Never let it be said that we don’t know how to pick ’em. Only a few weeks back, we picked our ten tips for actors to watch in the near future, and one of them was Australian Joel Edgerton, of “Animal Kingdom.” We wrote that “Edgerton could find himself eclipsing his country-mate [Sam] Worthington on the A-list.” While we’re not quite there yet, Edgerton’s just put himself well on the way by landing one of the most sought-after male leads in recent memory.
Heat Vision reports that Edgerton has signed on to star opposite Jennifer Garner in “The Odd Life of Timothy Green,” being written and directed by Peter Hedges (“Pieces of April,” “Dan In Real Life“). The plot, based on a story by musician, writer, and son of Frank, Ahmet Zappa, follows a couple unable to conceive (Edgerton and Garner) who “bury their wishes for a baby in a box in their backyard.” Some time later, they discover a child there, but “the child is not all that it appears.”
Despite sounding like the log-line to an “Orphan“-style horror flick, the film, as you might expect from the presence of Hedges in director’s chair, is more of a fable. Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Wahlberg were previously reported to be in the running for the role, but Edgerton, who’ll topline both the prequel to “The Thing” and the MMA drama “Warrior,” opposite Tom Hardy, seems to have landed it, and it can only help his ever-rising profile. Filming begins in the new year, so providing it’s closer to Hedges’ underrated “Pieces of April” than to the sickly “Dan in Real Life,” this could be something of a dark horse awards contender.
