* The last time Sam Rockwell ventured into horror territory it was as part of the indie thriller, Joshua, but now it sounds like he's interesting in tackling something much bigger. The Wrap reports that Rockwell is in talks to join Rosemarie DeWitt in the Poltergeist remake, and he's intrigued by the possibility of working with producer Sam Raimi. Gil Kenan is directing from a script by David Lindsay-Abaire that centers on the Bowen family, whose home is possessed by malevolent spirits, leading to the kidnapping of their young daughter. Rockwell is considering other offers and hasn't made a commitment, but the combination of him and DeWitt would be enough to finally get my interest in this project.
* How hot is Miles Teller right now? Well, he's already bowled over festival audiences with The Spectacular Now, and will likely do the same when the film opens this weekend. And he's just been rumored to play Reed Richards in Josh Trank's reboot of Fantastic Four, so yeah, he's all over the place. But he's still finding time for more, as Deadline reports he'll star in Whiplash, a feature-length version of the short film by writer/director Damien Chazelle. Described as "Full Metal Jacket at Juilliard", it stars J.K. Simmons as a "brutal jazz orchestra teacher who unloads his frustrations on a novice drummer (Teller) who begins to lose his humanity in his quest to become the core skins pounder of the top jazz orchestra in the country." I've been hoping for a chance to see Simmons play another cruel bastard on screen, similar to his Schillinger character in HBO's Oz, and maybe this will be it. Filming begins next month.
* Now that Chloe Moretz has been confirmed to star in RJ Cutler's adaptation of teen novel, If I Stay, the surrounding cast is beginning to come together. Mireille Enos (World War Z, The Killing) is in talks to join the film, which follows a teenaged cello prodigy who goes into a coma after a terrible accident. Having an out-of-body experience, she is forced to make a choice between living a tough life or simply giving up. Enos will play Kat, the girl's spirited mother who is passionate about rock music and her family. [Deadline]
