Pierce Brosnan, Uma Thurman, Kevin McKidd, Sean Bean and Melina Kanakaredes have signed on to play classical Greek gods in the fantasy-adventure “Percy Jackson.”
The Fox 2000 flick is being directed by Chris Columbus (”Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone”), who also co-adapted the screenplay from the best-selling children’s novel “The Lightning Thief” by Rick Riordan.
The book, which draws from Greek mythology, follows Poseidon’s half-human son Percy on his “quest across modern America to prevent a war among the gods,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
READ MORE »
It’s official: Pierce Brosnan has turned in his spy badge.
Brosnan, who played James Bond in four movies, told Entertainment Weekly that he learned in a phone call that he would not be back for a fifth round.
“One phone call, that’s all it took!” he said. Initially, the news was a “titanic jolt to the system,” but then he felt “a great sense of calm.”
“I thought. … I can do anything I want to do now,” he said. “I’m not beholden to them or anyone. I’m not shackled by some contracted image. So there was a sense of liberation.”
His departure isn’t entirely unexpected, since he’s been dropping hints for a long time now that he was getting tired of the franchise. Brosnan said he’s grateful to have had the role, acknowledging that GoldenEye launched his movie career, but added: “It never felt real to me. I never felt I had complete ownership over Bond. Because you’d have these stupid one-liners – which I loathed – and I always felt phoney doing them.”
Eonline.com reports that GoldenEye director Martin Campbell will be returning to direct the latest film, Casino Royale, and the release date has already been set for Nov. 17, 2006. All they need is a Bond. It’s not like there’s a shortage of big name potentials – Hugh Jackman, Ewan McGregor and Clive Owen are only a few of the names that have been churned out by the Hollywood rumour mill. So just pick somebody to fill those suave shoes, dammit.
Whoever is chosen will become the sixth 007 in the franchise. Meanwhile, Brosnan fans can see him next in The Matador. He plays a foul-mouthed, skirt-chasing hit man.
