Melissa McCarthy Gets Some Action in the First Trailers for 'Spy'

No matter how you slice it, audiences love Melissa McCarthy. What's more, they love her when paired up with director Paul Feig who she worked with on the hit comedies Bridesmaids and The Heat. While we wait to find out of they'll get together again for Ghostbusters, the duo have another potential smash on their hands with Spy (formerly Susan Cooper), an espionage comedy that we now have green and redband trailers for.

McCarthy stars as Susan Cooper, a former schoolteacher who becomes a lowly analyst for the CIA who is forced into the field when another agent becomes compromised. This looks pretty funny, especially Jude Law as the secret agent whose allergies fouled up the prior mission. Beyond the spy stuff it looks like trademark McCarthy, and with a cast that includes Rose Byrne, Jason Statham, Bobby Cannavale, Miranda Hart, and 50 Cent she's going to have a lot of help.

Spy hits theaters on May 22nd.

Read More

Scott Eastwood Takes 'The Longest Ride'; Armie Hammer Stars in 'Mine'; Allison Janney Joins 'Spy'

* Clint's son Scott Eastwood has won the lead role in Nicholas Sparks adaptation, The Longest Ride. Directed by George Tillman Jr., the film will tell two intertwining love stories. One is told through flashback and involves a 90-year-old man stuck in his car after a terrible accident and experiencing visions of the woman he once loved. The other is set in the present and....good Lord this sounds terrible....centers on an art student who falls in love with a handsome bull rider played by Eastwood. The Longest Ride was to open on Valentine's Day but has been moved to April 3rd 2015. [THR]

* Armie Hammer was The Lone Ranger in Disney's unfortunate flop from last year, but he seems to have emerged unscathed. He has The Man from UNCLE arriving early in 2015, and now he's signed for the psychological thriller, Mine. Co-directed and written by Fabio Guaglione and Fabio Resinaro, the story follows "a soldier who, after a failed assassination mission, finds himself stranded in the desert. Exposed to the elements, he must survive the dangers of the desert while also battling the psychological toll of the treacherous situation." [Variety]

* Paul Feig is building up a terrific cast of female talent to surround Melissa McCarthy in Spy, the espionage spoof she'll be headlining as a potential franchise. Allison Janney (The Way Way Back) and Morena Baccarin (Firefly) have come aboard the comedy about Susan Cooper (McCarthy), an analyst who goes into the field to get revenge for her agent boyfriend's death. Jude Law, Miranda Hart, Rose Byrne, Jason Statham, Bobby Cannavale, Nia Long, and 50 Cent co-star. Spy opens on May 22nd 2015.

Read More

Topher Grace Joins 'American Ultra'; 'Spy' Enlists 50 Cent; Archie Panjabi Goes to 'San Andreas'

* Topher Grace continues to bounce back in a major way, joining Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart in American Ultra. Directed by Nima Nourizadeh with Walton Goggins and Uma Thurman co-starring, the film follows "a stoner whose small-town life with his live-in girlfriend is upended when his past catches up with him, putting him the crosshairs of a government operation bent on wiping him out." Grace will play a CIA agent who has let power go to his head.[Deadline]

* Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson will take on the monumental task of playing himself in Spy, the espionage comedy marking the third pairing of Melissa McCarthy and director Paul Feig. McCarthy plays a CIA analyst who goes into the field for the first time to find her lover's killer. Jude Law, Jason Statham, Rose Byrne, Miranda Hart, Bobby Cannavale, and Nia Long make up a pretty impressive ensemble. [THR]

* The Dwayne Johnson-led disaster flick San Andreas just got a whole lot better with the addition of Archie Panjabi. Brad Peyton directs the action thriller about a helicopter rescue pilot who must save his wife and daughter when "The Big One" hits California. Panjabi, an Emmy winner for CBS' The Good Wife, was also terrific in The Constant Gardener and A Mighty Heart. She's also very good in Brit Marling and Mike Cahill's I Origins (review here), due out later this year. Also starring Carla Gugino and Alexandra Daddario, San Andreas opens June 5th 2015.

Read More

Nia Long, Bobby Cannavale, and Miranda Hart Join Melissa McCarthy in 'Spy'

Paul Feig and Melissa McCarthy have found nothing but success each time they've worked together, with Bridesmaids and The Heat boosting both of their careers in a major way. And so they're hoping to find that same level of success, and perhaps build a new franchise, with the espionage comedy, Spy, which was known as Susan Cooper until recently. With Jude Law, Rose Byrne, and Jason Statham already aboard, three new additions have joined the cast.

Nia Long and Bobby Cannavale are in talks to join the James Bond-esque film, with British comedienne Miranda Hart also signing on. Cannavale will play an Italian playboy and one of the film's villains, while Long is a higher-up at the CIA.  Law is set to play a suave super spy and lover to McCarthy's character. When he dies, she leaves the analyst desk and goes into the field to find the killer. Statham will go against the grain as a clumsy and over-confident agent.

Feig wrote the script and will direct Spy for release Memorial Day 2015. [Deadline/THR]

Read More