It’s still too early to tell if we’ll see the cast of “X-Men: First Class” in their mutant guises again. While the superhero prequel was well-received, the box office was somewhat underwhelming, with Matthew Vaughn‘s film turning out to be the lowest-grossing of the five installments so far (domestically at least), and, while “Thor” already has a sequel dated, word’s been suspiciously quiet on a possible ‘First Class’ follow-up from the studio. Nevertheless, the young cast aren’t doing too badly off it: James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender cemented their places on the A-list with their turns, Jennifer Lawrence bagged the much-sought-after lead in “The Hunger Games,” and Nicholas Hoult is filming another tentpole, Bryan Singer‘s “Jack The Giant Killer.” And now, one more of their cast mates has bagged a new role, in what’s shaping up to be one of the most intriguing projects of 2012.
The Wrap reports that Lucas Till, who played Havok in “X-Men: First Class,” has signed on to “Stoker,” the dark thriller that will mark the English-language debut of Park Chan-Wook, director of “Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance” and “Oldboy.” The script, which involves a teenage girl whose life is turned upside down when her mysterious uncle comes into town, comes from an unlikely source: “Prison Break” pin-up Wentworth Miller, who penned it under the pseudonym Ted Foulke, sparked a bidding war, and a high-place on the Black List.
While Carey Mulligan, Jodie Foster and Colin Firth were all circling roles at one time or another, Mia Wasikowska, star of “Alice in Wonderland” and “Jane Eyre,” has the lead, with Nicole Kidman taking on the part of her mother, “Animal Kingdom” Oscar-nominee Jacki Weaver taking an unknown role (likely that of “Auntie Gin”) and Matthew Goode bagging the plum role of Uncle Charlie, which should prove something of a breakout for the underrated British actor. There’s no firm word on who Till will play, but there’s only two suitable parts in the script — Pitts, a thuggish schoolmate of Wasikowska’s character, and Whip Taylor, her love interest — and we suspect that Till will end up as the latter.
Even without any major talent attached, we’d be excited about this: Miller’s script (which contrary to some reports, is not a vampire movie) is an excellent debut, an offbeat, violent drama with tinges of “Hamlet” and Greek tragedy. And with Chan-Wook at the helm, and a cast like the one that’s been assembled, it’s something we’re going to be watching very closely in the coming year. There’s no exact word on when filming will get underway, but it should be soon, and Fox Searchlight will release the film sometime in 2012 (and we’d bet a return trip to Cannes for Park isn’t out of the question).
