The movie ‘The Help’ seems to be helping a few of their stars. This morning we reported that Octavia Spencer will be in the sci-fi film ‘Snow Piercer,’ and now we hear that Best Actress Oscar nominee, Viola Davis, just scored supporting roles in the two sci-fi films: ‘Ender’s Game’ and ‘Beautiful Creatures.’
‘ENDER’S GAME’
In ‘Ender’s Game,’ Davis will play a military psychologist who is part of the team that oversees the young children who will be trained to fight and who develops the games that will test their skills and resilience. It’s a pretty substantial role and she will be in the company of some great young and veteran actors such as Sir Ben Kingsley, Harrison Ford, Asa Butterfield and Abigail Breslin.
‘Ender’s Game’ will be directed by Gavin Hood (‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’) who also wrote the screenplay adaptation from the book by Orson Scott Card. The book is set in the Earth’s future where humankind has barely survived two previous attacts from the Formics (an alien insect-like species who are also called Buggers). In preparation of another Bugger invasion, special highly talented children are taken at a young age to train at the Battle School. There the teachers train them in the art of war by having the children go through increasing difficult games. These games are where Ender’s tactical genius is revealed. How Ender reacts in the games and their effect on him is a main plot point in the book. No word yet has been heard if the movie will closely follow the book.
Filming is scheduled to begin at the end of April for a March 2013 release.
‘BEAUTIFUL CREATURES’
The second movie Davis will be acting in is called ‘Beautiful Creatures.’ It’s an adaptation of the supernatural young adult novel by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl of the same name. ‘Beautiful Creatures’ centers around a small town boy named Ethan Wate who is drawn to mysterious newcomer, Leena Duchanness. Leena struggles to conceal her powers and together they try to uncover the dark secrets of a curse that have plagued the family for generations. Davis has signed on to co-star as Amma, a librarian and seer who takes care of Ethan and his father after his mother dies.
Producer Erwin Stoff (‘The Matrix’, ‘I Am Legend’) says of the film:
“This story successfully uses the bucolic, peaceful world of the Gothic South and the stories of families that have been rooted there for generations to tell a story of fated love… A mythic struggle between good and evil…And how each generation has the power to claim its own destiny. Our intention is to create characters that are so rich, and a world that is so inviting, that audiences will desire to have the story continue beyond this movie.”
Richard LaGravenese (‘Water for Elephants’) has penned the adaptation and is also slated to direct the film. ‘Beautiful Creatures’ is the first book of a trilogy that Alcon Entertainment hopes to be the first of a movie franchise for them. They have already secured the rights for the other two books in the series, ‘Beautiful Darkness’ and ‘Beautiful Chaos.’
Davis will be filming ‘Beautiful Creatures’ after she finishes filming her role in ‘Ender’s Game.’ No other casting news has been released for ‘Beautiful Creatures’ but it sounds like it’s off to a great start!
Source: Variety
