Anderson casts model as female lead in Death Race

Megan Fox casting in Transformers all over again. Hack director Paul W.S. Anderson is in talks with former model Natalie Martinez for the lead romantic role opposite Jason Statham in Death Race, his Universal remake of the cult classic film Death Race 2000. This will be her first ever film acting role says The Hollywood Reporter. Apparently she was a model for Jennifer Lopez's clothing range.

"Death Race" sees a future America in which prison inmates are forced to brutally compete in an enclosed arena. Statham is starring as a prisoner who, with only weeks to go before his release, is coerced into being a driver in a road rally to the death and becomes a crowd favorite called Frankenstein.

She will be playing the role of Case, a women who falls for Statham's bad boy image and assists his plans to escape. I actually thought Anderson had cast really well up until this point. Statham was born to be in this kind of movie and then he cast Joan Allen and Ian McShane who are always superb, especially Allen coming off a great turn in latest Bourne film. Tyrese Gibson also seems to be a guy who can handle himself quite well on screen. I have little hope for the movie with Anderson behind the helm but who knows, the cast might make it interesting enough, although hiring a former model for a lead role in a mainstream movie rarely results in success. Shooting starts this month in Montreal.