One of my great disappointments from Sundance(of which there were many) was that I never got to check out LUV, a family/crime flick set in the hard scrabble streets of Baltimore, where shows like Homicide and The Wire were based. The film has gained a lot of traction, not just for it's director, Sheldon Candis, but also for the cast, primarily Common. The rapper, currently seen on AMC's Hell on Wheels, revealed to Movieline that he's got something else major coming up, like being cast in Louis Leterrier's awesome sounding heist flick, Now You See Me.
By far my most anticipated film of the next couple years, Now You See Me follows a group of magicians who commit heists during their act and shower it on the audience. An international game of cat 'n mouse ensues when a crack FBI squad is put together to bring them down. As if that wasn't cool enough, the film features Jesse Eisenberg, Melanie Laurent, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Mark Ruffalo, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, and Woody Harrelson. Common didn't reveal his role in the film, so it's unclear if he's on the side of the law or a thief. Does it really matter?
Common isn't a particular favorite of mine, but his cool demeanor should be a perfect fit for a film as slick as this. We've still got a ways to go before we find out if all the hype is justified as Now You See Me doesn't open until January 18th 2013. [movieline]
