Casting Corner: Mark Wahlberg, James Franco, Jennifer Lopez

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Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Paramount, Yari Film Group Releasing, Adaptation, Drama, Romance, Comedy, Casting, Celeb News, Upcoming Releases

Here’s a quick look at some of the casting announcements made recently:

Former Rolling Stone journalist Evan Wright is currently working with Paramount to bring his next project to the big screen. Wright’s 2004 book, Generation Kill, is currently airing on HBO as a mini-series. Now Evan has signed a deal to adapt something he is still writing.

Cocaine Cowboys - not to be confused with the 2006 documentary by the same name - will tell the story of Jon Roberts, a real-life drug trafficker who wound up working with the Medellin drug cartel. Interestingly enough, Mark Wahlberg has signed on to star and co-produce the adaptation. Those familiar with Entourage - a show Mark created - may remember that Vincent Chase fought hard to get the lead role in the movie Medellin.

Director Peter Berg (Hancock) has been tapped to helm the project.

Read More | Variety

While out promoting Pineapple Express, James Franco told MTV News he may be working in Mark Ruffalo’s (Reservation Road) directing debut.

In Sympathy for Delicious, Franco would play a singer in a rock band. (Why am I envisioning Freaks and Geeks right now?) And while one might assume - based on that title - that the film is a comedy, James explains the feature has far more to it.

“DJ Delicious. He’s a DJ. This DJ character was written for [Mark’s] friend who’s actually paraplegic in real life, Chris Thornton, and he’s this DJ that has kind of a gift. He joins up with my band and then starts getting more attention than me, the lead singer. So I start getting upset about that.”

While it’s not clear when Sympathy will begin production, Franco can be seen next month’s Pineapple Express. Meanwhile, Ruffalo fans will have to wait a little longer to see him on screen again. Blindness, co-starring Julianne Moore, won’t be out until September 26.

Although Jennifer Lopez recently entered new territory in her personal life, the new mother of twins apparently isn’t ready to branch out professionally.

For her next acting vehicle, JLo will be reteaming with the same person who wrote her 2002 film, Maid in Manhattan. In The Governess, Lopez will play a professional thief who takes on a job as a nanny for her cover. She, of course, becomes attached to the kids and single father and then must figure out if she can start her life over. (Did I just give the ending away?)

Jennifer - who was last seen in 2006’s El Cantante - is also in pre-production on Love and Other Impossible Pursuits, a project from Don Roos (The Opposite of Sex).