Waltz, Jovovich, Lerman in Paul W.S. Anderson's THREE MUSKETEERS!

Ray Stevenson (Porthos), Luke Evans (Athos), Matthew MacFayden (Aramis) and Peter Parker hopeful Logan Lerman (as a young D'Artagnan) make up the the title characters in Paul W.S. Anderson's 3-D!!!! actioner - 'The Three Musketers', setup at Summit. Because, you know, we were all clamouring to see a 3-D 17th century swordplay movie. And of course we were desperate for a new adaptation of 'The Three Musketeers' again just like we were desperate for a new 'Robin Hood' and 'Sherlock Holmes', because lord knows we've never seen enough of those on screen. Presumably it'll be another origin movie, another gritter, more realistic, and 'knowing' take on the classic material. Or I guess with Anderson, a video game disguised as an action movie. YAWN! The Hollywood Reporter say two notable screen villains have been typecast as the baddies with Christoph Waltz on board to play Cardinal Richelieu, and 'Casino Royale' villain Mads Mikkelsen who is in talks to play Rochefort. Anderson's wife Milla Jovovich is Milady de Winter, described in this adaptation as a '17th century Bond girl'. Orlando Bloom, noticeably absent from the screen really since the last 'Pirates of the Caribbean' movie three years ago has been offered the role of the Duke of Buckingham. Ok, so I'm pretty much in love with Waltz, and I revel in his line delivery so much that I could probably watch him read The Yellow Pages and be hung on his every word. The rest are sometimes interesting actors whose work I've sometimes enjoyed. Stevenson/Jovovich certainly belong to the Anderson pool of actors but I guess Waltz & Mikkelsen could elevate the material. The other noteworthy sidenote is Lerman's casting as it would likely rule the 'Percy Jackson' star out of the 'Spider-Man' reboot at Sony, where here is deep in the running or at least was deep in the running. Did Sony say no thanks and pass on him? Shooting begins in September on 'The Three Musketeers', a script Anderson co-wrote with British period writer Andrew Davies ('Little Dorrit, Bleak House'). Doug Liman ('The Bourne Identity', 'Jumper') last month boarded a Warner Bros. attempt at cracking the material which is also casting now with an eye on a fall start date. As we saw with the two dueling 'Sherlock Holmes' movies (one by Guy Ritchie that was of course realised, and a comedy version from the Apatow clang that wasn't), it will mostly likely be who goes into filming first and it would seem Anderson is winning that battle. Take Waltz and Mikkelsen to the Liman/WB camp, and maybe I would have more faith in the world.