You don’t hear the name Scott Speedman so much these days. The handsome Brit was once considered to be the next big thing when he came off of his tenure on Felicity and landed in the Underworld franchise, but he hasn’t blossomed the way that his agent had hoped. Though his last major film – the horror thriller The Strangers – was a surprise hit, it’s success didn’t lead to another high profile gig until today.
The Hollywood Reporter states that he has signed on for The Vow, Screen Gems new drama starring Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams. He’ll play the former fiance of McAdams’ Paige, the wife of Tatum’s Leo who attempts to rekindle his romance with her after a car accident leaves her without memory of her marriage. Michael Sucsy, who last helmed HBO’s award winning telefilm Grey Gardens, is rewriting the script and will direct. Filming is expected to begin in Toronto next month.
For this role, Speedman is a solid choice. Screen Gems is known for producing lower-budget genre fare for parent company Sony/Columbia Pictures and though this kind of soapy romance (which brings to mind another McAdams hit – The Notebook) is a major retreat for the studio, I would assume it is still trying to keep the production’s cost to a minimum. You know that both Tatum and McAdams are making a pretty penny as they are two of the most in-demand young actors in the business right now, so rounding out the cast with more affordable players is good business. Expect a few more names to fall in line before the film begins shooting.
Source: THR
