Kate Mara Eyes 'The Martian'; John Leguizamo goes to 'Meadowland; Dennis Haysbert Joins 'Ted 2'

Ridley Scott's adaptation of The Martian already has an incredible cast shaping up with Matt Damon in the lead and Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, and Mackenzie Davis circling roles, but now Deadline is reporting Kate Mara (House of Cards, Fantastic Four) has been made an offer. The Davis story wasn't out there long before this one came out, and it may be that Mara is in line for the same part. Penned by Drew Goddard, The Martian centers on an astronaut who must survive long enough to be rescued after he's stranded on Mars.

John Leguizamo, Merritt Wever (Emmy winner from Nurse Jackie), and Nick Sandow have joined Meadowland, the directorial debut of cinematographer Reed Morano. Olivia Wilde, Luke Wilson, Elisabeth Moss, Giovanni Ribisi, Ty Simpkins, Scott Mescudi (aka Kid Cudi), Mark Feuerstein, Kevin Corrigan and Juno Temple star in the drama about a New York couple who take very different approaches to healing after their son's disappearance. I'm a huge fan of Wever's and have been for years. Hopefully this leads to more big screen work for her.

Dennis Haysbert, last seen as Manute in Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, will make a "fun cameo" in Seth MacFarlane's Ted 2, joining Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Morgan Freeman, and Amanda Seyfried. All we know about the plot is that Ted will be in need of a high-powered civil rights attorney at some point, which to me already sounds funny.  Ted 2 opens June 26th 2015. Haysbert has also landed a role in Dead Rising, based on the hit Capcom video game. Zach Lipovksy (Leprechaun: Origins) is directing the zombie flick for exclusive premier on Crackle.com before receiving a multiplatform release. Haysbert will be seen next in the racial satire, Dear White People.

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Juno Temple, Giovanni Ribisi, and Kid Cudi Join Olivia Wilde in 'Meadowland'

So what does being an award-winning cinematographer get you? In the case of Reed Morano, known for her acclaimed work on Kill Your Darlings, Frozen River, and the upcoming dramedy The Skeleton Twins, it gets your directorial debut a pretty amazing cast. Over the last few days we've seen a number of big additions to Meadowland, and now with production kicking off another round of stars have come aboard.

Juno Temple, Giovanni Ribisi, Scott "Kid Cudi" Mescudi, Mark Feuerstein, and Kevin Corrigan have joined Meadowland. The indie drama already stars Olivia Wilde, Luke Wilson, Natasha Lyonne, Ty Simpkins, Elisabeth Moss, and Yolanda Ross. The story follows Sarah (Wilde) and David (Wilson), a New York couple dealing with the disappearance of their son. While David copes in a more traditional manner, Sarah gets into increasingly dangerous situations and befriends a troubled boy.

Meadowland is filming now this seems like something destined for the festival circuit next year. Sundance, maybe?

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Malin Akerman has 'The Ticket'; Ty Simpkins Joins 'Meadowland'; 'A Hundred Streets' Adds Samantha Barks

 Malin Akerman, whose ABC sitcom Trophy Wife was recently cancelled, has locked a starring role opposite Dan Stevens in The Ticket. Written and directed by Ido Fluk and produced by Oren Moverman, the indie drama centers on a sightless man who suddenly regains his vision only to be “blinded” by his obsession with the superficial. Akerman will play Stevens' wife who is left by him when his sight returns. That's probably the most absurd thing about it. Who in their right mind would dump Malin Akerman? [Deadline]

The cast of Reed Morano's ensemble drama Meadowland is expanding by the hour, it seems. With Olivia Wilde, Luke Wilson, Elisabeth Moss, Natasha Lyonne, and the recently-added Yolanda Ross already on board, the latest addition is Iron Man 3 and Jurassic World's  Ty Simpkins. The story centers on a couple who are struggling with the disappearance of their son. Simkpins will play a troubled special needs child at the school where Sarah (Wilde) teaches.

The Idris Elba/Gemma Arterton drama One Square Mile is undergoing some changes. Not only has it been renamed A Hundred Streets, but Samantha Barks (Les Miserables) is joining the indie drama's cast. Directed by Jim O'Hanlon the film will tell interconnected stories of people within one square mile of each other in London. [ScreenDaily]

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Katie Aselton Joins 'Sea of Trees'; Yolanda Ross Heads to 'Meadowland'; Heather Graham Casts 'Half Magic'

 Mark Duplass' multi-talented (and extremely funny) wife Katie Aselton (The League, Black Rock) has joined Matthew McConaughey,  Ken Watanabe, and Naomi Watts in Gus Van Sant's Sea of Trees. She'll play McConaughey's mistress in the film about two men who meet in Japan's "Suicide Forest" with plans to kill themselves, but instead embark on a journey of self-discovery. [THR]

I've raved about John Sayle's film Go for Sisters here in the past, in particular the lead performance by Yolanda Ross, and so it's good to see her getting a little bit of attention from others. She's joined the cast of Meadowland, reuniting with her Yelling to the Sky director, Reed Morano. The film stars Olivia Wilde, Elisabeth Moss, Luke Wilson, and Natasha Lyonne in the story of a couple whose son disappears, setting the wife (Wilde) on a dangerous journey in which she seeks a relationship with a neglected boy. Ross will play one of Wilde's colleagues. [Blackfilm]

Heather Graham is set to direct, write, and star in Half Magic, a film she's been developing for awhile and is finally moving forward on. In fact she's up and skipped out on Neil Labute's upcoming stage play in order to focus on the film now that all of the pieces have fallen into place. Co-starring Josh Lucas, the story centers on "a woman who wants a nice guy and great sex, preferably in the same package. "  [Deadline]

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