Previously, we reported that actor Bruce Willis (Moonrise Kingdom) had dropped out of Woody Allen‘s next, still untitled, picture. Deadline now reports that recent Oscar nominee Steve Carell (Foxcatcher) looks primed to take over. Willis departed the project reportedly due to conflict with his impending Broadway debut in a production of Stephen King’s Misery, however some source allege the Die Hard star might have been fired. Willis’ loss appears to be Carell’s gain.
The plot for Allen’s latest film hasn’t been revealed as of yet but it’s set to star Blake Lively (The Age of Adeline), Kristen Stewart (Clouds of Sils Maria), Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network), Jeannie Berlin (Margaret), Corey Stoll (Midnight in Paris), Anna Camp (Pitch Perfect) and Parker Posey, who also appears in Allen’s current release Irrational Man. The film is currently shooting in both New York and Los Angeles (the first time the auteur has shot a film in the City of Angels since his 1977 Oscar winning classic Annie Hall). While the film currently doesn’t have U.S. distribution rights secured, it’s probably that Sony Pictures Classics will pick up the film eventually considering they have released Allen’s last seven titles.
Carell previously co-starred in Allen’s 2005 comedy Melinda and Melinda. Since then, the funnyman headlined the Emmy winning NBC comedy series The Office and segued quite well in the realm of feature films with big screen successes The 40-Year Old Virgin (2005), Little Miss Sunshine (2006), Get Smart (2008) and Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011). Just last year, Carell made an impressive leap to more dramatic fare with Bennett Miller’s disturbing crime story Foxcatcher, for which the actor earned his first Academy Award nomination. Coming up, Carell will be featured in drama Freeheld opposite Julianne Moore and Ellen Page (that film is due this fall) and next year will co-star in The Big Short opposite Christian Bale and Brad Pitt.
While unknown as of now, expect a summer 2016 release date for Allen’s latest, like clockwork.