Josh Brolin To Voice Thanos in 'Guardians of the Galaxy'; Joins Denis Villeneuve's 'Sicario'

The villain Thanos was teased at the end of Marvel's The Avengers, leading many to assume for awhile that he would be the "big bad" of the sequel. That was wiped away once we learned it was titled Avengers: Age of Ultron, and the character, one of the toughest in the entire Marvel Universe, was said to be more involved in Guardians of the Galaxy, which made sense considering the team has closer ties to him. But as Bradly Cooper and Vin Diesel came aboard to voice CGI characters Rocket Raccoon and Groot, nothing was heard on who would do the same for Thanos. Enter Josh Brolin.

Latino Review and Variety report that Brolin is being asked to voice the computer-generated Thanos in Guardians of the Galaxy. You don't secure a name like Brolin just for one gig so it wouldn't be at all surprising if he reprises the role in future films. Thanos is a member of the Eternals, a powerful race of obsessed beings that includes The Collector, who will be played by Benicio Del Toro. There's a pretty good chance The Collector will be acquiring powerful objects that will comprise the Infinity Gauntlet, Thanos' reality-bending weapon of choice. We've seen the gauntlet in Odin's throne room in Thor and we know it will be a factor down the line.

And that's not all for Brolin as he may be working with Del Toro again in Sicario, the drug war thriller from Prisoners and Enemy director, Denis Villeneuve. Jon Bernthal is also coming aboard with Emily Blunt set for the lead role of a female cop crosses the Arizona border into Mexico with two Delta Force agents to take down a violent drug kingpin. Brolin will play Matt, the CIA agent who recruits Blunt's character for the task force. [Deadline/THR]

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Michelle Monaghan Joins 'Pixels'; Benicio Del Toro Boards 'Sicario'; Amy Ryan Has 'Goosebumps'

* Michelle Monaghan, last seen twisting Woody Harrelson into emotional knots in True Detective, has joined Adam Sandler in Pixels. Also starring Josh Gad, Peter Dinklage, and Kevin James, the big screen adaptation of the viral short film follows a group of guys who come to the rescue when New York comes under attack by 1980s video game characters. Monaghan takes over the female lead that Jennifer Aniston had been considering. [TheWrap]

* With Emily Blunt coming aboard Denis Villeneuve's Sicario earlier this week, the film gets even more impressive with the addition of Benicio Del Toro. Described as similar to No Country for Old Men, the story takes place on the U.S./Mexico border where a female cop and two mercenaries track down a drug lord. But once they cross into Mexico, they find that things are even more dangerous and violent than expected. Del Toro will play one of those mercs, "an assassin hired by the U.S. government to help bring down the Cartels, which are responsible for the death of his family." [TheWrap]

* Amy Ryan and Jillian Bell (Workaholics) have joined Jack Black, Dylan Minnette, and Odeya Rush in Goosebumps, based on the R.L. Stine books. Directed by Rob Letterman, the story follows "a teen named Zach Cooper, whose family moves to a new home where his new neighbor is a mysterious author. When a demonic ventriloquist's dummy unleashes the author's creepy creations, it's up to his niece Hannah and Zach to battle the evil forces and save their town." Ryan will play Zach's disbelieving mother, while Bell is his ditzy aunt. [TheWrap]

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Emily Blunt to Star in 'Sicario' for 'Prisoners' Director Denis Villeneuve

Denis Villeneuve is having one heck of a morning, the kind any director would kill for. Earlier today we learned the Prisoners director had lined up Amy Adams to star in his upcoming sci-fi film, The Story of Your Life, which looks like it could be his most ambitious project yet. And now Variety is reporting he's just landed another A-list actress in Emily Blunt for his border drama, Sicario.

The Taylor Sheridan-scripted film, set on the U.S./Mexico border, will be next on Villeneuve's list, with The Story Of Your Life to follow in 2015. Described as similar to Cormac McCarthy's No Country for Old Men,the violent story follows a female Arizona cop accompanying a pair of mercenaries into Mexico to apprehend a drug lord.

Blunt has been taking on leaner and meaner roles of late, and it will be interesting to see what Villeneuve can bring out of her. She'll be seen next in Edge of Tomorrow opposite Tom Cruise.

Filming on Sicario begins this summer.

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'Prisoners' Director Denis Villeneuve Eyes 'Sicario'

It's been a pretty amazing year for director Denis Villeneuve, one that has seen him make the successful leap into the Hollywood elite. His brooding drama Prisoners with Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal is quietly building up steam this Oscar season, and while his other Gyllenhaal-starrer Enemy hasn't dropped here yet it's been received quite well elsewhere. Now as studios are approaching him with multiple projects, one has emerged that sounds like the perfect follow-up.

Deadline reports Villeneuve is circling Sicario, a Taylor Sheridan-scripted drama set on the U.S./Mexico border and described as in the vein of No Country for Old Men. The story springboards off the legal loophole that allows legitmate law officers to accompany mercenaries across the Mexcico border to apprehend drug lords. The story centers on a female cop from Tucson and a pair of delta force rangers who cross into Mexico to catch a drug kingpin, only to discover that the the situation is more violent and depraved than they were expecting.

Could be another morally complex thriller with at least three roles with great dramatic potential. Deadline notes that distributors are really amped up over this one, which could make Villeneuve's decision a little easier.

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