Rhys Ifans Goes 'Through the Looking Glass'; Jonny Weston and Suki Waterhouse Join 'Insurgent'

* And the Mad Hatter has a new daddy. While Mark Rylance was said to be up for the role of Zanik Hightopp, the father of Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland sequel, Through the Looking Glass, the part has instead been claimed by Rhys Ifans. He joins the returning Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, and Mia Wasikowska, along with Sacha Baron Cohen as Time, the film's primary villain. Linda Woolverton is again providing the script with James Bobin coming aboard to direct. Through the Looking Glass is set to open May 27th 2016. [TheWrap]

* Filming on the Divergent sequel, Insurgent, kicked off this week and with it the cast has been firmed up with the additions of Jonny Weston (Chasing Mavericks) and model/actress Suki Waterhouse, who apparently has no connection to Sooki Stackhouse. Weston's role is unclear but Stackhouse will be Marlene, a member of the Dauntless faction alongside Shailene Woodley's Tris and Theo James' Four. They join Octavia Spencer, Kate Winslet, Ansel Elgort, Miles Teller, Jai Courtney, and Zoe Kravitz in the Robert Schwentke-directed film, set to open March 20th 2015.

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Helena Bonham Carter Returns as the Red Queen in 'Through the Looking Glass'

It looks like Disney is putting the old band back together for the Alice in Wonderland sequel, Through the Looking Glass. Mia Wasikowska is returning as Alice, Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter will be there, and now so is Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen.

Tim Burton, on the other hand, is out as director with James Bobin at the helm. Linda Woolverton, who wrote the first $1B-grossing film, is writing the screenplay which is being kept under wraps for now. It doesn't appear to be based on any one of Lewis Carroll's novels, just as Burton's film was something of an original.  Sacha Baron Cohen is said to be in talks for a villain role, perhaps by the side of the Red Queen herself.

Through the Looking Glass hits theaters May 27th 2016. [Variety]

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'Alice in Wonderland 2' Gets 2016 Date; Johnny Depp & Mia Wasikowska to Return

Just as Disney hasn't wasted any time securing far off release dates for their Marvel properties, they're doing the same thing for the sequel to Tim Burton's $1B-grossing Alice in Wonderland. Burton won't be back for this one, though, with James Bobin (The Muppets) taking over, and while it took awhile for a deal to get worked out it appears that Johnny Depp and Mia Wasikowska will be back. And now that the pieces are in place, Disney will send Alice in Wonderland 2 down the rabbit hole on May 27th 2016.

As for plot details? Well, who knows what original writer Linda Woolverton will come up with to keep Depp in crazy hair and hats. Speaking of which, this news probably means we won't see Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales until possibly late 2016 or 2017.

A couple of other release dates: Disney has set Jon Favreau's The Jungle Book for October 9th 2015, and Ron Howard's In the Heart of the Sea will set sail on March 13th 2015 because that year isn't busy enough.

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