Thanks for posting the news, Island. I see the story is also in Variety--though I can't see it because I don't subscribe--so it's definitely 'official.' I've only seen Chastain in The Help and The Debt, and I liked her. She's definitely the current 'it' girl. What does everyone else think?

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one getting tired of the Fassy penis envy.  I loved James and Fassy as a team in XMFC, but it does seem like he's relishing the notoriety a bit too much. I'd think it would be better for people to be talking about his talent rather than his penis. But then if he wants to be a Hollywood heartthrob, maybe he's fine with it. I agree, Island, that some of the photo shoots he's done feed into that. I know James has done some "heartthrob" photo shoots too, but none have been that in your face. For example, the photo shoot he did for Mean Magazine where he's in bed with a t-shirt on (sexy, provocative. amusing) vs. the ones of Fassy supposedly naked in bed w/ the sheet as far down as it can go w/o revealing too much. Subtle it's not.

All in all, I think it's better to known primarily as a great actor who's also sexy than to be known primarily as a sex symbol who can also act. I'm afraid that's where Fassy is heading.

When it appears in Variety, Vale, that means it's happening.

BTW Found out James replaced Joel Edgerton: http://thefilmstage.com/n...chastain-still-attached/

BTW2 Two of Benson's scripts appeared on The Black List--that's an annual list of Hollywood's best unproduced scripts. So hopefully that bodes well for these scripts.

More thoughts on the films. I think this is the $64 question:

From JoBlo.com: So Schmoes - if you saw one of the films and were sufficiently intrigued, would you still be willing to catch the other? Or would you feel frustrated in the sense of not being able to take in the whole spectrum of story with one viewing?

Collider: The press release indicates both films will “work on their own,” but I am much more interested in how and where they intertwine.  I hope to see the release plan in the next announcement.  Will they come out at the same time, or does one perspective necessarily precede the other?  Either way (and with all due respect to Edgerton), McAvoy and Chastain are reliably great, perfect for such a risky idea.

Film School Rejects: While there’s no indication of just what that life-altering experience is, the film is also billed specifically as a love story, so take from that what you will. Of course, the title could be totally goddamn literal and Chastain could be named after a Beatles song and she could disappear, but I’d hope that such a bold venture would actually have a a less obvious story than that behind it. The question is, of course, if audiences will turn out for both films.

Movie Cultists: However, it looks like the actor will have two chances at making a strong impression in one film, or maybe it’s two films in one, or even a back-to-back double feature. Remember double features? Yeah, I have some age on me.

Katey Rich in Cinema Blend: Though he made a straight-up excellent Charles Xavier in last year's X-Men: First Class, James McAvoy tends to get forgotten when you think back to that movie-- it's hard to outshine Michael Fassbender's Magneto and the outlandish dullness of January Jones's Emma Frost, after all. But that's always been one of McAvoy's skills, slipping into a role so seamlessly that he makes it perfect without drawing attention to himself-- see his turn as the doomed Robbie in Atonement, or the shocked observer to Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland.

That quiet turn in First Class means it feels like it's been forever since McAvoy was onscreen--well, that and his starring role in Robert Redford's The Conspirator, which absolutely nobody saw. So it's good to hear that not only does he have the British indies Filth and Welcome to the Punch coming later this year, but he's signed to another film with the actress you absolutely couldn't miss in 2011: Jessica Chastain.

We don't know a whole lot about the story, except that McAvoy will play a restaurant owner and Chastain his wife, who goes back to college. The two films cover the same story from the male and female perspective, as the couple goes through a rough patch in their relationship and presumably experience things very differently. It's unclear why it will take two movies to tell two sides of one story-- films like Massy Tadjedin's Last Night do something similar in a swift running time-- but the chance to see Chastain and McAvoy act opposite each other means there's no room for complaints.

Feel free to add any comments you think necessary on these sites.

From @mshikuma: Probably one of the best scripts I read last summer. So glad it's getting made with such talented people!

Niralle: I had the same reaction as Island to Filth. I had to read a few more pages for my "A-ha!" moment, but I rushed through the last 100 pages or so. Hang in there!

I'm sure Twitter sightings will magically appear wherever they're filming.

Niralle wrote:

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Oh, my, my, my...I did not know this about your site.   I'm not sure that's the best smiley to represent my reaction...but it's a freakin' bouncy smiley with big bulging eyes, and that's just COOL...

Hmm...maybe knowing that there's something in his past that makes Robo so filthy will help me continue reading. 
  

LOL I like that smiley, Niralle. Keep posting. The more you post, the sooner you'll get access to 18+. Since there are some personal things posted there, we just want to get to know our new members first before we give them access.