The Hollywood Universe: Movie Casting News – 11/29

1) Repossession Mambo: Liev Schreiber joins Jude Law and Forest Whitaker in the sci-fi thriller about a future society where people have their organs replaced, but the crippling cost leaves them in debt and subject to dying when their artificial organs are repossessed. Law plays a repo man who can’t afford his heart transplant and must go on the run from his former partner. Schreiber will play his boss at the organ replacement credit union.

2) 17: Matthew Perry has been cast as the grown-up version of Zac Efron in the time twister fantasy comedy about a middle-aged dad who wakes to find that he’s in his 17-year-old body. Burr Steers directs, Jason Filardi wrote the script and Offspring Entertainment produces. Actress Leslie Mann will play Perry’s wife in the movie.

3) Star Trek: Ben Cross has been cast as Sarek, the Vulcan father of Spock, a role played by Mark Lenard in the original series. Jennifer Morrison, of House fame, is also playing a role in the movie, but which one has not been announced. Rumors that she is playing Yeoman Rand have been denied by director-writer J.J. Abrams. The movie is scheduled for release in December 2008.

4) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: David Yates returns to direct the sixth Potter movie, based on J.K. Rowling’s book, and writer Steve Kloves, who penned Potter films 1-4, adapted the screenplay. New cast members include Jim Broadbent as potions professor Horace Slughorn; Helen McCrory as Narissa Malfoy, mother of Draco Malfoy; Jessie Cave as Lavender Brown; Hero Fiennes Tiffin as Lord Voldemont’s younger self Tom Riddle; and Frank Dillane to play Tom Riddle as a teenager. The rest of the cast returns in their respective roles. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will be released in November 2008.