'Kick-Ass' Star Aaron Johnson Sought for 'Savages' and 'Karenina'

It looks like his breakout role in "Kick-Ass" - you know, from nearly a year ago - is starting to pay off. Though not anybody's idea of an Oscar reel, the independent comic book adaptation put his name out there for all to see, and who knows, maybe someone saw "Nowhere Boy" as a result.

That film had him play John Lennon, in case you were one of the many who forgot or never knew it existed.

The point is, he now has the attention of Oliver Stone and Joe Wright, two attentions worth having. Stone is hard at work developing "Savages," the story of two marijuana growers and a kidnapping, and Deadline reports that Johnsons can play one of those growers if he so chooses.

Given that other names being bandied about included Leonardo DiCaprio and James Franco, this would be a role well worth taking for Johnson. The only risk is being part of a post-90s Oliver Stone film, none of which have landed well with audiences or critics.

On the other end of the spectrum is the latest adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's novel "Anna Karenina," this time to be directed by Joe Wright ("Atonement," the upcoming "Hanna"). The story has been adapted to film a dozen times before (Greta Garbo even played the role twice!), but the last version to get major play in the United States was nearly fifteen years ago, so it's about that time again. Keira Knightley is already set to star the titular character.

Deadline notes that, due to shooting schedules, Johnson could easily do both, and likely will.