe it was Matthew Vaughn who approached Hugh about the role (likely a featured role?). They have worked together once, albeit very briefly - remember Hugh's most famous cameo role


Jo

[hughmanity]

BWW just picked up the story.  www.broadwayworld.com/article/Hugh-Jackman-Joins-EDDIE-THE-EAGLE-Biopic-as-Ski-Expert-Gary-Barlow-to-Pen-Score-20150108

[jo]

Reposting this from the APOCALYPSE FILMING thread --

No official word yet on whether Wolverine/Hugh Jackman will be joining the cast of this next XMEN movie.

Here's some interesting news on the casting of the young Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Storm --

www.latino-review.com/news/x-men-apocalypse-guess-who-is-testing-for-cyclops-jean-grey-storm

Producer Simon Kinberg has already stated that the film will bring in younger actors to play Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Storm.

For Young Cyclops the new contenders are Taron Edgerton, Jamie Blackley, and Tye Sheridan.


Taron brings his A game in the upcoming Kingsman (which was super hot by the way), Jamie was in If I Stay last year, and Tye Sheridan was in Mud back in 2012. Of this group, I like Taron the best.

Taron is the same actor who is supposed to play EDGAR THE EAGLE, a film project supposedly targeting a spring filming date, where Hugh Jackman has been tapped to play the role of the ski jumper's mentor ( See Film Role Rumors thread)!


If both actors end up in APOCALYPSE, will this push back the Matthew Vaughn-produced biopic of the British Olympic skier ?

Jo

[jo]

Taron Egerton seems like a very talented performer --


en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taron_Egerton

[jo]

From Taron's twitter account --

 Taron Egerton retweeted


Mark Millar @mrmarkmillar
· 9h 9 hours ago
Kingsman star @taronegerton will play Eddie the Eagle, Wolverine @hughjackman now playing his trainer!http://dailym.ai/14wf3HW

Taron Egerton @taronegerton
· 11h 11 hours ago
Thank you for a lovely article, @bazbam

Would love to hear Hugh confirm the project!


Jo

[jo]

Taron Egerton has confirmed that he is making a film with Hugh Jackman!

www.screengonzo.com/2015/01/10/taron-egerton-responds-to-the-x-men-apocalypse-casting-rumors/

Well that was fast! Just last night a report started circulating that Kingsman: The Secret Service actor Taron Egerton was on the shortlist of actors being considered for the role of a younger Scott Summers aka Cyclops in Bryan Singer‘s upcoming X-Men: Apocalypse. Egerton, along with Jamie Blackley and Tye Sheridan (who was said to be the frontrunner) are apparently the three top guys in Singer‘s mind. Well today a video has surfaced showing Egerton fielding a rather blunt question on whether or not he’ll be donning the visor worn by James Marsden.

During a Q&A session (via ComicBook) following the screening of Kingsman, one rather blunt fan asked Egerton if we will see him as Cyclops. The actor has heard those rumors and does his best PR talk around the question bit. Whether he really isn’t in contention or wants to downplay talks since he isn’t said to be the frontrunner is for you to decide. The actor replied (around the 6:00 mark), “I know what my next role is. I’m going to make a film with Hugh Jackman. Beyond that, I really can’t comment on the Cyclops thing. I’m not really sure what’s going on there or where that came from, but my friend Nic Hoult plays Beast and he says that’s very fun. Of course, everyone would like to play a superhero, but this is by no means me saying I would like to go play…what was it? Cyclops.” He went on to state he would like to do something dramatic after doing something so heightened and action based like Kingsman...

I have a feeling that the movie will not be so much on the thrills of ski-jumping, but the interaction between mentor and athlete to win an Olympic gold ( which he won't!). Dramatic, maybe?


EDIT: I found this UK-based article on the project :

www.tv3.ie/entertainment_article.php?locID=1.803.810&article=152512

Tuesday, 2 December 2014

Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards movie in the works


A movie about Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards is in the works.

Eddie the Eagle - whose real name is Michael Edwards - became a British hero despite finishing last in both the 70 metre and 90 metre ski jumps at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada and will now become the focus of a film.

A source said: ''Eddie is a national institution and his story would make a great Hollywood tale.''

Although it is unclear so far who will take on the role of the failed Olympian, 'Kick-Ass' director Matthew Vaughn and his Marv Films production company are said to be behind the upcoming project.

The source continued to The Sun newspaper: ''The film will be a 'Cool Runnings'-style underdog story, with a lot of comedy. But with Matthew at the helm, it will also include a lot of action and special effects.''

'Hitchcock' screenwriter Sean Macaulay was eager for the film to be made in 2009 and had eyed 'Harry Potter' star Rupert Grint to play Eddie, however, similarly to the athlete's failures on the slope, the project never got off the ground.

The announcement that Vaughn is to direct is expected to take place in the coming weeks, along with casting news.

Drama and laughter

Jo

[jo]

Another report on Taron's response to the question of the Cyclops casting --

screenrant.com/x-men-apocalypse-taron-egerton-cyclops-rumor/

...In a stroke of luck, Egerton just so happened to be attending a special screening and Q&A of his film Kingsman: The Secret Service hours after the news broke. When asked about the rumor, Egerton reportedly responded, “I really can’t comment on the Cyclops thing,” before assuring the audience that his next film is Eddie The Eagle with Hugh Jackman. So it would seem while there may be something to comment on, the timing might suggest he’s no longer up for the role.

Then again, isn’t Hugh Jackman (potentially) going to appear in Apocalypse?

Egerton went on to say:


“I’m not really sure what’s going on there or where that [rumor] came from, but my friend Nicholas Hoult plays Beast and he says that’s very fun. Of course, everyone would like to play a superhero, but this is by no means me saying I would like to go play Cyclops. So, I don’t know.”