Yesterday we reported from Variety that James McAvoy was in “early talks” to star in Danny Boyle‘s 127 Hours follow-up, Trance. We’ve just received word straight from Fox Searchlight that he is confirmed to be in talks, but in a different role than his X-Men: First Class co-star Michael Fassbender was previously circling. As for Fassbender’s involvement, they provided no comment. Could a reunion still be in the works after they carried Fox’s recent blockbuster? We don’t have enough to go on, but stay tuned and read our original story below.

Danny Boyle is set to remake Joe Ahearne‘s 2001 British thriller Trance. The modestly budgeted art heist film is being described in the “dark, sexy, hard-edged tone of Boyle films like Shallow Grave and Trainspotting” and we now have an actor in talks to the role, after Michael Fassbender was rumored.

His X-Men: First Class co-star James McAvoy has entered early talks to play the a role, but not the one of Simon. Fassbender was circling that role of “the shady leader of the gang who partners with the assistant.” Check out a synopsis below.

An assistant at an auction house masterminds the heist and teams up with a gang of thieves, but suffers a blow to the head and wakes up with amnesia. He is the only one who knows where the painting’s location is and after his continued failure to remember, the gang begins to suspect duplicity on his part and hire a female hypnotist to get into his brain.

Boyle, and his producing partner Christian Colson, plan a different kind of production schedule. He will have a London shoot this fall, then take a break to direct the opening 2012 Summer Olympics ceremony. He will then return to the film and edit it for a March 2013 release via Fox Searchlight. Many films are on such a tight production schedule, it will be interesting to see what this extended break can help in the formation of the film.

Source

James McAvoy, star of The Last King of Scotland and X-Men: First Class, has replaced fellow X-Men actor Michael Fassbender in the lead role of Danny Boyle’s next film, Trance, according to a report in Variety magazine. Trance is a remake of a 2001 British TV drama written and directed by Joe Ahearne (best known for his work on This Life and Doctor Who), and is about an auction house employee who helps to steal a painting, but then suffers amnesia and can’t remember where it’s hidden.

Fassbender, who played Magneto in X-Men: First Class, was originally in line for the role, but appears to have dropped out, clearing the way for McAvoy, who played Xavier in the same movie.

Boyle, who won the Academy award for best director in 2008 for Slumdog Millionaire, is due to direct the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games in London, and plans to shoot Trance before the event gets under way.

Source

“Wanted” fans have been clamoring for a sequel since we first saw Angelina Jolie snatch James McAvoy up for the car ride of his life. However, despite story developments that would make it rather difficult for at least one character to return in a sequel, the film plays pretty fast and loose with the comic book source material — enough so that a sequel could be possible, or at least that’s what “Wanted” writer Mark Millar has been teasing us with for a few years.

In any case, McAvoy can’t escape questions about the possibility, even during interviews for “X-Men: First Class.”

“I don’t know what’s happening,” the Scottish actor told IGN. “I know that the script came out a while back which I don’t think they were happy with in the end.”

“I think the studio is keen to make it, and we really want to make it, but we want to make it if it’s right and when it’s right, and that might not be ever,” he added.

Of course, a big part of it hinges on a character who got knocked off in the first “Wanted” and whether the sequel would make the same beaucoup bucks without that mega-star on board.

Even so, McAvoy doesn’t exactly seem too keen for a sequel.

“It was a good time, and a good movie, but in a way, I’m glad that not everything has to be a franchise,” he said.

Source

Joe Wright is already reuniting with one of his Atonement stars for his planned Anna Karenina film, which will star Keira Knightley, and now he may be bringing the other two on board as well. According to an article by Anne Thompson at IndieWire about British production company Working Title, Anna Karenina has been greenlit by Universal, and Wright is eyeing both James McAvoy and Saoirse Ronan for roles in the sprawling film. Jude Law and Aaron Johnson are already on board.

Both Ronan and McAvoy are keeping very busy schedules these days, though now that Ronan won’t be playing the Snow White part she was heavily rumored for (it went to Lily Collins) she may have a free spot on her schedule. She and Wright are spending plenty of time together as they make the rounds to promote their new film Hanna, so it makes sense that they’d have time to talk over whichever role he wants her to play in Anna Karenina. As for McAvoy, his future will be determined by how X-Men: First Class performs this summer–he may have many years of playing Professor Xavier ahead of him. Beyond that, though, he can probably make a reunion with Wright work.

Though Hanna, a modern-day action thriller with strong fairy tale elements, is a bit of a departure from the polished period world of Atonement, Anna Karenina gets Wright back to what he established early as his wheelhouse. It’s a classic story that’s building a phenomenal cast– there’s nothing not to hotly anticipate here.

Source

Sir Elton John has revealed Scottish actor James McAvoy has offered his services if he wants him to appear in a biopic about his life

James McAvoy has offered to play the role of Sir Elton John in a biopic about his life.

The singer-and-movie producer has previously revealed he would like Robert Downey Jr. to be one of three actors to play him in a movie about his eccentric life, and he has now added Scottish actor James as another possibility.

Asked who he would like to play him, Elton said: “Well James McAvoy could do it. He’s already offered.”

The pair worked together on animated family movie ‘Gnomeo and Juliet’, and 63-year-old Elton – who recently became a father for the first time with his partner David Furnish thanks to a surrogate mother – admits he would never have believed he would do such a project if you would have told him 20 years ago.

He told Collider.com: “In 1990, if you’d said, ‘You’re going to make a film about garden gnomes,’ I’d have said, ‘You’re crazy!’ That is the joyous thing about being a creative person. Things can come along that can completely surprised you, that you normally would never have thought of doing.”

Source