For a moment, it looked like Warner Bros. was getting ready to take Arthur and Lancelot of the production halt line. Colin Farrell was in talks to star as Arthur’s second in command knight Lancelot. But now the movie has fallen apart once more as Farrell is now out of the project due to scheduling conflicts.

Kit Harington and Joel Kinnaman were originally signed on to play as the legendary medieval duo, but when Warner Bros pulled the plug on the project due to budgetary concerns, the pair eventually went their separate ways. Gary Oldman is currently attached to play as Merlin.

David Dobkin’s Arthur and Lancelot is a heavy actioner and would require a lot of training and preparation, something that Farrell couldn’t fit into his schedule. So it’s back to the drawing board for the Arthur and Lancelot casting, and the studio already has someone in mind to play the role of King Arthur. According to Deadline, James McAvoy and other names have been approached for the lead role. I imagine that we will be hearing of more names as Warner Bros is very eager to make the movie.

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A sequel to 2011′s Gnomeo & Juliet is underway at Rocket Pictures, Deadline has announced. Titled Gnomeo & Juliet: Sherlock Gnomes, the next adventure offers a lawn ornament take on Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic detective.

The original film featured the voices of James McAvoy and Emily Blunt who, though unconfirmed, are likely to return. The first film’s director, Kelly Asbury, will serve as creative consultant while Andy Riley and Kevin Cecil are set to again provide the screenplay.

As in the original, Sherlock Gnomes will feature new music by Elton John.

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Principal photography on feature film Filth, written and directed by Jon S. Baird (Cass) is officially announced today. James McAvoy (Arthur Christmas), Jamie Bell (The Adventures of Tintin), Jim Broadbent (The Iron Lady), Eddie Marsan (Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows), and Imogen Poots (Jane Eyre) star.

Shooting the film based on the best-selling novel by Irvine Welsh has commenced in Glasgow, Scotland as well as on location in Sweden, Belgium and Hamburg.

McAvoy plays the leading role of Bruce Robertson, a corrupt Scottish police officer and cocaine addict who has to solve a brutal murder case with an ambitious colleague, mentee-cum-sidekick, Ray Lennox (Bell). Bruce flees from, his sexual endeavors eventually backfiring and his various short or long-termed schemes and plots against his colleagues in order to secure the hoped-for promotion to Detective Inspector.

Poots will be playing Amanda Drummond, a colleague of Bruce’s.

Scottish novelist Irvine Welsh, best known for his novel Trainspotting, also co-wrote a script with Baird. Baird commented:

Filth is filled with irreverent comedy and some extremely surreal moments, but ends with a sharp twist of poignancy. The character of Bruce Robertson has to show such a wide range that it could only take an actor as talented as James McAvoy (pictured) to pull it off with the necessary charm and humanity.

Producer Marshall added:

Bruce Robertson is not only a guilty pleasure, but a character edgier than all the other characters from Irvine Welsh’s works combined. With Filth we have the chance to make a bold and outrageous film that I have no doubt will be unique, darkly funny and ultimately commercial.”

Lionsgate will be releasing Filth.

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The writers of the film Wanted have been rehired to work on the script for a sequel.

Derek Haas and Michael Brandt will rewrite Evan Spiliotopoulos’ screenplay for Wanted 2.

“Wanted 2 is going to take off after the events of what just happened. Pick up Wesley a few years later and go back in for another round,” Haas told TheWrap.

“We just always loved the Wanted world and loved working with Universal and [director] Timur [Bekmambetov] on the first one, so we’re excited.”

Haas said there was no director attached yet, although as you might have guessed from his statement above he’d be happy to work with Bekmambetov again. “But he’s a busy guy,” Haas added.

James McAvoy starred in the 2008 comic-book movie about a lowly office worker who discovers he has unusual abilities that make him the perfect assassin.

The two writers are clearly seen as hitmen themselves by film studio Universal, with the first movie making $341m on a $75m budget.

Will McAvoy return, though?

The actor is filming Trance right now, while his next movie Filth is currently in pre-production and he’s also been named as the favourite to play Elton John in the biopic? Rocketman.

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James McAvoy will be starring in Filth, it has been confirmed.

The Scottish X-Men: First Class star, who will play sex-obsessed, misanthropic police officer Bruce Robertson, is said to be joined by Jamie Bell and Alan Cumming as his partner-of-sorts Ray Lennox and his boss Bob Toal in the big-screen adaptation of Irvine Welsh’s 1998 bestselling novel.

The Scottish author told the Playlist: “James is going to be main character, Jamie is going to be Lennox – his kind of sidekick – and Alan is going to be Toal. That’s going to be the main cast.”

James had previously hinted at a thrilling project on the horizon earlier this year, telling the Daily Record: “I’m looking at a part soon, like the second half of this year, that is quite extreme I mean, quite full on mental.”

Irvine, who will produce the film, also revealed that filming is expected to begin with director Jon S Baird in January 2012.

“Jon did a revised screenplay which was absolutely brilliant,” the author continued.

“I think Jon’s definitely done something really sort of magic. He’s captured and he’s kept the essence of the main protagonist but he’s done a lot of interesting things with it as well. It’s a great script and it’s going to make a great film with that cast attached.”

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