Murphy enters "Hall"; eyed for Lohan role in "Poor"

By Carly Mayberry

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Brittany Murphy is beginning work on the indie feature "Across the Hall," is eyeing a role in the dark comedy "Poor Things," on which she would replace Lindsay Lohan.

In "Hall," Murphy stars 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").

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 -- who also has been cast in "Sin City 2" -- is under consideration as a replacement for Lohan in "Poor," though negotiations have not yet begun.

Lohan fell out of the project in May when she admitted herself to a rehabilitation facility.

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 penned the script.

Scott Marshall, whose directorial credits include "Blonde Ambition" and "Keeping Up With the Steins," has come aboard to direct the film. He replaces Ash Baron Cohen, who departed over what was described as "creative differences."

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter