Casting Soderbergh’s ‘Informant’
There were some casting announcements yesterday for Steven Soderbergh’s upcoming project The Informant. Among those joining star Matt Damon are Scott Bakula, Joel McHale (E!’s The Soup), Mike O’Malley (CBS’ Yes, Dear), Melanie Lynskey (Heavenly Creatures) and Andrew Daly (Semi-Pro).
The Informant is based on NY Times investigative journalist Kurt Eichenwald’s true story of Mark Whitacre, an executive at Archer Daniels Midland who worked with the FBI to uncover a plot by the evil agri-empire to steal millions of dollars from its customers.
This doesn’t sound like funny business at all, but Soderbergh apparently has darkly comic intentions and, according to The Hollywood Reporter, “he chose comedic actors who haven’t been overexposed on film, planning to have them play their roles seriously and have a humorous tone emerge naturally.”
New Zealander Melanie Lynskey’s career didn’t take off after Heavenly Creatures like it did for Kate Winslet. Her highest profile role in the U.S. was probably as Rose on CBS’ Two and a Half Men. Perhaps this new Soderbergh film will raise her profile. I mention all of this because the LiC monkeys are big fans of Ms. Lynskey and they couldn’t care less about Scott Bakula or the dude from The Soup. Don’t ask.
Filming on The Informant begins this month and I assume it will hit theaters sometime after the release of Soderbergh’s twin Che Guevara biographies (biopic is another term I’m retiring at LiC), Guerilla and The Argentine.
Filed under: News, Upcoming
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Well, I like Scott Bakula, so fie on your monkeys. ;-)
Well all the monkeys are boys save one and they’re kinda sweet on Ms. Lynskey.
I think The Informant sounds more interesting than the Che movies, not because of the casting, but because of the subject matter and Soderbergh’s intended dark comedy take on it.
Didn’t Lynskey have a small supporting role in Flags of our Fathers?
Yes, and she was in Jerry Suckheimer’s Coyote Ugly too.
You’re right Craig, she hasn’t become a star like Winslet but Lynskey has worked a lot in mainly supporting or guest roles - according to IMDB the 31 year old has appearing in 28 past and upcoming films and television series.
Neither I nor the monkeys will rest until she is a household name!
Wow, Scott Bakula. Welcome back. Just me or does Lynskey look exactly like Mary-Louise Parker?
Wow, hasn’t this been in development hell for several years now?
Lynskey–good. Love her in Heavenly Creatures with Kate Winslet.
Bakula–bad. I’ve never liked this guy at all. I thought he gave one of the most inadvertently funniest performances ever in one of the most inadvertently funniest TV movies ever, that horrid NetForce thing that I remember taping way back in 1999 and not watching for five whole years. Then I saw it in 2004 and couldn’t believe how atrocious it really was.
I liked Bakula in Quantum Leap. But as far as I know, he hasn’t done many feature films.
He was good in Quantum Leap and in the few episodes of Enterprise that I watched.
I still think it’s strange casting all around, but I like what Soderbergh has in mind. The guy has a knack for getting terrific performances from unlikely places.
Love Scott Bakula. He should have been a much bigger name by now.
Personally, I’m not a fan of either “biography” nor “biopic.” I think calling something a “biography” implies it holds itself to a certain standard of accuracy. That said, I don’t know what to call them. How about “Herman?”
Bakula was fine as the gay neighbor in AMERICAN BEAUTY.
And this new Soderbergh sounds right up my alley. One of his skills is getting good performances out of all types.
Glad to see Damon and Soderbergh finally getting a chance to make this. Should be interesting and give Damon another solid film for 2009 (the other is Greengrass’ GREEN ZONE).