Whedonesque : Comments on 18741 : "Cabin in the Woods" casting begins with Richard Jenkins, Bradley Whitford.

Sweet. Richard Jenkins is one of the more under-appreciated actors out there. Still hoping he's gonna get an Oscar nom for "The Visitor."

[ edited by QuanticoMVP on 2009-01-21 07:43 ]

QuanticoMVP | January 21, 07:41 CET

This news is made of awesome.

crazygolfa | January 21, 07:44 CET

Whoa. Amazing cast so far. Agree about THE VISITOR. Brilliant, understated movie, brilliant understated performance.

Brian Lynch | January 21, 07:51 CET

I love Nate Sr.(SFU)! It's kind of awesome how prolific he's getting.

jaxn | January 21, 07:52 CET

Great pair. The Visitor was my favorite movie last year and I fell in love with Whitford over Studio 60. Can't wait to see them in low-cut nighties!! :)

cabri | January 21, 07:54 CET

Richard Jenkins also played Nathaniel Fisher Sr. in Six Feet Under.

electricspacegirl | January 21, 08:01 CET

BRADLEY WHITFORD. OH MY GOD. I am freaking out over here. Like a little fangirl.

Jobo | January 21, 08:10 CET

FWIW, there's some crew information on the film's IMDb listing , but I've had zero luck getting anyone to confirm any of it for me, except for one of the casting department people. (The studio itself just said why don't we wait until there's a complete list and then they'd give me that. Where's the fun in that?)

The One True b!X | January 21, 08:13 CET

Well, that's a pretty great start. Here's hoping Whitford signs. I always loved him over on 'The West Wing' (which, as it happens, is one of the few non Jossverse shows I fell completely in love with, so this is fandoms colliding for me - like when Richard Schiff and Adam Busch turned up on T:SCC (but unfortunately didn't share a screen with summer) ;)).

GVH | January 21, 08:15 CET

Ha. Joss' love for The Core shines through. Some really left of field casting there. This is going to be one excellent movie.

Simon | January 21, 08:25 CET

Bradley Whitford! Bradley Whitford! *does happy dance*

Josh Lyman, flawed though he is, is probably my favorite West Wing character (and that's a tough list to choose from). (I feel like that is a very poorly constructed sentence. My apologies, but it's 2:30 AM and I really ought to be sleeping right now.)

uptheapples | January 21, 08:28 CET

Left field casting doesn't cover it. I'm already wondering who the audience for this is going to be. Do indie fans go to horror movies? Will horror movie fans go to something that will (I imagine) invert their treasured tropes? It's intriguing me already though.

shambleau | January 21, 08:34 CET

b!X, do you mean one of the casting people listed is wrong, or that you could only confirm one?

siwangmu | January 21, 08:50 CET

I could only confirm one of the casting people.

The One True b!X | January 21, 09:13 CET

Bradley Whitford? BRADLEY WHITFORD! Um, ya...I named my son Josh after Josh Lyman on West Wing. You can say I'm a fan of his. BRADLEY WHITFORD!!!!! This is so great! I really hope this happens!

Harmalicious | January 21, 09:36 CET

Holy crap! Bradley Whitford!

Just died of happiness. I trust Joss will bring me back.

Knuckleball | January 21, 09:37 CET

Ah, groovy. Knowing nothing about them, I hope it's the one with the Buffy/Angel/Firefly credits. Unless there's something different about casting movies? I'll just assume good decisions are being made all round.

Because Bradley Whitford! And I really liked the other gentleman in "Burn After Reading." Lovely.

siwangmu | January 21, 09:42 CET

Wow! I had no idea that my Bradely Whitford love had so much company. And Richard Jenkins, icing on the cake.
Now we have to wait & see who Joss casts in those pesky strong women roles. ;)

Shey | January 21, 10:03 CET

Do indie fans go to horror movies? Will horror movie fans go to something that will (I imagine) invert their treasured tropes?

You know horror fans are fairly open to new stuff and tropes being subverted I reckon ('Scream' grossed about $170 million and made its budget back 10 times over for instance) and we're probably more used to genre bending than any other mainstream audience (horror/comedy, horror/sci-fi, horror/action, horror/romance - all been there, done that ;) so i'm not worried about that aspect too much, in many ways it's Joss' natural niche (and if you're subverting horror tropes, especially the biggest - and Joss' fave for overturning i.e. the female as victim - then there's room for hot babes, which should cover the teenage demo ;). It's really down to how it's sold.

And good to see some quality actors in the offing, Bradley Whitford rules (even if I did want to punch Danny from Studio 60 in his smug, smug face a couple of times ;). Even the tiniest snippets about TCitW make it more and more intriguing.

Saje | January 21, 10:50 CET

Bradley was really good as a villain in Burn Up (think Evil Josh) so I'm intrigued to see what Joss and Drew will do with him in their movie.

Simon | January 21, 11:27 CET

Awe-Some

Andy Dufresne | January 21, 11:33 CET

OMG its the bad guy from Billy Madison.

