What I’ve gathered over the past couple of weeks is that Quentin Tarantino’s casting decisions for Inglorious Bastards are definitely leaning towards the action comedy genre perhaps to a Tropic Thunder pedigree rather than an Ocean’s Eleven similitude. I’ve yet to read the script, but fighting the SS seems to come across as a rollicking good time with the names that have so far been attached.
I wouldn’t be surprised if today’s addition (Variety reports that Michael Fassbender is in final negotiations to replace Simon Pegg’s vacated Lt. Archie Hicox character) wasn’t first hatched while Tarantino was walking the croisette back in May. Among the films that were the most talked about at Cannes was Steve McQueen’s Hunger – where Fassbender delivers one of those brilliant performances that will be talked about throughout his career. In Hunger, he takes on the lead figure role of hunger strike strategist Bobby Sands, and goes through the sort of physical transformation that is comparable to when Christian Bale shed pounds for The Machinist and Rescue Dawn. I happen to have caught the world preem for McQueen’s first film and when Fassbender was presented on stage for a second time, I was reassured that the world was a safe place again — he had a healthy belt size.
For the many people who haven’t followed the thesp’s acting career in the U.K, Fassender got noticed at the Berlin film festival with a supporting role in Zack Snyder’s 300 and Francois Ozon’s Angel. He has since worked for J.Schumacher in Creek (which had some screenings at the Cannes market) and is looking to topline Wuthering Heights – which has been going through some difficulties of the “revolving door” type. The role I’m most looking forward to seeing him in next is, Fish Tank – Andrea Arnold’s second feature after Orwellian-themed Red Road.