Update: Josh Duhamel officially joining Jennifer Lopez in Shotgun Wedding

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Update: It has now been confirmed that Josh Duhamel will be replacing Armie Hammer in Shotgun Wedding, a romantic comedy starring Jennifer Lopez. It was also announced that Jennifer Coolidge and Sonia Braga have joined the production as the mothers of Duhamel and Lopez's characters, respectively. "We couldn’t be happier for our bride and groom of this Shotgun Wedding," said  Lionsgate's president of production Erin Westerman in a statement. "We know Josh and Jennifer will make a compelling and sexy on-screen couple and they will be fun sparring partners as their dream destination wedding erupts into a memorable nightmare. We are also thrilled to bring Jennifer and Sonia on to our cast as Mothers of the Bride and Groom. Their acting and comedic talents will add another fun layer to this already-rich action-comedy."

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It was announced just last week that Armie Hammer had stepped away from Shotgun Wedding, an action/comedy that also stars Jennifer Lopez and follows a couple who "gather their lovable but very opinionated families for the ultimate destination wedding just as the couple begins to get cold feet. And if that wasn’t enough of a threat to the celebration, suddenly everyone’s lives are in danger when the entire party is taken hostage." A production spokesperson said, "Given the imminent start date of Shotgun Wedding, Armie has requested to step away from the film and we support him in his decision." Well, it seems that Lionsgate has wasted little time in finding a replacement as it's been reported that Josh Duhamel is currently in talks to step into the role.

It's said that Jennifer Lopez will have a say in the casting, but if the deal goes through, production on Shotgun Wedding will be able to keep its February start date. Many believe that Armie Hammer's departure has to do with a social-media scandal after direct messages were leaked that found the actor describing fantasies that included sexual slavery and cannibalism. In his own statement, Hammer said, "I’m not responding to these bullshit claims but in light of the vicious and spurious online attacks against me, I cannot in good conscience now leave my children for 4 months to shoot a film in the Dominican Republic. Lionsgate is supporting me in this, and I’m grateful to them for that." Shotgun Wedding will be directed by Jason Moore (Pitch Perfect) from a script by Elizabeth Meriwether (New Girl) and Mark Hammer (Two Night Stand).

Josh Duhamel is best known for playing Colonel William Lennox in Michael Bay's Transformers franchise, and has recently appeared in The Lost Husband and Think Like a Dog. Duhamel is also slated to star in Netflix's Jupiter's Legacy, an adaptation of Mark Millar and Frank Quitely's comic of the same name. The series is expected to debut later this year.