The life story of Scottish blog founder Peter Cashmore – who is reportedly set to sell his website Mashable for £127million while still only 26 – is being translated on to the big screen, with James McAvoy being eyed up for the lead role.

Cashmore grew up in Banchory, and founded Mashable in Aberdeen in 2005 at the age of 19.

The site’s primary focus is social media news, but it also covers the latest developments in the likes of mobile, entertainment, online video, business, web development, technology, memes and gadgets.

It’s been reported that Cashmore will make £127million when he sell his website Mashable to CNN.

His Twitter account is also one of Twitter’s 40 most-followed pages, with over 2.8 million followers.

Now it has been reported that a bidding war has begun over the rights to film Mashed Up, which tackles his life story.

Its screenwriter Anthony Phelan was quoted as saying: “We’re talking to studios and there’s a real buzz.

“James McAvoy is our No 1 choice to play Pete – he’s Scottish and they look similar.”

McAvoy last year starred in blockbuster X-Men: First Class, and has recently been filming in Scotland for the adaptation of Irvine Welsh’s Filth.

Source

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.

Source

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.

Source

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.

Source

If the rumours are to believed, then Scottish actor James McAvoy might be set to take on the role of legendary singer Elton John, in a movie following the story of the star’s rise to fame.

The upcoming movie, titled ”Rocketman”, is reportedly being written by the man who penned the screenplay for ”Billy Elliot”, Lee Hall. Elton John himself will act as executive producer on the project, whilst a number of his hit songs are thought to be being included within the narrative itself.

This will be the second time that John has worked alongside Hall, as he was also involved in composing the score for the West End theatre adaptation of ”Billy Elliot”, which took place in 2000. Still, there are plenty of Elton John classics for Hall to choose from, and it is thought that the movie will not be without big hits like ‘Candle In The Wind’ and, of course, ‘Rocket Man’. It has not yet been confirmed who will take on the role of the eccentric singer, but McAvoy is certainly tipped to be one of the preferred choices.

Source