Former daytime stars Tom Pelphrey (ex-Jonathan Randall, Guiding Light; ex-Mick Dante, As the World Turns) and Amanda Seyfried (ex-Joni Mitchell, All My Children; ex-Lucy Montgomery, ATWT) have joined the cast of the upcoming David Fincher drama Mank, which tells the story of the little-known writer who co-wrote the screen classic Citizen Kane with Orson Welles.
As the real-life-tale-turned-Fincher-film goes, 1920s reporter and critic Herman Mankiewicz was recruited by Paramount to come to Hollywood and work in the movie business. Mankiewicz worked on numerous now-classic films such as 1939's The Wizard of Oz, 1942's Pride of the Yankees, and 1953's Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, but it was 1941's Citizen Kane that caused a controversy that would dog him until his death. Both Mankiewicz and Welles worked on the script, but Mankiewicz accused the filmmaker of trying to push him out of the limelight, even saying Welles offered to pay him off in exchange for sole credit.
Most character details for Fincher's Mank have been kept under wraps, but it is known that Gary Oldman will play Herman Mankiewwicz; Seyfried will play screen star Marion Davies; Pelphrery will play Mankiewicz's brother, Joseph; Lily Collins will play Mankiewicz's secretary, Rita Alexander; and Tom Burke will play Welles.
Other stars to board the picture, which is scheduled to start shooting in Los Angeles this November, include Charles Dance, Arliss Howard, Ferdinand Kingsley, Jamie McShane, Joseph Cross, Sam Troughton, Toby Leonard Moore, and Tuppence Middleton.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, getting Mank before cameras has been a twenty-plus-year journey for Fincher, who initially wanted to tackle the story after making his 1997 feature The Game. The film -- which will be shot in black and white -- is based on a script by Fincher's late father, Jack, a newspaperman who penned it prior to his death in 2003.
Some of Seyfried's early credits include As the World Turns' Lucy Montgomery (2000-2001) and All My Children's Joni Mitchell (2002-2003). She was last seen in The Art of Racing in the Rain and is currently shooting the horror movie Things Seen & Heard for Netflix as well as voicing the character of Daphne in the animated Scooby-Doo movie Scoob.
Pelphrey got his start playing Guiding Light's Jonathan Randall from 2003 to 2009 and later ATWT's Mick Dante from 2009 to 2010. He is best known for costarring in Iron Fist and can be seen in the upcoming season of Netflix's Ozark.
What do you think about Tom Pelphrey and Amanda Seyfried landing roles in David Fincher's Mank? What are your thoughts on the premise and casting of the film? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
