Talk about an ensemble. Oliver Stone is putting together what looks to be another winning cast. This shouldn’t surprise anyone, especially when one considers the cast assembled for Platoon and JFK. For Stone’s next feature Savages
based on Don Winslow’s bestselling novel, the writer-director has already cast Aaron Johnson (Kick-Ass) and Taylor Kitsch (Gambit in X-Men Origins: Wolverine) as the two leads. Also among the credit list is Salma Hayek, Benicio Del Toro, and Blake Lively.
Two new actors in talks to join the cast are John Travolta and Uma Thurman. Travolta’s character would be that of Dennis, a burned out DEA agent. Thurman would play the mother to O (Lively’s character), Pagu.
a killer cast for Savages, the drama based on Don Winslow’s bestselling novel. Stone is arranging a Pulp
Savages focuses on the relationship between best friend Laguna pot growers Chon (Kitsch) and Ben (Johnson), who live a cozy life with their trippy galpal, Ophelia (Lively) – O, for short. When they refuse a Mexican cartel’s offer to work for them, the cartel kidnaps O and offers her up in exchange for a heavy ransom. The growers pay the ransom, which comes at the expense of ripping off the cartel’s own shipments.
Just envisioning Kitsch as Chon, as an ex-mercenary type, and Johnson as a part-time environmentalist and philanthropist, not to mention Lively as the trippy girlfriend, seems like reason enough to see Savages. But add Salma Hayek as a Mexican cartel queen-pin, Benicio Del Toro as vicious cartel enforcer Lado (nice turn when you consider the role he played in Traffic), and possibly Travolta and Thurman in the mix and you one hell of a cast.
A number of roles have yet to be cast, but should happen over the next few weeks since this Universal production begins in July.
