Casting News -- July 13, 2009

Jackie Chan will star in Kung Fu Kid, the upcoming remake of The Karate Kid, as a wise kung-fu master. Pat Morita starred as Mr. Miyagi in the 1984 original. Jaden Smith (son of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith) stars as Chan's young disciple.

Natalie Portman will star in Thor, Marvel Studios' big-screen adaptation of its comic book about the Norse god of thunder. Portman has been cast as Jane Foster, a nurse who became Thor's first love in early comic book stories (the character will reportedly be updated for the feature adaptation). Chris Hemsworth stars as Thor; Tom Hiddleston stars as Loki, the god of mischief who is Thor's main villain. Kenneth Branagh is directing.

Susan Sarandon and John Goodman will co-star in You Don't Know Jack, an HBO biopic starring Al Pacino as Jack Kevorkian, who was known as "Dr. Death" and assisted in more than 130 suicides. The film follows Kevorkian's "rise as he builds his infamous Mercy Machine and sets out to perform assisted suicides, while waging an epic legal battle defending a patient's right to die." Goodman will play Nicol, a friend and co-worker of Kevorkian since 1961 and a steadfast supporter of the right to die; Sarandon will play Janet Good, an activist and one of Kevorkian's strongest supporters -- and also eventually a patient.

Danny Huston is joining the cast of director Ridley Scott's untitled Robin Hood movie. Huston will play historical figure King Richard. Russell Crowe stars as Robin Hood and Cate Blanchett stars as Maid Marian.

Megan Mullally will star in Los Angeles' Odyssey Theatre Ensemble's upcoming production of The Receptionist. The cast also features Jennifer Finnigan, Jeff Perry, and Chris L. McKenna. The production runs Aug. 14-Sept. 20 in CA.

Jason Statham is in final negotiations to star in Blitz, a thriller about a serial killer targeting police officers in London. Statham will play an uncompromising cop assigned the task of tracking down the killer. Paddy Considine will play his partner.

Holt McCallany has joined the cast of The Losers, an action movie adapted from DC Comics/Vertigo series about a group of Black Ops forces who, after being betrayed by their handler, regroup to seek revenge and conduct operations against the CIA. McCallany will play Wade, a special-forces officer who has left the group. Zoe Saldana and Jason Patric have already been cast.

Tony Award winner Beth Leavel will join the cast of Mamma Mia! on Broadway this fall. Leavel will succeed Carolee Carmello in the role of Donna Sheridan beginning Sept. 22. Tony nominee John Dossett returns to the role of Sam Carmichael the same day.

Dee Roscioli will join the cast of the Broadway production of Wicked July 21. Roscioli will be making her Broadway debut as Elphaba; the actress previously starred in the Chicago production of the musical.

Ioan Gruffudd will star in Banking on Mr. Toad, a biopic of author Kenneth Graham. The film follows Grahame's journey from his job as the secretary of the Bank of England at the end of the 19th century to writing the classic children's book The Wind in the Willows. Samantha Morton is in discussions to play Grahame's wife, Elspeth.

JoBeth Williams will star in Pasadena Playhouse's upcoming production of The Night Is a Child, which "draws on magical realism, Samba, and the cultural pulse of Brazil to tell the tale of one mother and her family as they seek understanding, redemption, and acceptance after a tragedy leaves them torn apart." Williams (The Big Chill, Poltergeist) will play Harriet Eason. The cast also includes Monette Magrath as Jane, Armando McClain as Henrique, Maceo Oliver as Joel, Tyler Pierce as Brian Easton, and Sybyl Walker as Bia Ferrera. The West Coast premiere runs Aug. 28-Oct. 4.

Tom Galantich and Kate Fisher will star in the North Carolina Theatre production of The Sound of Music. Galantich stars as Captain Von Trapp; Fisher stars as Maria. Suzanne Isheewill play Mother Abbess, with Christine Hunter as Elsa, Vinny Genna as Max, and Aaron Young as Rolf. The Von Trapp children will be play by local talents Alex Bowers (Liesl), English Brewer Bernhardt (Louisa), Daniel Marhelko (Friedrich), Roxanna Demers (Brigitta), Trey Fitts (Kurt), Gabby Simone (Marta), and Mary Kate Englehardt (Gretl). The production runs July 25-Aug. 2 at the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium.

-- Daniel Lehman