Rise of the Apes

Looks like the magic of Harry Potter will still be affecting the stars of the franchise even after the final films: both Daniel Radcliffe and Tom Felton have recently scored new roles.

Radcliffe has a busy schedule that includes a Broadway stint and a remake of All Quiet on the Western Front, and now he's adding a horror movie to his resume. He's set to star in The Woman in Black, based on the novel by Susan Hill.

Meanwhile, his onscreen nemesis Tom Felton just nabbed a role in The Rise of the Apes, the sequel to The Planet of the Apes. Felton will play Brian Cox's son, and the star-studded cast also includes James Franco and Freida Pinto.

I'm excited to see what these boys can do outside of the wizarding world, though after Felton's cameo in Get Him to the Greek, I wouldn't mind seeing them take on lighter fare.

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Photos courtesy of The CW

Looks like James Franco will get a little female companionship of the human kind in the Planet of the Apes prequel, Rise of the Apes: actress Freida Pinto has just signed on to play the female lead. Pinto will star as a primatologist to Franco's scientist who is searching for a cure for Alzheimer's by testing on apes; John Lithgow has also jumped on board to play Franco's dad. No word yet if there will be a romantic connection between Pinto and Franco, but what do you think of them as an onscreen couple?

There is no stopping the wacky and weird wonderboy that is James Franco. The actor has picked up two new roles, and it sounds like they couldn't be more different. First there's Ricky Stanicky, a comedy about a pair of guys who make up a friend to use as an excuse when they don't want to spend time with their wives. When their significant others want to meet Ricky, the guys hire an actor to play the role, and guess who's signed on to play him? That's right, it's Franco. Should be easy enough since we know how much he loves to poke fun at himself and acting in general.

If Franco's funny movies aren't your cup of tea, try this one on for size: he'll also be starring in a prequel to Planet of the Apes. Called Rise of the Apes, Franco will play a scientist who tests an Alzheimer's treatment on the primates — only to discover that the treatment enhances their evolution . . . and you know what happens next.

If there's one thing to say about Franco, it's that he knows how to spread his talent across all genres (let's not forget he's got Eat, Pray, Love coming out this Summer). I'm just glad all these big budget aren't cutting into his General Hospital time.