Matt Dillon, Brendan Fraser & Craig Robinson Are FREAKY DEAKY

Charles Matthau's (son of the great Walter Matthau) adaptation of Elmore Leonard's novel Freaky Deaky is gearing up for a shoot in Michigan this month and Variety has word of new casting developments. Matt Dillon, Brendan Fraser and Craig Robinson have all joined the film which also has William H. Macy attached. Sienna Miller had been penned in to play the female lead but the trades don't mention her and say her part is still uncast.

Dillon will topline as Chris Mankowski, an LAPD bomb squad officer who stumbles upon a plot by two former hippie activists who plan to use their bomb-making skills to trick an alcoholic movie mogul into handing over millions of dollars.

William H. Macy is said party hard Hollywood mogul Woody Ricks and Robinson is his 'former Black Panther turned capitalist who serves as his assistant'. Miller (if she is still on board) and Fraser are the two former activists, the latter now a movie special effects and demolitions expert. Leonard's works have routinely become movie material years ago and he has enjoyed a fare few great adaptations including Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown (a director who previously held the rights to the book) and the two movies made out of 3:10 to Yuma. Though Matthau is under more pressure than most as Freaky Deaky is known to be Leonard's favourite book, and Matthau has brazenly changed the novels setting from late 80's to 1974. However it's said Leonard approved of the decision and is excited to see the movie made. The Matthau Company are producing, Voltage Pictures is handling foreign sales, and producers are in talks with several U.S. distributors to release the movie next year.