Business Ethics

[ edited by aus-mitch on 2009-01-21 11:49 ]

aus-mitch | January 21, 11:49 CET

Heh Simon, Burn Up was just shown in Sweden last week, not half bad, Bradley Whitford and Neve Campbell in a British production surprised me, maybe more American actors should read British scripts now and then.

jpr | January 21, 11:55 CET

Bradley Whitford's Josh was probably my favourite character on The West Wing, and I thought Richard Jenkins was outstanding in The Visitor, so I'm happy with these choices. But then, I've never been unhappy with any casting choices Joss has had a hand in.

samatwitch | January 21, 11:55 CET

HELL YEAH

dark_tyler | January 21, 12:34 CET

Wow. And Wow!

Half way through Six Feet Under and up to season 6 with The West Wing. Amazing cast so far, very exciting!

Vortigun | January 21, 12:47 CET

Six Feet Under is one of the best shows there is, ever. I'd rank it fourth after the obvious (Angel, Buffy) and, of course, Veronica Mars.

patxshand | January 21, 13:20 CET

Bradley Whitford Bradley Whitford Bradley Whitford Bradley Whitford Bradley Whitford Bradley Whitford Bradley Whitford Bradley Whitford Bradley Whitford Bradley Whitford Bradley Whitford Bradley Whitford Bradley Whitford
*prints out list & puts it under her pillow, makes a wish, bathes in the dewey puddle that passes for a pond in her back garden & returns to sleep the prayer-filled sleep that will result in a Drew/Bradley/Joss combo*

missyu | January 21, 13:33 CET

MISSYU I KNOW!!!!!!!

I idolized Bradley for years on The West Wing and LOVED him on Broadway this summer in Boeing Boeing. This is such a happy day!

streetartist | January 21, 13:40 CET

Bradley Whitford! Bradley Whitford! Bradley Whitford! Bradley Whitford! Is ace!

gossi | January 21, 14:31 CET

I just texted my West Wing-loving housemate with this news. He responded well. Capital letters and everything. I think it's an outstanding piece of casting news and I am very, very happy right now.

redders | January 21, 14:37 CET

Richard Jenkins played the deliciously quirky private detective in "Shall We Dance".
I love Bradley Whitford in ANYTHING.

I am so not a fan of horror. But I watched Slither for Nathan so I will watch CITW for these two.

madmolly | January 21, 14:38 CET

Pre-Bradley Whitford casting: "Eh, I'll see it 'cause it's Joss."

Post-Bradley Whitford casting: "THIS WILL BE THE GREATEST MOVIE OF ALL TIME."

This better happen.

[ edited by rbt on 2009-01-21 14:56 ]

[ edited by rbt on 2009-01-21 14:56 ]

rbt | January 21, 14:55 CET

Bradley-Freaking-Whitford! Oh my stars and gods Whedon and Sorkin collide! Now to just find a spot for Allison Janney, I bet she could do wonders with a Whedon script.

TiffintheOK | January 21, 15:23 CET

I love the sound of this.I really go for horror flicks.

Buffyfantic | January 21, 15:52 CET

I really, really don't like horror movies. Or, that is: movies with lots of blood and gore, which is usually the same thing these days. Movies which are simply scary, I don't mind so much.

But whichever way this goes... I need to see it :).

GVH | January 21, 16:16 CET

If anyone's looking for me, I'm going to go stand in line for tickets to "Cabin in the Woods" now... ;-)

OzLady | January 21, 16:17 CET

I know nothing of the plot for this. Does anyone know or suspect if Bradley Whitford is a scary/bad guy or a good/protagonist?

Of course given the brief description I've read and the brains behind this, I would be surprised if those categories are going to be neat and mutually exclusive. Or at least through the end of the movie anyway.

Sunfire | January 21, 16:18 CET

If you haven't seen Six Feet Under, Richard Jenkins steals every scene he's in in the entire 5 season series. Just watch the pilot even, he's a freakin' revelation.

Excitement has definitely gone through the roof.

BryGuy | January 21, 16:18 CET

Oh my GOD. I have loved both of these men for years. And now to see them in a Joss-written, Goddard-directed project...sweet baby Jesus. Incredible.

UnpluggedCrazy | January 21, 17:09 CET

... I'll be in my cabin.

Racoon Boy | January 21, 17:15 CET

The link doesn't seem to be working anymore.

redders | January 21, 17:42 CET

This link should work, redders.

cabri | January 21, 17:45 CET

Cheers, cabri.

redders | January 21, 17:46 CET

I've changed the link.

Simon | January 21, 17:47 CET

Well, I'm on board the woohoo-Josh-Lyman-will-be-in-TCiTW train!

As for, Richard Jenkins, well, he was great in 6 Feet Under and I'd like to see more of him too.

Septimus | January 21, 17:56 CET

I know nothing of the plot for this. Does anyone know or suspect if Bradley Whitford is a scary/bad guy or a good/protagonist?

None of us outsiders know anything of the plot for this.

The One True b!X | January 21, 18:03 CET

That's what I expected was still true but I haven't been following it all that closely.

