Jon Stewart Casts Gael Garcia Bernal In ‘Rosewater’
Jon Stewart has cast Gael Garcia Bernal in the starring role of his directorial debut, Rosewater, which he will be shooting over the summer.
Stewart has decided to take 12 weeks off from hosting The Daily Show in order to complete production on the movie, and he has decided that the Mexican star is the perfect actor for his leading character.
Rosewater is an adaptation of the book, Then They Came For Me: A Family’s Story Of Love, Captivity, and Survival, which was written by Maziar Bahari and Aimee Molloy.
It follows the story of Bahari, a journalist for the BBC who went to Iran for one week to cover the nation’s presidential election, but was then captured and spent 118 days in Evin prison in northwestern Tehran. Whilst he was being held captive, Bahri was repeatedly questioned by a man who always smelled of rose water. Despite Stewart’s obvious comedic chops, Rosewater is a drama.
Whilst he is away from his Daily Show hosting duties, Stewart will be replaced by his trusted ally John Oliver in the role. Oliver will helm the show for a three-month period, starting in June, and as one of the show’s longest-serving correspondents, he joined the show in 2006, it is thought that the British comedian will excel in the role.
Some are even stating that Oliver could use this platform to boost his own career. Oliver has recently helmed a stand-up show entitled, John Oliver’s New York Stand-Up Show, that has recently concluded its third season. He also co-hosts the hugely successful and popular weekly podcast, The Bugle, with fellow comedian Andy Zaltzman.
In the past the likes of Steve Carell, Ed Helms, Jason Jones, and Stephen Colbert have each used The Daily Show as a springboard to propel their careers forward.
Do you think John Oliver will be a success as Jon Stewart’s replacement?
