For a film with such a provocative title, the cast is at least well, “not sucky.” The film started gearing up in January when Robert De Niro and Paul Dano joined the project and now the film is adding another great young talent to the cast.
Deadline reports that Olivia Thirlby has come aboard. The film is based on a memoir by Nick Flynn and follows a young man in his twenties (Dano) who works at various homeless shelters in Boston where he often intersects with his brilliant but troubled and estranged father (De Niro). Thirlby will play Denise, the love interest who helps Dano land the job.
Thirlby is a talent who has long deserved a big break and it looks like 2011 will be her year. While she was underutilized in “No Strings Attached” earlier this year, she’s taking a swing for the tentpoles with a role in the upcoming alien invasion flick “The Darkest Hour” hitting this summer as well as starring in the rebooted “Dredd.” ‘Suck City’ should be yet another opportunity for Thirlby to stretch her wings but we just hope that Paul Weitz — who has directed a string of embarrassments including “Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant,” “American Dreamz” and “Little Fockers” — is up to the task.
Julianne Moore has also been rumored for a part, and as reported by The Film Stage, been popping up on casting calls for the film, but her casting has not yet been confirmed. ‘Suck City’ will start lensing this spring.
