Liam Neeson and Laura Linney didn't just star together in Bill Condon's Kinsey, they're actually very good friends. It was Neeson who gave Linney away at her wedding, and that friendship has continued over the years as the two often cross paths on the screen. Both have been keeping plenty busy of late and now they have new projects developing which they'll be working separately.
Juan Antonio Bayona (The Impossible) has been trying to get Neeson for the titular role in A Monster Calls, and the deal is now done. Neeson will join Felicity Jones in the adaptation of Patrick Ness' acclaimed novel. Jones plays the terminally ill mother to Conor, a boy who escapes from his tough home life and school bullying by venturing into a nightmarish fantasy world. Neeson will play the tree monster that shares some hard truths in the form of three stories. [ScreenDaily]
And Linney has joined Ian McKellen in the Sherlock Holmes tale, A Slight Trick of the Mind. Directed by Bill Condon and adapted from Mitch Cullen's book, the story is set in 1947 and follows an aging, retired, and mentally waning Holmes as he grapples with one final, unsolved case. Linney will play Mrs. Munro, Holmes' caretaker who has a son the detective has taken under his wing. The film will reunite Linney with Kinsey and The Fifth Estate director, Bill Condon. [EW]
