This article is from the archive of our partner .
Today in movie and TV casting news: Jason Statham takes over for Daniel Craig, Rachel Griffiths will play one of Australia's most famous political women, and another Australian begins his takeoff.
Remember Layer Cake, the stylish little British crime flick that kicked the careers of star Daniel Craig and director Matthew Vaughn into high-gear? Well, the guy who wrote the novel that that movie is based on has written a follow-up, called Viva La Madness, which Jason Statham is eying as a starring vehicle. Same character, different actor. I won't spoil the ending of Layer Cake in case you haven't seen it yet, but let's just say this is a somewhat surprising development. But, no matter, this should be fine. Statham is not the actor that Craig is, but does this kind of movie really require nuanced, classically trained acting? It doesn't hurt, sure, but it's not necessary. This is just British toughs being tough and British, which Jason Statham knows how to do. You could say he's made a career out of it. In fact, you should say he has made a career out of it, because it is true and you should always speak the truth. So, barring the producers orchestrating an unlikely Craig/Vaughn reunion, this new version of the story should do fine. They all look alike anyway, those Brits. Sorry, that's just me. [Deadline]
You hear "movie" and "Julia Gillard" and think about what she looks like, and you assume that Australia's first female Prime Minister would be played by Tilda Swinton. Or at least by Tilda Swinton's character in Michael Clayton. But nope. That is not what's happening, at least not in an upcoming Australian TV movie. Daughter of Oz Rachel Griffiths will be playing the PM in Stalking Julia, about Gillard's clash with politician Kevin Rudd, which ended with her being ousted from office in September of this year. I doubt this movie will make it to the States — not a ton of interest in Australian domestic politics here in America — but maybe it will pop up online or something somewhere at some point. Or Tilda will do a feature film version of the same story that'll get some little indie release. One of those two things is bound to happen, right? [The Hollywood Reporter]