No one has ever accused Keanu Reeves of being Mr. Personality. Mr. Split Personality, on the other hand…
Reeves is set to star as the titular doctor who develops an evil side in Jekyll, Universal's modern retelling of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic and oft-adapted novella, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Reeves' take won't follow the letter of the original—that'll be left up to Guillermo del Toro, who is also developing a more horror-based take on the tale for the same studio—but plot details are otherwise being kept under wraps. Revolutionary Road scribe Justin Haythe is writing the new script.
Meanwhile, sticking to projects slightly more in his wheelhouse is fellow action star Vin Diesel, who's returning to a comfortable big-screen position—namely, behind the wheel of a car—in The Wheelman.
The muscle man will take on the live-action adaptation of the video game that launched last month. According to Variety, he plays an expert driver who comes out of retirement to protect a woman from his past. John Singleton is on board to direct.
Samuel L. Jackson, Liv Tyler, Marisa Tomei, Aisha Tyler and Minka Kelly round out the day's top castings...
• Samuel L. Jackson has gotten his hands on some pirate material. Per Variety, the star has secured the life rights to Andrew Mwangura, a real-life negotiator between pirates and hijacked vessels off the coast of Africa. Jackson intends to portray the journalist and ex-Marine engineer in a forthcoming flick.
• Marisa Tomei and Liv Tyler are getting neighborly. According to Variety, the raven-haired duo will costar in the psychological thriller 10A/10B, about what happens when two women move in next to each other in a loft apartment. Cameras roll in L.A. next month.
• Former Soup funnylady Aisha Tyler is pulling an Oprah, or at the very least a Bonnie Hunt. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Tyler is set to host her own syndicated talk show pilot for ABC, which will be geared to a younger audience, feature comedy bits typically reserved for late-night fare and incorporate Facebook and Twitter into the show. While it's been rumored the show may take over the afternoon slot occupied by the recently extinguished Guiding Light, producers instead say the show is being developed for cable.
• The Roommate has made room for one more. Per the Hollywood Reporter, Minka Kelly, of Friday Night Lights and John Mayer ex-fame, will star alongside Leighton Meester and Cam Gigandet in the psychological thriller, following a college freshman who becomes obsessed with her dormmate.
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