With much of the United States on vacation for half the week and with political news taking the forefront, the first week of July was a fairly quiet one for Hollywood castings. That being said, there are some new projects on the horizon with promise. Netflix found a stellar trio for its upcoming series Sirens, while Michael Fassbender’s The Agency grew a bit bigger.
Last week, Michael Fassbender and Jeffrey Wright both joined The Agency, a forthcoming Paramount+ with Showtime spy series. This week, Richard Gere has also joined as Bosko, “the London Station Chief with a storied past after serving as an 8-year undercover agent,” per Variety’s report. Notably, this is only Gere’s second regular television role, after 2019’s MotherFatherSon, a BBC Two miniseries. [Drew Gillis]
Sirens, an upcoming limited series from Maid creator Molly Smith Metzler, has found its trio of actresses to lure confused sailors to their deaths (metaphorically, we assume). Based on a play Metzler wrote as a student at Julliard, Julianne Moore will play Michaela Kell, a socialite, activist, and wife to a billionaire, per Deadline. House Of The Dragon alum Milly Alcock will play her assistant, Simone DeWitt, while White Lotus standout Meaghann Fahy will play Simone’s sister Devon. Kevin Bacon and Glenn Howerton have also joined the cast. Bacon will play Michaela’s husband, Peter, while the It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia actor will play Ethan Corbin II, “a dear friend of the Kells and lifelong bachelor who lives next door.” The series will be executive produced by Margot Robbie’s production company, LuckyChap Entertainment. [Drew Gillis]
Blade Runner 2099 has found its cast of humans and almost-humans to appear alongside previously announced stars Michelle Yeoh and Hunter Schafer. Dimitri Abold (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes) and Lewis Gribben (Somewhere Boy) will be joining the Ridley Scott-produced show as series regulars, with Katelyn Rose Downey (The Nun II), Daniel Rigby (Renegade Nell), Johnny Harris (A Gentleman in Moscow), Amy Lennox (Only Child), Sheila Atim (The Woman King), and Matthew Needham (House of the Dragon) joining as recurring guest stars. No character details have been revealed as of this writing, but we bet they’re all putting a lot of blue and orange on their vision boards as we speak. [Emma Keates]
Murray Bartlett (The White Lotus) isn’t the only well-loved TV actor going to the shore for Kornel Mundruczó’s new drama, At The Sea. The film has added Brett Goldstein (Ted Lasso), Chloe East (The Fabelmans), Daniel Levy (Good Grief), Jenny Slate (Marcel the Shell with Shoes On), and Rainn Wilson (The Office) as its supporting cast. Amy Adams will star, as previously announced. Per Deadline, At The Sea “follows the life of Laura (Adams) as she returns to her family at their holiday beach home following a long rehabilitation. There, she must readjust to the complicated life she left behind and face the next chapter without the career that gave her fame, fortune and, most importantly, identity.” [Emma Keates]
Young Sheldon may be over, but Young Sherlock has only just begun. This week, it was announced that 3 Body Problem’s Zine Tseng will be starring opposite Hero Fiennes Tiffin in the Guy Ritchie series, which is about exactly what it sounds like. Tseng will play Princess Gulun Shou’an, a “Chinese Princess, Oxford University Scholar and skilled martial-artist,” per Deadline. She also joins Joseph Fiennes and Natascha McElhone, who were previously cast as Sherlock’s parents. [Emma Keates]
Molly Shannon is bringing her expertise to Balls Up, Peter Farrelly’s upcoming action comedy. She joins previously announced stars Mark Wahlberg and Paul Walter Hauser. Written by Paul Wernick & Rhett Reese (Deadpool & Wolverine), Deadline summarizes the film as follows: “Two American marketing executives… are fired for blowing a client sponsorship opportunity and decide to use their free tickets to a major soccer match. Their drunken debauchery leads them to be hunted by every person across the country.” [Emma Keates]
Jeremy Irons, the actor who made “triumph of mediocrity” one of the most used catchphrases on Earth, is joining a triumph of mediocrity of his own. Irons will take his place among the orphaned television actors currently bouncing around The Morning Show, playing Jennifer Aniston’s father Martin Levy. Despite the pedigree and voice, Irons is no TV snob, having appeared in crucial roles on HBO’s Watchmen and Netflix’s Mike Myers reclamation project, The Pentaverate. [Matt Schimkowitz]
James Gunn has apparently received the seal of approval from Christopher Reeve’s family. Will Reeve, the son of the late Superman actor Christopher Reeve, shot a cameo for Gunn’s Superman reboot. Per Variety, Reeve’s cameo takes place during a crucial scene, which will most likely include him getting stuck in a tree and Superman helping him down. Reeve is no stranger to the camera; he’s a journalist and ABC News correspondent. Perhaps he’s playing a fellow Daily Planeteer. [Matt Schimkowitz]
Brittany O’Grady, best known for her role in the first season of The White Lotus, will star in horror-thriller In Our Blood, reports Deadline. E. J. Bonilla, who most recently appeared in The Exorcist: Believer, is also set to star, while Morgan Freeman is executive producing. The plot follows Emily (O’Grady) as she sets out to shoot a documentary about her reunion with her estranged mother. The film will premiere later this month at the Fantasia Film Festival. [Drew Gillis]