According to the New York Daily News, the casting for “August: Osage County” has been finished with the latest addition of Julianne Nicholson as Ivy Weston, as the film is about to start shooting next week. Tracy Letts’ sprawling family saga “August: Osage County” starts filming on Monday. Asked how he whittled down his 3 1/2 hour play for the big-screen, he told me: “I was doing rewrites a couple nights ago.” Asked about his role in picking the cast in the film directed by “ER” alum John Wells, Letts admitted it was minimal. “I don’t know how much they listen to me,” he said, adding that he’s pleased with the cast headed by Meryl Streep as Violet, the mad matriarch. Julia Roberts plays her eldest daughter, Barbara. “The ironic thing is that the more successful a play is the more likely it is that actors will be shunted aside for movie stars. That’s the way it is.” Playing Roberts’ sisters are Juliette Lewis as Karen, and Julianne Nicholson as Ivy, Letts told me. Letts was in Oklahoma on Monday for the first table read. “It is the only day in the entire process I’m able to be there. They asked lots of smart questions.”

According to Deadline, Ewan McGregor has been cast alongside Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts in August: Osage County, the movie adaptation of Tracy Letts’ Pulitzer- and Tony-winning play that begins production September 24. The Weinstein Company made the announcement today. McGregor will play Bill Fordham, the estranged husband of Barbara (Roberts) and son-in-law of pill-popping matriarch Violet Weston (Streep). A college professor, he left his wife for one of his students but wants to be there for his family. His marriage is disintegrating and his patience is running thin. And according to Variety, Misty Upham has joined the cast as well. Upham will play a college student who comes to work for Streep’s character.

According to Variety, Academy Award-nominated actor, director and playwright Sam Shepard is currently in talks to star as Beverly Weston in the forthcoming film adaptation of Tracy Letts’ Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning play “August: Osage County”. Shepard will reportedly star alongside previously announced Academy Award winners Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts, as well as Tony nominee Margo Martindale, Abigail Breslin, Chris Cooper, Benedict Cumberbatch, Dermot Mulroney and Juliette Lewis. August: Osage County will be adapted by Letts, directed by John Wells and produced by George Clooney and Grant Heslov, along with Jean Doumanian, Steve Traxler and Clair Rudnick Polstein. Filming is set to begin in September.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Benedict Cumberbatch, the Emmy-nominated actor who stars on the BBC’s Sherlock, is in negotiations to join the cast of August: Osage County, the Weinstein Co.’s adaptation of the Pulitzer- and Tony-winning play. John Wells is directing the movie, which revolves around the women of a family whose lives have splintered in many directions until a crisis bring them back to their childhood home and to the dysfunctional woman (Streep) who raised them. Cumberbatch will act as the sensitive son of Streep’s sister, Mattie Fay Aiken (Margo Martindale). She castigates and belittles the man, who believes his father is Charlie Aiken (Chris Cooper), but the truth is he’s the product of an affair. The movie is eyeing a late-September start in Oklahoma. Thanks to Glenn for the heads-up.

Freihofer Casting is having another open call for extras for the film “August: Osage County” on Saturday and Sunday in Bartlesville. “We had a great turnout in Tulsa last Saturday, but we know many people were unable to attend,” casting director Chris Freihofer said in a news release from the Oklahoma Film and Music Office. “We want to open up the opportunity to as many people as possible,” he said. The film, starring Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts, is set to shoot in Oklahoma beginning in late September. The open call will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday at Bartlesville High School, 1700 SE Hillcrest Drive. No appointments are necessary. Freihofer said the film will need various extras during the first few weeks of filming. “We do not need babies or toddlers, but we would like to add anyone else to our pool of possibilities,” Freihofer said. More information on the casting can be found here.

According to Deadline, Dermot Mulroney is set to star as sleazy businessman Steve in the forthcoming film adaptation of Tracy Letts’ Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning play “August: Osage County”. Mulroney joins previously announced Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts, as well as Margo Martindale, Abigail Breslin and Juliette Lewis. Adapted by Letts, directed by John Wells and produced by George Clooney and Grant Heslov, along with Jean Doumanian, Steve Traxler and Claire Rudnick Polstein, the film will go before the cameras in September. Meanwhile, a casting agency is looking for extras for the film that will be shot in northeastern Oklahoma starting in late September. Freihofer Casting is holding an open call for extras for “August: Osage County” on Saturday, August 18th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Tulsa. The complete article on the casting can be found here with thanks to everybody for the heads-up!

According to this article, the big box office news is that Sony’s counter programming gamble with Meryl Streep in “Hope Springs” could pay off. The film opened on Wednesday and has almost $10 million in ticket sales. Friday night accounted for about half of that. If it holds up tonight and Sunday, “Hope Springs”–with Tommy Lee Jones and Steve Carell–could be a nice little hit. Then Sony will bring it back out for Oscar consideration, with nominations going to Streep and Jones at least. What a pleasant turn of events. Sony’s Amy Pascal can sleep tonight. Streep has a lot of good will built up. And audiences who are depending on that have found an excellent film.

On August 05, Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones, Steve Carell and director David Frankel participated in the Apple Store SoHo’s “Meet the Filmmakers” series to talk about “Hope Springs”. You can grab the podcast for free at the store’s iTunes. The conversation panel can be now watched in the video archive.

The full interview with Meryl and Tommy Lee Jones on “The View” has been broadcast yesterday and has been added to the video archive, alongside captures from the show in the image library. It’s, as always, a very funny and charming interview, so be sure to check it. Up next is the Apple Store conversation panel, so stay tuned.

Lots of new video bits have been added to the archive. There’s a new compilation video from the New York premiere of “Hope Springs”, including interviews with the cast, the New York junket video has been updated as well (now sporting eleven minutes of interviews), there’s new clip from the film and two additional television spots. Enjoy the new clips.