Ben Foster Joins 'The Finest Hours', Leslie Mann Eyes 'Vacation', Billy Bob Thornton Boards 'Our Brand is Crisis'

Disney's Coast Guard rescue drama The Finest Hours just got a lot more interesting with the addition of Ben Foster (The Messenger) to the cast. He joins Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, and Holliday Grainger in the Craig Gillespie-directed film chronicling the dangerous 1952 rescue attempt after two oil tankers collided during a blizzard. Foster will be seen next as Lance Armstrong in an untitled biopic, and will have a key role in Duncan Jones' Warcraft film. [Variety]


Filming on the remake of National Lampoon's Vacation begins this week, but one major role has remained elusive. That would be Audrey Griswold, the sister of Rusty Griswold (Ed Helms) and daughter to Clark and Ellen Griswold (Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo). Leslie Mann (Knocked Up) is eyeing the Audrey role now, with Chris Hemsworth as her TV anchor husband, Stone Crandall. Christina Applegate plays Rusty's wife, with Charlie Day as a river rafting guide. John Francis Daley and Jonathan M. Goldstein (Horrible Bosses) are directing.


Fresh off the multi-Emmy winning Fargo, Billy Bob Thornton is in talks to join Sandra Bullock in the political comedy, Our Brand is Crisis. Directed by David Gordon Green and based on Rachel Boynton's 2005 documentary, the film centers on political spin doctors as they try to sway the 2002 Presidential election in Bolivia.

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David Gordon Green will Direct Sandra Bullock in 'Our Brand is Crisis'

Although George Clooney and his producing partner Grant Heslov have been developing it for awhile, their adaptation of Our Brand is Crisis was pushed aside to focus energy on Ben Affleck's Oscar-winning Argo. That was obviously a smart move, but when Clooney's Gravity co-star Sandra Bullock was rumored for a role in the film it was clear Our Brand is Crisis was next. And now not only has she been confirmed but an unexpected choice has been made for director.

Variety reports David Gordon Green will direct Bullock in the political film, his first foray into the world of politics. Rachel Boynton's acclaimed 2005 documentary serves as the basis for the narrative feature which centers on James Carville and the key role his political consulting firm played in the 2002 Bolivian presidential elections. Peter Straughan (The Men Who Stare at Goats) wrote the script with Bullock taking on the role of "Calamity" Jane Bodine, a consultant who constantly quotes historical figures to help make her point.

We've seen what Clooney can do with this kind of material but the addition of Green only makes Our Brand is Crisis more promising. No word on when production begins but hopefully it will be soon.

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Sandra Bullock in Talks for George Clooney's 'Our Brand is Crisis'

After what must have been a harrowing shoot on Alfonso Cuaron's sci-fi thriller Gravity, George Clooney and Sandra Bullock may be venturing into the equally spaced-out world of politics. Before they took on Ben Affleck's political thriller Argo, Clooney and producing partner Grant Heslov were planning to make an adaptation of Rachel Boynton's documentary Our Brand is Crisis their next project. Obviously they've been pretty busy since then but now the film has been revived with Bullock circling one of the leads.

Bullock is in early talks for the film, which features a script by Peter Straughan, writer of the Clooney-produced The Men Who Stare at Goats. The original doc focused on Bill Clinton's political strategist James Carville and Stan Greenberg and the role their American campaign tactics played in the 2002 Bolivian presidential election. Sounds a little bit like the Chilean drama No, which dealt a presidential campaign based on American TV commercials.

Sounds perfectly in the Clooney wheelhouse although it's unknown if he'll co-star alongside Bullock. He's certainly not jumping into the director's chair as he's had enough problems putting the finishing touches on Monuments Men.

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