Even though neither Kick-Ass nor Nowhere Boy crushed at the box office, it seems producers aren’t holding it against budding star Aaron Johnson. Earlier he picked up a coveted role in Albert Noobs after Orlando Bloom dropped out of production, and now he’s reportedly mulling over two more high profile projects to extend his already busy schedule.
According to Deadline, offers are out for both Savages and an adaptation of Anna Karenina. The first, from director Oliver Stone, is the story of two buddies spiraling downhill after their shared girlfriend is kidnapped by drug lords. They’ve been growing pot. The Mexican gangs want in and will return the lady if they cooperate. The second project, the Tolstoy adaptation, will follow the acclaimed novel pretty closely, and Keira Knightley is already on board. She’ll rejoin her Atonement director Joe Wright, regardless of whether Johnson decides to move forward.
If he chooses both of these projects, studios should start getting a pretty fair handle on Aaron Johnson’s bankability. All the acting talent in the world doesn’t make you a leading man. People need to show up, and while none of his efforts thus far should be considered failures, they also shouldn’t be considered ringing endorsements.
