The allure of the tentpole has snatched Oscar-nominee Jennifer Lawrence into tween fandom and out of a much more interesting (though less lucrative) project. Deadline reveals — and recent reports have hinted — that Jennifer Lawrence has dropped out of Oliver Stone‘s drug cartel thriller “Savages.” However, a host of new names have popped up for the film as it moves toward its summer production start.
Taylor Kitsch is looking to boost his rising status as he is in talks to potentially join Aaron Johnson as one of the two pot growers — Ben and Chon — who square off against a Mexican drug cartel when their shared girlfriend O is kidnapped and held for ransom. While Lawrence was previously tapped for the role of O, Olivia Wilde is now being tossed into the mix as a possible replacement, though it seems she is just one of many actresses Stone is looking at for the part. Meanwhile, Salma Hayek is being eyed to play the matriarch of the cartel who takes a motherly interest in O. Still no word on Benicio Del Toro, who in very early reports was being sought for the role of an enforcer for the cartel.
While we’re definitely bummed Lawrence is now out, there is a whole raft of rising young actresses to choose from and Stone will likely be getting a lot of phone calls from agents. So don’t be surprised to hear of more names entering the mix. We like the pairing of Johnson and Kitsch, and it’s certainly nice to see Hayek circling her first role of substance in years.
Production on “Savages” is aiming to start in June.
