From Barbara Hershey to Pratik Gandhi, from Joker to The Marine and more

This is Sizzling Samachar on OTTplay, your daily dose of entertainment news. I'm your host Nikhil

Madelaine Petsch to star in the remake of the 2008 film The Strangers

Lionsgate is set to remake the psychological thriller The Strangers starring Riverdale alum Madelaine Petsch with Finnish director Renny Harlin at the helm. The film will also star Gabriel Basso and Froy Gutierrez and the creators have plans to create a franchise with different titles to be shot in Bratislava, Slovakia. It is based on Bryan Bertino’s 2008 film of the same name that starred Scott Speedman and Liv Tyler.

Barbara Hershey added to the cast of Eugene The Marine

Academy Award-nominee Barbara Hershey has been cast in Hank Bedford's Eugene The Marine. She will be joined by three-time Academy Award-nominee Nick Nolte who will essay the role of the titular character. The film will revolve around Eugene, a former marine and a recent widower, whose life falls apart as his son forces him to sell his home. Hershey will play the role of Frances, a mysterious woman who starts a new chapter in Eugene’s life.

Joker: Folie à Deux Casts Jacob Lofland in key role

Todd Philip’s highly anticipated sequel to the 2019 film Joker, titled Joker: Folie à Deux has added Jacob Lofland to its cast. The young actor will essay the role of a key supporting character as an inmate of the notorious Arkham Asylum, who forms a relationship with The Joker. Joaquin Phoenix will reprise his role as the titular character, after winning the Academy Award for best actor. He will be joined by Grammy and Academy Award-winner Lady Gaga, who will essay the role of Harley Quinn, a role which is played by Margot Robbie in the DCEU and Kaley Cuoco in the critically acclaimed ongoing animated series titled Harley Quinn.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend alum Rachel Bloom Joins Julia Season 2

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend alum and co-creator Rachel Bloom has been added to the cast of the second season of the hit HBO Max series Julia. The series is based on the life of popular American television chef Julia Child. The series stars British actress Sarah Lancashire, popular for playing the lead in the acclaimed British crime-drama Happy Valley, as the titular character. David Hyde Pierce, the four-time Emmy winner, also plays a pivotal role in the series.

Pratik Gandhi and Tillotama Shome to star in thriller series

Pratik Gandhi, who became a household name with Scam 1992, is joining hands with acclaimed actress Tillotama Shome for a thriller series. The series will be shot in India and Budapest and is being bankrolled by the team behind the Netflix series Decoupled and Delhi Crime 2. Scam: 1992 writer Sumit Purohit will helm the project.

Dhanush's Naane Varuvean to release in September

Dhanush fans would be happy to know that the actor’s upcoming film Naane Varuven will hit theatres this month. Earlier, there were reports that the release had been pushed to a later date owing to the release of Mani Ratnam's Ponniyin Selvan on September 20. However, producer Kalaipuli S Thanu has confirmed that the film will release in September as originally planned. Naane Varuven is directed by Selvaraghavan and stars Dhanush and Elli AvrRam in lead roles.

Basil Joseph to collaborate with Puzhu writer

Actor-director Basil Joseph will play the lead role in the upcoming Malayalam film Kadina Kadoramee Anthakadaham. The film will be directed by Muhashin and written by Harshad, who has previously worked on critically acclaimed films such as Unda and Puzhu.

Mimi Chakraborty may share screen space with Ali Fazal

Mimi Chakraborty, who is set to make her Bollywood debut, is likely to share the screen with actor Ali Fazal. The film will be a remake of the Bengali film Posto which featured Soumitra Chatterjee, Jisshu Sengupta, and Mimi Chakraborty in lead roles.

Well that's the Sizzling news for today from the entertainment world, until the next time it's your host Nikhil signing out.

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• Written by Arya Harikumar and Ryan Gomez