There’s casting news on two different big-budget projects and I’m not going to lie the only reason I’m running the stories together is so I can reference DARK CITY. If you want to complain about it I’ll make sure the Strangers pay you a visit.
The disaster film POMPEII started filming last week in Toronto and has added Kiefer Sutherland to its cast according to THR. Sutherland joins Kit Harington, Emily Browning, and Jared Harris in the film about the explosion of Mount Vesuvius that wiped out the city in AD 79. Harington plays a slave trying to save the woman he loves (Browning) who is also the daughter of his master (Harris). Kiefer Sutherland will play an evil Roman senator that takes over Harrington’s village and demands to be married to Emily Browning. POMPEII is being directed by Paul W.S. Anderson which has me cautious but it looks like he’s getting some decent actors for the film and it could end up being better than some of his previous efforts.
Meanwhile Deadline is reporting that fellow DARK CITY alumnus Rufus Sewell is set to star alongside Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in Brett Ratner‘s HERCULES. The film is based on the recent graphic novel that take a different approach with the classic character by making him mortal. Sewell will be playing Autolycus and if the name sounds familiar it’s probably because you’re thinking of Bruce Campbell‘s character from the television series Hercules: The Legendary Journey.
Both of these projects have potential but there are definitely some red flags. However the destruction of Pompeii should be jaw dropping visually if done right and I wouldn’t mind seeing HERCULES if they stick close to the graphic novels. Either way I’m reserving judgement until I see trailers for both films.
There isn’t a release date for POMPEII yet but HERCULES is set to come out July 25th, 2014.