People: Emile Hirsch will play title role in ‘Belushi’
Emile Hirsch will play John Belushi in a biopic on the comedian.
Production company Film 360 confirmed Monday the casting of Hirsch in the currently untitled independent feature. Directing will be Steve Conrad, who wrote the screenplay of the upcoming Ben Stiller film, “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.” Conrad will also pen the screenplay, adapting the biography “Belushi.”
The 28-year-old Hirsch has starred in Sean Penn’s “Into the Wild” and the 2008 action film “Speed Racer.” He co-starred earlier this year with Paul Rudd in David Gordon Green’s “Prince Avalanche,” and also co-stars in the upcoming Navy SEAL war film “Lone Survivor.”
One of the original “Saturday Night Live” cast members, Belushi starred in “The Blues Brothers” and “National Lampoon’s Animal House” before dying at age 33 in 1982.
Garth Brooks takes Vegas show live
Garth Brooks is taking his intimate one-man Las Vegas show to live television.
A news release issued Monday says CBS will broadcast Brooks’ performance at the Wynn Las Vegas live on Nov. 29.
Brooks came out of retirement in 2009 for a series of occasional gigs at Steve Wynn’s invitation. Brooks formally ended that run after three years, but has played occasionally since then.
The broadcast will be his final performance of the show, which has mostly been Brooks with just his guitar exploring his musical influences with fans.
Brooks has mostly been out of music since 2001, when he became a stay-at-home dad. But fans remain fervent, helping to set a record viewership for the Academy of Country Music Awards earlier this year when Brooks performed with George Strait.
Wilde, Sudeikis planning parenthood
Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis are expecting their first child.
The couple became engaged in January. This will be the second marriage for both actors. Wilde’s divorce from documentarian Tao Ruspoli was finalized in 2011. Sudeikis and “Pitch Perfect” screenwriter Kay Cannon divorced in 2010.
Wilde, 29, is known for her roles on TV’s “House M.D.” and in films such as “Tron: Legacy” and “Cowboys & Aliens.” Sudeikis, 38, rose to fame while starring on “Saturday Night Live.” His latest film was “We’re the Millers” with Jennifer Aniston.
The birthday bunch
Guitarist Denny Laine (Moody Blues, Wings) is 69. Actor Richard Dreyfuss is 66. Actress Kate Jackson is 65. Actor Dan Castellaneta (“The Simpsons”) is 56. Actress Joely Fisher (“Ellen”) is 46. Actress Winona Ryder is 42. Actress Gabrielle Union is 40. Bassist Chris Baio (Vampire Weekend) is 29.