Sunfire | January 21, 18:26 CET

There hasn't really been anything to follow closely anyway. That's partly why I was at least trying to confirm some crew information, because while it's not as excitement-generating as casting information, at least it would have been, you know, something. Heh.

The One True b!X | January 21, 18:38 CET

New President, donuts in the kitchen at the office, and now this. Shaping up to be a good day.

BrewBunny | January 21, 18:42 CET

That's strange. I was thinking this was at least masquerading as a teen movie. These castings completely warp the idea I had of it. Not a bad thing, just weird. Can't wait to see it!

dingoes8 | January 21, 18:45 CET

Well, they have said "some teenagers may meet with violence" and "bad things might happen to teenagers during the film".

The One True b!X | January 21, 18:49 CET

Yeah, but b!x, that pretty much just describes adolescence. ;-)

OzLady | January 21, 19:28 CET

Buzz about the movie on Twitter has kicked up thanks to the casting news.

The One True b!X | January 21, 19:41 CET

Yeah, my impression of the movie is completely different with this casting, but it's different in a great way. Also, I don't think we've seen Joss write a lot of middle-age people, have we? At least not for an extended period of time. Giles and Buffy's mom are the only two I can think of (and Book, I suppose). Anything else?

Jobo | January 21, 20:25 CET

Technically, Angel and Spike were older than Giles, Joyce and Book. Spike is in his 130's and Angel is in his 370s? (If you count his time in Acatha's hell dimension between Buffy S2 and 3). So he writes geezers as well. :D

crazygolfa | January 21, 20:50 CET

Bradley Whitford in a low-cut nightie.

I'm just sayin'.

daedreams | January 21, 21:23 CET

WOW! You guys really get excited for such little things, LOL! Neither Jenkins or Whitford's casting pulls my chain. Now, if Alexis Denisof was added to the cast of "Cabin In The Woods", then THAT will make me excited!!! But I will see it because of it being a Joss Whedon movie!

Little Green Kid | January 21, 23:32 CET

I'm a Bradley Whitford fiend and had a double-plus major crush on him all the way through The West Wing.

BTW, I also note that Joss quite liked the character Josh Lyman himself - although it's sorta unclear if maybe he isn't praising Donna just as much; from his top 25 best TV characters list, Joss lists:

5) Josh Lyman from the West Wing. Another 'throw a stone, hit a favorite', but Josh has a thing. That thing is called Donna.

I hadn't really tracked Richard Jenkins before, but now that I check him out, I do quite like him. I found him in these "Hollywood Tales" at Funny or Die (written by Bryan Safi & directed by Drew Antzis) and they made me laugh:

"It's Hollywood - and I'm a part of it."

"Sea of Love"
"Witches of Eastwick"
"Intolerable Cruelty"

"It's a town of dreams - but sometimes those dreams can turn out to be nightmares."

It's a nice little lead-in to Cabin in the Woods.

; >

QuoterGal | January 22, 00:19 CET

The Wesleyan University connections continue - Whitford is also an alum.

Squee

Zannadoo | January 22, 01:49 CET

Little Green Kid, this isn't a little thing...Jenkins and Whitford are two extremely talented actors. Two of the best working today, in fact.

You should see Jenkins in The Visitor. He got a lot of Oscar buzz for it, though it doesn't appear that he's going to get nominated tomorrow. Ya never know, though.

UnpluggedCrazy | January 22, 02:03 CET

Just started watching Six Feet Under (now in Season 2) and Richard Jenkins does steal every scene he's in. I love him. :)

Who's Bradley Whitford?

I'm guessing that whatever we think this movie is about, or what's going to happen in it... will be off. I like the not-knowing. >)

korkster | January 22, 03:23 CET

You should watch West Wing, korkster. He's a main character, and he's super. Also, the show is amazing.

Jobo | January 22, 03:32 CET

Are there any women in this film? Since I've seen/read very little about the movie in general (it's scanty, I tell you), plot news, script news, I have no idea.

I'm actually itching at the thought of seeing Richard Jenkins again - damn, I loved Six Feet Under so much.

Tonya J | January 22, 04:13 CET

No one has any idea, Tonya J. This is the first information released about characters or actors so far.

The One True b!X | January 22, 04:22 CET

Well, someone let Joss know that I'm available, provided someone pay my airfare. Will Act For Food... and Autographs :D

TDBrown | January 22, 05:32 CET

It might be really interesting if this were the Reservoir Dogs of horror films. I'm a little giddy watching Lost, so forgive me my little flight of fancy.

[ edited by Tonya J on 2009-01-22 06:14 ]

Tonya J | January 22, 05:36 CET

The only downside to that, Tonya J, would be the legion of fans who would suddenly declare him anti-feminist.

UnpluggedCrazy | January 22, 16:26 CET

Oh, he gets that if the wind is blowing in the wrong direction, UC.

Tonya J | January 22, 16:57 CET

This is true.

UnpluggedCrazy | January 22, 17:37 CET

January 21 2009