Baz Luhrmann marches on with his period, stereoscopic Great Gatsby production, but he’s going to have to live with losing one of his big names, as Ben Affleck just can’t manage the scheduling. Argo is the problem: Affleck will be in the Middle East directing the amazing sounding CIA caper film, whereas Gatsby is shooting in Australia at times that too directly conflict with his schedule.
Affleck was Luhrmann’s first choice for Tom Buchanan, a millionaire white supremacist who fucks Myrtle Wilson on the side, while being married to Gatsby’s love: Daisy. He would have been a part of the stunning cast that still includes Leonard DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, and Tobey Maguire in what will likely be a very high-profile studio drama. Replacing him could be a tough job, but the role is interesting enough that a number of high-profile actors will be interested. Word is that there are some tax incentives that come with Australian actors landing roles in the film, so Luhrmann may look to fill the Buchanan role with that in mind. Perhaps he could land one of the Hemsworth brothers..? Chris’ quote is about to go up post-Thor for sure, but Liam is still manageable, I would image. If the Aussie thing doesn’t extend to this casting gap, I could see someone like Jesse Bradford — a name, but not a huge name — filling in the role (he was even in Romeo+Juliet), but maybe Luhrmann will drudge up a unique choice. For some reason I’d love to see someone like Jason Bateman take a turn at this role, but that’s just a name that popped up and works in my head for a reason I can’t explain.
In any event, many a writer continues to trip over himself to confirm that- yeah yeah, the 3D wave has definitely totally worn off (and they are so, aggressively wrong), while a few notable names have moved from respectable cynicism to retarded childishness about the whole thing. It doesn’t change the fact that some of the most interesting stereoscopic projects are still ahead. This, along with Scorsese’s Hugo Cabret, is definitely one of them. I’m more interested in those two projects than I ever was with Avatar or any subsequent 3D films, as I can’t wait to see what value, if any, can be mined from the format by a director who actually gives a shit about the humans being filmed.
The 17 weeks shoot will likely begin in the next few months to meet the 2012 release date, but no specific date has yet been announced.
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Source | Deadline (via Dark Horizons)