The Red Dawn remake (the Russians invade high school!) picked up two new castmembers today: Josh Peck from The Wackness, and Adrianne Palicki, who looks like a really good actress.  Peck will play the role of hotheaded high school quarterback Matt, originally played by Charlie Sheen. Palicki will play tough girl Toni, originally played by Jennifer Grey, who once gave birth to a baby in a corner.

Dan Bradley, a stunt coordinator and second-unit director on “The Bourne Ultimatum” and “Quantum of Solace,” will direct the revamp based on the 1984 Cold War-era film co-written and directed by John Milius. Carl Ellsworth and Jeremy Passmore penned the updated screenplay. [THR]

So yeah, probably gonna suck.  I actually didn’t know there was a stunt coordinator on Quantum of Solace.  I thought they just had the actors stand still and then shook the camera around, Polish-lightbulb style.  But casting Palicki was a good choice. After all, she’s a veteran of operation Spread Eagle.

(Even in the future dads wear their pants too high and their cell phones on holsters)

Chris Hemsworth is the Australian soap opera (Home & Away) actor who played Captain Kirk’s father in Star Trek.  As of this weekend, he’s also Thor, and the lead in MGM’s remake of Red Dawn.  (And currently filming Joss Whedon’s Cabin in the Woods).

The way Chris Hemsworth got the part of Thor is one of those great Hollywood backstories that happens only once in a blue moon. [Agent William] Ward had found Chris during one of the manager’s many scouting trips to Australia. Ward brought him to Los Angeles and really put him out there to casting directors and production executives. As for the major agencies, I hear CAA passed on the meeting, Endeavor took it but passed on repping him, and ICM was interested but dragged their feet. But Ilene Feldman understood his appeal immediately.

Chris had read for the part of Thor but wasn’t given a test because a casting director had nixed him early on. I’m told Chris’ younger brother Liam (who’s also a ROAR client) then tested for the role of Thor, but Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige passed. Then, after a conversation with Ward (“You’ve got to reconsider Chris, he’s your guy”), Feige decided to let Chris read again. And once Marvel put him on tape, it was “Oh my god”. [Thor director Kenneth] Branagh came to town last week and saw the Chris test and made the final casting decision. [NikkiFinke]

So at first they said no, but then they said yes?  That is a great story!  It’s so nice to see 25-year-old, six-foot-three, Australian TV stars finally catch a break.