Ewan McGregor Signs on to ‘Amelia’

Ewan McGregor  has signed on to co-star in the Amelia Earhart biopic Amelia for Fox Searchlight.The actor joins Hilary Swank, Richard Gere and Virginia Madsen who have already boarded the project, which Mira Nair is helming, says Variety.

The story centers on the legendary aviatrix (Swank) and chronicles her rise to fame, marriage to publisher George Putnam (Gere) and passionate affair with Gene Vidal (McGregor), father of author Gore Vidal. Ronald Bass penned the screenplay.

The filmmakers have long been trying to land McGregor but were having trouble working out the scheduling. The actor is about to wrap “I Love You, Philip Morris” alongside Jim Carrey and will begin work on Ron Howard’s “Da Vinci Code” follow-up Angels and Demons in early June. McGregor will sandwich the Amelia role in between.

Amelia is currently shooting in Toronto.

On the set of ‘Night At Museum 2: Escape From The Smithsonian’

The Bad and the Ugly have scored some on-set pics from “Night At Museum 2: Escape From The Smithsonian“, which is currently shooting in Washington D.C.

This is the first production allowed to film in the famous national museums and, as such, includes more historical figures coming alive. Dick Van Dyke, Owen Wilson, Ricky Gervais, Robin Williams and Steve Coogan are expected to return with Amy Adams joining the cast as Amelia Earhart and Hank Azaria as a villainous Pharaoh.

Ben Stiller on set:

Virginia Madsen Signs for Amelia

Virginia Madsen has signed to join Hilary Swank and Richard Gere on the biopic Amelia for Avalon Pictures and Fox Searchlight.Variety reports the film is directed by Mira Nair from a screenplay by Ron Bass. Shooting is set to start later this month with locations in Canada and South Africa. The film is produced by Kevin Hyman, Ted Waitt and Lydia Dean Pilcher with Swank and Bass executive producing.

The film’s plot will chronicle the life of Amelia Earhart (Swank) and her troubled relationship with publisher-promoter George Putnam (Gere) - whom she married. Madsen has signed for the role of Putnam’s first wife, Dorothy Binney.

Amelia will mark Madsen’s return to Fox Searchlight - who teamed with the actress for her role in the Oscar-nominated Sideways. Madsen picked up a Supporting Actress Oscar nod for her work in the film.

Madsen has roles in the upcoming IFC comedy Diminished Capacity (with Matthew Broderick) and the Gold Circle Films/Lionsgate supernatural thriller The Haunting in Connecticut.

The actress has also launched her own production company, Title IX Prods., and worked with her mother, Elaine Madsen, on the documentary I Know a Woman Like That - which follows the lives of several women ages 65-94.