Casting Calls

New casting news for some of the films I have been blogging about recently.

According to The Geek Files, "British actor Matthew Macfadyen is to play the Sheriff of Nottingham in Ridley Scott's remake of 'Robin Hood.'

Macfadyen's agent confirmed the casting via the actor's fansite. He is due to film for the project in May and June.

The 34-year-old's previous film roles include 2005's 'Pride & Prejudice' (in which he played Mr Darcy), 'Middletown,' 'Incendiary' and 'Frost/Nixon' while his numerous TV credits include 'Wuthering Heights,' 'Spooks,' 'Ashes to Ashes' and 'Little Dorritt.'

The as-yet-untitled 'Robin Hood' remake was originally called 'Nottingham' and was to be a revisionist take in which the Sheriff was portrayed in a more favourable light rather than as the usual dastardly villain.

And when Russell Crowe was first cast, it was reported that he was playing both the Sheriff and Robin Hood to give the movie a interesting sense of duality. He's now playing just Robin Hood."

Chris Nolan's "Inception" has also gained a cast member.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, "Joseph Gordon-Levitt is coming on board Christopher Nolan's 'Inception,' the filmmaker's thriller for Warner Bros. that stars Leonardo DiCaprio.

A veil of secrecy exists over loglines, though the project, which Nolan also wrote, is described as a contemporary sci-fi actioner set within 'the architecture of the mind.'

It is known that Gordon-Levitt is taking the role to have been played by James Franco, who bowed out over scheduling issues [over the film 'Your Highness']. He would play an associate of DiCaprio's character, a CEO-type.

Marion Cotillard is already on board as DiCaprio's wife, while Ellen Page is playing a grad student and DiCaprio's sidekick. Cillian Murphy is also in the cast.

Gordon-Levitt, repped by CAA, has a big summer lined up: He stars in '500 Days of Summer,' the romantic comedy that earned much buzz in Sundance and is now set for a July 17 release by Fox Searchlight, and plays the villainous Cobra Commander in Paramount tentpole 'G. I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra,' which opens Aug. 7."

I'm sure these movies will be interesting, but Robin Hood has been done before. I wonder what kind of film Nolan has this time because he has made many original films including "The Prestige" and "Memento."