CASTING ABOUT ...

There's been a lot of pretty interesting casting news recently. More than I usually remember happening in such a short period of time. Either that, or I'm simply paying more attention than usual. Still, from what I've read this morning ....

• They did it. I guess Gary Sinese is the latest actor to be lured by the opportunity to live at home (rather than long-term on a location) and the potential stability of series television because he has signed to star in the new CSI: New York series coming this Fall. That instantly (to me) makes the new show at least worth a real looksie. I like the original show, but I don't watch it religiously. I find the Miami incarnation watchable, but nowhere near must-watchable, mostly because I'm bored with David Caruso's little head-twist and syncopated speaking. The show's have never been character-driven anyway, but for my money, none of them have had as talented an actor as Sinese headlining.

• Jake Gyllenhaal as The Green Hornet? That's the latest buzz according to The Hollywood Reporter. Kevin Smith is planning on making an adaptation of the classic DC Comic his next film for Miramax, and apparently Gyllenhaal is the current favorite to land the lead role. I don't remember the Hornet comics that much, and I barely remember the 60's Batman (the series) style show which starred Bruce Lee as sidekick Kato. I'll put my faith in Smith, though. While I've liked most of his writing, I've never thought he was the best director. However, he is a comic expert, and he'll probably treat this adaptation with more reverence than might even be warranted. If he likes Jake (who, in case you didn't know, was in line to replace Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the sequel had his contract dispute back injury not been resolved), I'll like him too.

• The Hollywood Reporter also mentions that the cast is coming together for Robert Rodriguez's Sin City and what a cast! The film is an adaptation of a series of graphic novels by Frank Miller, who in the 80s became the man responsible for revitalizing Batman (through the "Dark Knight" series of graphic novels, which helped push the develpment and production of the Tim Burton films). I'm actually not sure if I'd call it a "good" cast or simply an interesting one. Leonardo DiCaprio, Bruce Willis, Elijah Wood, Mickey Rourke, Brittany Murphy, Kate Bosworth and Jaime King are apparently close ... Benecio del Toro and Maria Bello are in the discussion mix as well. Rourke is such a bizarre actor these days, but I'm happy that he's finally acting again after getting punched in the head so much. I saw Rumble Fish recently at Lincoln Center, and he was such a great, young, promising actor back in the 80s. The Pope of Greenwich Village, Diner, and Barfly showcased a brilliant, talented actor approaching the top of his game. And then he decided to box and make crap. Now he seems to be relegated to character roles as the idiosyncratic heavy in films like Get Carter, Spun, and Once Upon a Time in Mexico. He's also by far the best thing in at least the latter two of those. Even if he continues being as entertaining in these kinds of roles in the future, it's still a shame because of what might have been. He very easily could have been as good playing a variety of roles as Sean Penn has in recent memory, and probably would have or be close to an Oscar himself.

• And this isn't casting news, unless you consider choosing the latest Real World locatle casting which I would if they actually ever used anything about the character and individuality of these places to any decent effect like they did in the original New York and San Francisco. But I digress. Apparently, the unions in Philadelphia couldn't care less about the Mary-Ellis Bunim memorial season (my moniker, not their's) of the show. Three weeks before starting the 856,341st (there have been that many now, right?) version of the show in Phialdelphia, the production has had to pick-up its gear and leave town because the local unions weren't too happy about Bunim-Murray Productions' use of non-union labor to renovate the building in which the latest group of attention-whores were going to live. Imagine that. In fact, I'm a bit shocked that this issue hasn't come-up, at least not in a manner which would potentially hault pre-production, before. I say it's time to go way underground. Make the kisd more creative about how they party. Stick them in a farmhouse in South Dakota ... or Wyoming. Send them to Laramie. Shockingly, there has yet to be an Austin, TX RW, since apparently Austin actually is the coolest town in the country ... so everyone who doesn't live in NYC keeps telling me.