Fassbender Out Of Boyle's TRANCE, Boyle Wants Firth And Johansson

When word came out in late June that James McAvoy had taken the lead in Danny Boyle's Trance it was widely assumed that McAvoy had replaced Michael Fassbender, who had previously been announced in the cast. That wasn't true - the two men were cast in different parts, with McAvoy as 'Simon' and Fassbender as 'Aiden' - but while McAvoy hadn't pushed Fassbender out or replaced him in any way there were continued rumblings that Fassbender had had to walk away from the project due to scheduling issues.

Here at ScreenAnarchy we heard the 'Fassbender is out' news from a couple of reliable sources - and reported on it here - but the official word from the film's backers remained that Fassbender was in and all was well. Well, not only have we confirmed that Fassbender is definitely out but we also know who Boyle wants to replace him, along with one other significant cast addition.

Twitch is hearing that Colin Firth and Scarlett Johannson have emerged as Danny Boyle's top choices for the major supporting roles in his upcoming art-heist-gone-wrong thriller. Though no formal offers have yet been made, the two stars are apparently Boyle's favored picks for the roles of Aiden and Elizabeth. And, based on the casting process thus far, who Boyle wants, Boyle gets.

The affinity for Firth is certainly no surprise, given the actor's stellar career in which he most recently earned an Academy Award for his portrayal of King George VI in The King's Speech. Firth also appears in the upcoming Tomas Alfredson (Let The Right One In) spy thriller Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (trailer here).

Johansson is said to be the current favorite from Boyle's short list (which we hear also includes Zoe Saldana and Mélanie Thierry).

We will of course keep you apprised as the casting process firms up.