Well this is aca-awkward. Anna Kendrick has left "Wish I Was Here," Zach Braff's controversial Kickstarter movie, with Ashley Greene of "Twilight" fame quickly stepping in to fill her character's shoes. Greene will be playing Janine, a quirky-sounding gal (she likes to cosplay!) who will serve as the love interest for Josh Gad's character.
Casting news for "Wish I Was Here" began trickling out before the Kickstarter campaign had even ended. It stands to reason that adding actors like Kendrick to the film's cast was what helped sell the project to Worldview Entertainment, the company that will be providing "gap financing" for the film, which is boosted by Braff's cash and the $3.1 million in Kickstarter earnings.
Braff explained in the casting switcheroo in an email to the project's backers: "We've tried our hardest, but we've been unable to figure out the lovely Anna Kendrick's scheduling conflicts with another movie she's doing," he wrote. "This happens all the time in movie-land. Putting the shooting schedule together is like planning 25 weddings: each day has so many moving pieces and locations. I love Anna so much and can't wait to work with her one day."
Kendrick is currently in the thick of filming "The Last Five Years," based on the Off-Broadway musical by Jason Robert Brown. Greene's next film, "CBGB," will be released this October.
[via TheWrap]
