Casting News: Action for Angela Bassett, Romance for Derek Luke and Paula Patton
While the summer tentpole films continue to roll out and lure 13-year-olds to the theater, Hollywood is hard at work making those brainy, prestigious films that come out around Oscar time to woo the rest of the population.
Two such films are edging closer to production this week: Antoine Fuqua's Olympus Has Fallen, a political actioner about an attempted North Korean takeover of the White House, and Baggage Claim, a mile-high romantic drama.
Angela Bassett joins Aaron Eckhart and Gerard Butler for Olympus, putting her guns to good use as the head of the Secret Service tasked with protecting the President (Eckart). The film fits in the mold of Fuqua's previous works, 2009's Brooklyn's Finest and 2001's Training Day.
Meanwhile, Sparkle star Derek Luke has been cast opposite Paula Patton in Baggage Claim, a romantic dramedy about an aging flight attendant determined to find a man before her sister's wedding. Luke plays her longtime neighbor and friend.
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(Photo: Charley Gallay/Getty Images)