Billy Crudup in talks for Alien: Covenant; J.K. Simmons joins Patriots Day

With Ridley Scott's PROMETHEUS sequel set to kick off production very soon in Australia, it's only natural that we've been getting quite a lot of casting news about the film. Earlier this week it was announced that Demian Bichir (THE HATEFUL EIGHT) would be joining the cast of ALIEN: COVENANT and just this morning the quartet of Jussie Smollett (Empire), Amy Seimetz (UPSTREAM COLOR), Carmen Ejogo (FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM) and Callie Hernandez (LA LA LAND) joined up as well. Now Deadline is reporting that Billy Crudup (SPOTLIGHT) may also be embarking on an interstellar mission. Crudup hasn't officially signed on the dotted line just yet, but Deadline says that he is in "advanced negotiations" for a "key part."

A synopsis for ALIEN: COVENANT:

Bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, the crew of the colony ship Covenant discovers what they think is an uncharted paradise, but is actually a dark, dangerous world — whose sole inhabitant is the "synthetic" David (Michael Fassbender), survivor of the doomed Prometheus expedition.

In other casting news, J.K. Simmons, one of my favourite actors, has joined the cast of Peter Berg's PATRIOTS DAY. The upcoming film will focus on the tragic events surrounding the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and stars Mark Wahlberg as a Boston Police Department officer who is central to the investigation and manhunt for the bombing suspects. J.K. Simmons will play Sergeant Jeffrey Pugliese, a member of the Watertown Police Department who was a key figure in apprehending Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. Peter Berg commented on J.K. Simmons casting:

Beyond his considerable talents, J.K. Simmons is a person who respects the solemn trust that these real life heroes are putting in our hands, this is an actor who will represent the role in the best way possible.

PATRIOTS DAY is not the only Boston Marathon bombing film in the works, David Gordon Green is also set to direct STRONGER, which will tell the story of Jeff Bauman, who lost both his legs during the bombing while he was waiting for his girlfriend at the finish line. Jake Gyllenhaal is set to star in the film as Bauman.