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Tom Hanks isn't scared to tackle some of history's biggest and most tragic events. His next film, "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close," takes place during the aftermath of September 11, and now he has plans to tackle a movie about the Holocaust.

The Hollywood Reporter has learned that Hanks and his producing partner are planning to bring Erik Larson's non-fiction novel "In the Garden of the Beasts" to the big screen for Universal. It follows an American professor and his daughter who travel to Berlin in Hitler's first year of power, 1933, and try to temper the Fuhrer-to-be's government. Apparently the book offers a good understanding of why it took the world so long to understand the threat posed by Hitler. Hanks could potentially star in the film, as well as produce it.

Check out the rest of today's casting news after the jump!

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Tags Broken City, Common, forest whitaker, gary oldman, In the Garden of the Beasts, jared harris, Kyle Chandler, lincoln, michael chiklis, Pawn, ray liotta, Smiley's People, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, tom hanks

Arnold Schwarzenegger's fast and furious return to the big screen is currently getting underway. The former Governor of California has targeted director Kim Jee-Woon's "The Last Stand" as his first star vehicle since returning to acting, and he won't be alone — he'll have some very notable co-stars joining him for the ride.

Oscar winner Forest Whitaker and "Jackass" host Johnny Knoxville have boarded the cast of "Last Stand," an impressive roster of actors that already includes "Thor" star Jaimie Alexander, "300" villain Rodrigo Santoro and the inimitable Peter Stormare of "Fargo" fame. Also joining the cast is Harry Dean Stanton, perhaps most recently best known for playing the creepy Roman Grant on HBO's "Big Love," but forever in my heart for his ill-fated turn as Brett in Ridley Scott's "Alien."

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Tags Arnold Schwarzenegger, forest whitaker, Harry Dean Stanton, johnny knoxville, the last stand

Here's a pairing that comes wonderfully out of left field: Russell Brand could star in Diablo Cody's directorial debut "Lamb of God."

The news comes at us courtesy of Twitch, who learned that Brand has been offered the lead in the flick and that "Footloose" star Julianne Hough is the top choice to play the movie's leading lady. "Lamb of God" tells the story of a young conservative religious woman who loses her faith and decides to go to Vegas and "live the life of a sinner," but ends up finding her faith along the way.

Check out the rest of today's casting news after the jump!

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Tags Anthony Mackie, ben foster, brendan fraser, Constantine Maroulis, Craig Robinson, diablo cody, escape from planet earth, forest whitaker, Gotti: Three Generations, james Gandolfini, jessica alba, Lamb of God, rob corddry, rock of ages, russell brand, sarah jessica parker

It's amazing to me that in this day and age, a movie starring Adrien Brody and Forest Whitaker can go direct to video. Especially when the cast of said movie also includes Cam Gigandet, Maggie Grace, Clifton Collins Jr. and Fisher Stevens.

"The Experiment" is an adaptation of director Oliver Hirschbiegel's 2001 thriller "Das Experiment." The story follows a group of people who sign up for a psychological study which turns out to be a mock prison scenario in which half the group is assigned to "play" prisoners and the other half, "guards." As you might expect -- and as you can see in the new trailer after the jump -- things take a dark turn. "The Experiment" hits DVD and Blu-ray this December. Read more...

Tags adrien brody, forest whitaker, The Experiment

"Where the Wild Things Are" is out on Friday, so all this week I've been dribbling out brief clips from it here on the blog. In today's clip, embedded below, Carol (James Gandolfini) introduces Max (Max Records) to the gang of Wild Things. Most of 'em anyway. There are a few absences, but you still get to spend some time with Judith (Catherine O'Hara) and Ira (Forest Whitaker), Alexander (Paul Dano), and Douglas (Chris Cooper). Are you ready to unleash your inner wild things this Friday?

Tags Catherine O'Hara, Chris Cooper, forest whitaker, james Gandolfini, Max records, paul dano, Video, where the wild things are

by Holly Lunn

Things got a little wild an the New York Public Library yesterday when Forest Whitaker, Catherine Keener and her son Clyde all came out to give a special reading of "Where the Wild Things Are."

The audience was filled past capacity, to the point where they had to turn away kids who wanted to come in and hear the reading. Yet I found that the audience was mostly adults when I entered, people who, like myself, cherish this classic story. Read more...

Tags catherine keener, forest whitaker, where the wild things are

FROM MTV.COM: It's a rite of passage. It's the flexing of one of our most important muscles: imagination. But most importantly, it's pure and simple fun.

It is the reading of Maurice Sendak's classic 1963 book "Where the Wild Things Are." And for five decades, it has been a childhood tradition.

"It was read to me," 48-year-old Oscar winner Forest Whitaker recalled recently, remembering the first time he became aware of the book that he'll help turn into a feature film this weekend. "First, it was read to me as a kid. And then it was one of those books I was able to like when I got old enough to read. ... I've had it around forever. Now, I read it to my kids."

Continue reading 'Where The Wild Things Are' Stars Reveal Their Histories With The Book

Tags catherine keener, forest whitaker, Maurice Sendak, Max records, Video, where the wild things are

Over the years, we’ve seen our share of good American remakes of foreign films (“The Ring,” “Insomnia”) as well as some not-so-good ones (“The Eye,” “Dark Water,” “The Lake House”) that left a bad taste in our mouths. Recently, Cam Gigandet wrapped up his work on another high-profile translation to our shores, this time of “The Experiment,” and he promised us it will fall into that earlier category.

“I just finished a movie in Iowa called ‘The Experiment’ with Adrien Brody and Forest Whitaker,” the “Twilight” star said of the remake, which also stars Maggie Grace and Clifton Collins Jr. “We shot that in Iowa, in Des Moines, and that was a blast.” Read more...

Tags adrien brody, cam gigandet, Das Experiment, forest whitaker, Paul Scheuring, The Experiment, Twilight

Just as everyone has an opinion, a favorite meal and a nose — albeit a fake one at times — so too does everyone have a birthday. Even celebrities. Here at Birthday Bash, it’s my mission to salute the fine actors, filmmakers and other Hollywood heroes that are celebrating their special day this week. After all, it’s cheaper than mailing a cake.

July is populated with some of the highest profile celebrity birthdays yet to be featured on Birthday Bash, with this week bringing a trio of faces famous for very different roles. Read more...

Tags Birthday Bash, forest whitaker, harrison ford, Patrick Stewart, will ferrell

Earlier this week, I joked about how every week seems to bring a new project for Leonardo DiCaprio. He has officially been beaten by "Twilight" veteran Cam Gigandet, who seems to snag a new project every single day. The latest finds him in Oscar-winning company, as Variety reports that Gigandet will join Adrien Brody, Elijah Wood and Forest Whitaker in "The Experiment."

"The Experiment" will be directed by Paul Scheuring ("Prison Break") from his own screenplay. It's a remake of the 2001 German film "Das Experiment," which centers on a group of ordinary men recruited to take part in a psychological research study. They're divided up and put into prison. Some land jobs as guards, others are locked up as prisoners, all with the intent of studying how they react to their assigned roles, and to positions of power and control. Read more...

Tags adrien brody, cam gigandet, elijah wood, forest whitaker, The Experiment, Twilight