Casting Round-Up: Dennis Haysbert on Sin City, Kristen Wiig on Anchorman sequel, and Casey Affleck vs. The Boston Strangler

By Paul Shirey

December 6th 2012, 11:45am

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

Some interesting casting tidbits today, starting with Dennis Haysbert taking on the role of Manute in SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR. Haysbert will be replacing the late Michael Clarke Duncan who played the evil henchman in the first SIN CITY. This is spot-on casting as Haysbert is big enough to fill the role and the voice is eerily close to Duncan’s, although not quite as deep. The former 24 and The Unit star has been the face of the insurance company All-State for years now, but he definitely won’t be selling insurance in this role. I’m glad to see Haysbert in a mainstream role for a change.

“Manute is a character that has been part of the heart of the Sin City tales, and the late Michael Clarke Duncan beautifully established that role onscreen,” said Rodriguez and Miller in a statement to Heat Vision. “We could not tell the story of Sin City: A Dame to Kill For without Manute and are thrilled to welcome Dennis Haysbert to the cast.”

Next up is Kristin Wiig, the sexy comedienne who made a splash with last year’s BRIDESMAIDS, who is in negotiations to join ANCHORMAN: THE LEGEND CONTINUES, where she would reportedly play a love interest for Steve Carrell’s Brick Tamland. Might her character be named Lamp? Director Adam McKay and star Will Ferrell are still writing the script, but have an eye towards release in October 2013. Wiig recently finished the dramedy IMOGENE, as well as THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY with Ben Stiller and is currently filming HATESHIP/FRIENDSHIP with Guy Pearce.

Last up to bat is Casey Affleck, who is attached to star in the recently acquired BOSTON STRANGLER for Warner Bros. The true-life story is “about the desperate search for the murderer who terrorized the Boston area during the early 1960s.” Affleck would play “an ambitious detective who is willing to risk career and life in a race to bring down the most notorious sexual predator of the day, while battling a political cover-up by corrupt politicians and lawyers trying to save their careers.”

The Boston Strangler case remains unsolved, although many believe that Albert DeSalvo, who was convicted for unrelated crimes, was the true perpetrator. In addition to this, Affleck is also planning to write and direct a biopic on Texas Rangers slugger Josh Hamilton.

More as these develop.