'Miss Peregrine' Enrolls Asa Butterfield, Ann Dowd Joins 'Our Brand is Crisis', Sarah Gadon meets 'Louis Drax'

 Tim Burton may find himself in the Oscar with his art world drama, Big Eyes, but his next film is already beginning to take shape. Eva Green has long been attached to star in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, an adaptation of Ransom Riggs' best-selling book. Now The Wrap reports she may be joined by Asa Butterfield, who was last seen in Ender's Game. If he does come aboard he would play Jacob, a young boy investigating the murder of his grandfather at the hands of a creature known as a "hollow". Jacob eventually meets a group of kids with special abilities and their guardian, Miss Peregrine.

The cast of David Gordon Green's Our Brand is Crisis keeps getting better. Ann Dowd (Compliance, The Leftovers) has joined Sandra Bullock, Anthony Mackie, and Scoot McNairy in the George Clooney-produced political film about American political strategists and their influence on the 2002 Bolivian presidential election.

Sarah Gadon (Cosmopolis) is the latest to join The 9th Life of Louis Drax, which already has Jamie Dornan and Aaron Paul set to star. Alexandre Aja will direct the film about "a young boy who suffers a near-fatal fall on his ninth birthday. A psychologist probing into the accident is drawn into a mystery that tests the boundaries of fantasy and reality." Max Minghella is making his screenwriting debut on the adaptation of Liz Jensen's novel.

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Eva Green is 'Miss Peregrine'; Christopher Walken Joins 'The Jungle Book'

It was a little disappointing that Eva Green wasn't on hand to hype Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, she IS the titular dame after all, but that's okay because there will be plenty of chances to see her elsewhere. The Penny Dreadful star is in talks to lead Tim Burton's adaptation of Ranson Riggs’ Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. The project has been in the works for about three years but finally seems to be moving now that Burton is finished with Big Eyes, a potential awards film starring Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz. The story centers on 16-year old Jacob, whose grandfather told him fantastic stories of an orphanage where the residents were gifted with amazing abilities. When his grandfather dies, Jacob sets out to find the orphanage, and discovers it's rundown remains. He comes to learn that the kids may have been there because they were dangerous, and it's possible they may still be around. Green, who would play the title character and guardian of the children, worked with Burton on Dark Shadows. [Variety]

Another children's book being brought to life is Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book, and Jon Favreau's live-action adaptation has just added a couple of wily veterans. Christopher Walken and Giancarlo Esposito will lend their voices to the film as King Louie and Akela, respectively. They join Neel Sethi, Lupita Nyong'o, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, and Scarlett Johannson. The Jungle Book opens October 9th 2015.

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