Brittany Murphy begins filming the indie feature Across the Hall Wednesday and also is eyeing a role in the dark comedy Poor Things, says The Hollywood Reporter. She would replace Lindsay Lohan, who has dropped out of the cast of the latter film.
In “Hall,” Murphy is starring opposite Mike Vogel (Cloverfield) and Danny Pino (The Burning Plain) in a thriller about a brutal standoff between a young man (Vogel), his fiancee and his best friend (Pino).
The cast also includes Dov Davidoff (Invincible), Brad Greenquist (Shiloh Falls) and Guillermo Diaz (“Weeds”).
Insomnia Media Group is producing the film, directed by Alex Merkin from a screenplay by Jesse Mittelstadt and Julien Schwab. “Hall” is based on Merkin’s award-winning 2005 short film that starred Adrian Grenier (“Entourage”).
Meanwhile, Murphy is under consideration as a replacement for Lohan in “Poor,” though negotiations have not yet begun.
Scott Marshall has come aboard to direct the film, replacing original director Ash Baron-Cohen, who departed over what was described as “creative differences.”
Murphy would join a cast that includes Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, Rosario Dawson and Channing Tatum.
“Poor” revolves around two female con artists who befriend and then murder homeless men in order to collect on their insurance policies.
Trent Haaga has written the script, and MacLaine, Rob Hickman and Will Keenan are producing.