[Casting News] Naomi Watts Eyes St. Vincent de Van Nuys

April 22, 2013

Naomi Watts is said to be in talks to join the cast of St. Vincent de Van Nuys. A source reports that the The Impossible actress would star opposite Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy and Chris O'Dowd in the comedy drama from writer/director Ted Melfi.

Set up through 20th Century Fox and Chernin Entertainment, St. Vincent de Van Nuys landed Melfi on the 2011 "Black List" with the following official logline:

When a twelve year old boy in need of a babysitter moves in next door to a misanthropic aging retiree whose life mainly consists of gambling, hookers, and drinking, the elder becomes an unlikely mentor to the boy.

Watts' upcoming projects include Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's black comedy Birdman and the leading role in Werner Herzog's Gertrude Bell biopic, Queen of the Desert.

[Additional Information]

Naomi Watts To Join Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy, Chris O’Dowd In ‘St. Vincent De Van Nuys’



April 22, 2013

Naomi Watts is in talks to star in St. Vincent De Van Nuys, the film that Ted Melfi will direct from his script for The Weinstein Company, Chernin Entertainment and Don Cheadle’s Crescendo. Watts will join Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy and Chris O’Dowd.

Watts will play a Russian prostitute who develops a close relationship with the title character (Murray), a cantankerous guy who becomes a chief influence on an angelic 12-year old boy whose hardworking single mother (McCarthy) foists child care duties on Murray’s character.

The project, which Chernin Entertainment developed for two years with Melfi’s Black List script, has been compared to As Good As It Gets or even TWC’s recent Silver Linings Playbook for the way it mixes comedy and human pathos. Watts is coming off an Oscar-nominated performance in The Impossible. Every age appropriate hot actress in town chased this role. She’s repped by CAA and Untitled.

(Source: Deadline)