Following the news that Uma Thurman could be joining Kristen Stewart and Jesse Eisenberg in the upcoming action comedy, American Ultra, Walton Goggins has also joined the cast.
With a premise that possibly smacks a little of a comedic Jason Bourne movie, American Ultra sees Eisenberg play a stoner whose tranquil life with his live-in girlfriend (Stewart) is disrupted when his past involvement in a government program – designed to create ‘sleeper warriors’ – begins to cause problems for them. Those problems include a government operation intended to eliminate him, while the former head of the soldier program (Thurman – if she takes the role) tries to protect him.
All that is officially known of Goggins’ role is that his character is named Laugher, although given his work on FX’s hit show Justified, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him cast as part of the government plot to wipe Jesse Eisenberg’s stoner out. As Justified heads into its sixth and final season, American Ultra could prove to be the next step in the actor’s transition to bigger movie roles – following notable appearances in Cowboys & Aliens, Django Unchained, Lincoln and Machete Kills.
Big things are expected of American Ultra, following a deal recently struck by Lionsgate which sees them spending $7 million to ‘pre-buy’ the US distribution rights for the film – even though cameras are not scheduled to roll on the project for another month. With only Eisenberg and Stewart officially confirmed for their roles at the time of the deal, such commitments from a studio of Lionsgate’s stature speak volumes about the strength of the script – written by Max Landis (Chronicle) – and the vision of the team behind it, led by director Nima Nourizadeh (Project X).
Tell us, what do you think of the cast for American Ultra so far?
