The wonders that a successful independent film can do for your mainstream movie career. Scoot McNairy, the star of Gareth Edward’s Monsters, has landed an apparently major role in Andrew Dominik’s Cogan’s Trade. He has been given the second lead against the film’s star, Brad Pitt. According to The Playlist, the role that was going to be given to Casey Affleck, as one of the junkies who holds up the card game played by Pitt’s Jackie Cogan. We believe now that Affleck is no longer involved with the project, although no official confirmation has been made.
The popularity of this film doesn’t cease to amaze me and it hasn’t even gone into production yet. The cast assembled by Dominik has got to be one of the finest ensembles in years with the aforementioned Brad Pitt, James Gandolfini, Richard Jenkins, Sam Rockwell, Ray Liotta and newcomer Bella Heathcote. I simply cannot wait for this one, filming begins in New Orleans later this month.
Other exciting news for McNairy is that he may join Ridley Scott’s not-quite-Alien-prequel Prometheus, which already has Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron and Michael Fassbender attached. Also, he could become part of Timur Bekmambetov’s adaptation of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter so it could be a busy slate for the relative newcomer for the next year or so.