* #1 draft pick Amber Heard(Drive Angry), along with Julian McMahon(Nip/Tuck) have joined the cast of Paranoia, the upcoming film by Robert Luketic(Killers), based on a script by Jason Dean Hall. Liam Hemsworth, Harrison Ford, and Gary Oldman star in the film about a blue-collar guy(Hemsworth) who gets caught helping to pay for a co-worker's retirement party using company funds. Rather than turning him in, his boss makes him an offer: Infiltrate a rival company as a spy and steal top secret plans. Kinda sounds like Duplicity, doesn't it? Heard will play Hemsworth's love interest, while McMahon will play a character named Meechum. Production begins in July, with a release set for September 27th 2013. Heard is currently shooting Machete Kills for Robert Rodriguez. [Variety]
* James Bobin(The Muppets) has signed on to direct an adaptation of Agent Zigzag, based on Ben Macintyre's true spy novel about a double agent working for both Germany and Britain during WWII. Mike Newell had been attached to the film since last year, but apparently that fell through. Rowan Joffe(28 Weeks Later) wrote the latest version of the script. Bobin is expected to return for The Muppets sequel, but right now that production is sort of in limbo. [Variety]
* After shining in a number of high profile supporting roles, Edgar Ramirez finally got a chance to prove what a charismatic leading man he could be with his Emmy nominated performance in Carlos. Now he'll get a chance to play one of the most important figures in Latin American history, taking the lead role of Simon Bolivar in Libertador. Alberto Arvelo will direct, based on a script by Timothy Sexton(Children of Men), and tell the story of the Venezuelan military and political leader, who helped lead the fight for independence against the Spanish empire. María Valverde (Melissa P.), Danny Huston (X-Men Origins: Wolverine), Imanol Arias (El Lute) and Gary Lewis will co-star.
